Roundabouts
Since I have moved to the town where I currently live, the city has installed three roundabouts with plans for another one in the works. Each time they do, especially in the beginning, the local social media is inundated with people furious at the decision. They generally fall into two camps.
The first camp is that nobody knows how to use them and so it is a waste of money. For sure, I have been behind some extremely timid people scared to enter into the traffic circle until it is completely devoid of vehicles and others who stop at the yield sign even when it is devoid of vehicles. But, in the years since they have been built, even behind such people, it is still much faster and safer to travel through those three intersections than it was prior to them. On one intersection, I had sometimes to sit for upwards of five minutes to make a left turn across traffic during busy times of the day and since the round about, I've never sat for more than a handful of seconds (if behind that timid person) to make the same left turn.
The second camp feels that these are a waste of money when the city should be filling potholes first. We definitely have our share of crappy streets full of potholes that are in dire need of fixing so it seems logical. What these people don't know however, is there is a lot of grant money out there for building roundabouts but none for filling potholes. As a result, we build roundabouts because it is free, i.e. our tax money is used to finance them.
My first time seeing a roundabout was during my younger years when I was traveling in England. Many times during that trip (I was driving a rental car), I would be in the midst of three lanes of traffic heading towards an intersection that back in the states, would have taken three or four cycles of the traffic lights for me to get clear of it. But with the roundabout, I would soon be on the other side heading on my merry way. I had never seen such an efficient device used to funnel traffic. So I'm in the happy camp to see these roundabouts poking up around our fair town.
The statistics don't lie. The local newspaper reported that at one particular completed roundabout, prior to it being built there were on average a couple dozen wrecks sending people to the hospital every year. Since the roundabout has been built a couple years back, there have only been 71 personal property damage reports and not a single person injured. They are doing there job and I can't wait for the next one.
There is a hotly debated traffic circle coming to our town. The argument is that we don't really need it. I'm in that camp myself actually. The second argument is that we have many semitrucks coming through that to the refinery, and it will be hard for them to negotiate. I understand that, but the trucks can enter and exit at the other end of town and avoid the circle all together. A house within sight of the proposed circle has been hit by a semi three times in 10 years. Our accidents would be reduced simply by keeping trucks out of the area. I guess the traffic circle will help with that.
ReplyDeleteOur roundabouts have a shallow curb and paved inside so trucks can let their trailer overrun them and not have any problems. The curb though is enough that one wouldn't want to drive over it at a high speed.
DeleteLike you, I tend to be in the pro camp on roundabouts and as you say, the statistics bear that out. I remember when my wife and I first rented a car in England and were told to “mind the roundabouts.” Not only that, but you’ll also be driving on the wrong side! That’s why I chose to be a passenger instead of a driver! My wife navigated it all beautifully. Now we seem to be catching up here in the U.S.
ReplyDeleteSome of the roundabouts in England can be really intimidating, especially when there are three lanes of traffic entering it at once. But all of the ones thus far in our town are only restricted to one lane entering which makes it pretty easy to navigate.
DeleteTraveling in England?? How long were you there, Ed? Very much enjoyed reading this-between my home and my sister 70 miles south was an intersection I always dreaded in the smaller city of Washington Pa. I had no choice to take; they replaced it with a roundabout a couple years ago, what an amazing difference it made-those Europeans know their stuff. Anyway, I was timid about it too but you catch on soon enough :)
ReplyDeleteI actually met my wife in England some 20 years ago I suppose. I made several trips back until I was able to convince her to marry me and move to America.
DeleteI guess one can get used to them. I only know of one in a nearby town, and I guess I am one of the timid ones you describe. I have greater difficulty when I have to merge from the less busy street into the busier street, meanwhile making, in effect, a 90 degree left. It's not so bad just turning off right from the main drag going the other way.
ReplyDeleteI would hope most would be timid initially when encountering some new road controlling device so I fault no one. As time has gone by, I see fewer and fewer timid cars at these intersections and many of those have out of county license plates so are likely not used to them like us locals are.
DeleteI just had an exchange with my niece about roundabouts (as opposed to rotaries) recently. She's a civil engineer who specialized in traffic flow. Here's what she said:
ReplyDelete"I love roundabouts! They don’t work for every situation, but they are so incredibly safe, prevent the worst type of accident, head on. Most round about accidents are side swipes at slow speeds. I always say if it’s an all way stop, it should be a roundabout! Traffic continuously moves!"
I'm in agreement with your niece and our local stats bear it out. We haven't had any serious accidents at any of our roundabouts since they were completed. Meanwhile, one of the most deadly intersections in our state is controlled by traffic lights.
DeleteI have come to appreciate them; they do keep the traffic flow moving and are much safer. My first time in one was a huge two lane one coming off Interstate 90 near Seattle. I didn't know what to do and it was a baptism by fire. Now I'm much better!
ReplyDeleteI've never heard someone who has driven through them a handful of times complain about them. I'm guessing most of the complainers are those who haven't used and experienced them.
DeleteAnd here I was hoping to have a post about the band, "Yes" and their hit, "Roundabout" Oh well, when I lived on Skidaway Island, they were going to install one at a bad intersection, but a few people got enough people to complain. At a town hall to explain it all, I was one of the few who was in favor of the roundabout.
ReplyDeleteThat is an excellent song and this is a great comment! :)
DeleteWe don't have any roundabouts in Hawaii yet. Well, not that I know of since I only drive in my own neighborhood if I can help it. What we do have are little island things in some intersections that force us to slow down and jog to the right and then back straight. Rather strange but if it was meant to slow down speeders, it works.
ReplyDeleteI too have never seen a roundabout in Hawaii but I have seen some intersections where they would be very beneficial.
DeleteActually we do have a roundabout in our town but it doesn't get much traffic so I don't think anybody has a problem with it. I haven't seen a roundabout anywhere else on Oahu though.
DeleteWe are seeing more and more of those here in town. People fear change and things they don't understand so I understand why the dislike but they do makes things a lot better. Take care and have a good rest of your week.
ReplyDeleteWe have one here in town...the worst part is the semis that go over the curbs because they don't fit...the tracks are quite evident in the snow:) In the Wisconsin Dells we had to do three different roundabouts to get to our Motel:)
ReplyDelete