The UK is replacing roundabouts with traffic lights; US is doing the opposite

Post by verelo » Mon, Oct 19, 2015, 9:50 PM UTC

r0m4n0 wrote: post #11

zb wrote: post #6

I don't see roundabouts as a replacement for traffic lights in the US. Above a certain traffic volume, you'll almost always want to move to traffic lights anyway. They're actually a replacement for the 4-way Stop - a ridiculous type of intersection that ought not to exist.

Or my personal favorite in Sacramento, roundabout with some stop signs sprinkled in. I hear horns and accidents daily... https://www.google.com/maps/@38.5801855,-121.4694376,3a,75y,...

Post by jdc0589 » Mon, Oct 19, 2015, 9:51 PM UTC

zb wrote: post #6

I don't see roundabouts as a replacement for traffic lights in the US. Above a certain traffic volume, you'll almost always want to move to traffic lights anyway. They're actually a replacement for the 4-way Stop - a ridiculous type of intersection that ought not to exist.

Post by mixmastamyk » Mon, Oct 19, 2015, 9:53 PM UTC

msandford wrote: post #10

mixmastamyk wrote: post #5

The question should be, what is best for this particular intersection in the near future? The two designs have different characteristics. My understanding is that roundabouts are best when traffic is low, when it gets heavy they become much less efficient. Lights, while a lot of overhead in low traffic, scale better. There's also the question of space required. Since the UK may have too many roundabouts due to traffi…

One of the great advantages of roundabouts is that they're approximately "fair" whereas traffic lights are not. What I mean is that a traffic light is very arbitrary and stops people who just barely didn't make the cutoff. Multiply that by 5, 10, or 20 traffic lights on a journey and an extra minute at each one can add up. So people have incentive to run the light and shave the 30 seconds or a minute. But then when p…

Post by ajmurmann » Mon, Oct 19, 2015, 9:53 PM UTC

zb wrote: post #6

I don't see roundabouts as a replacement for traffic lights in the US. Above a certain traffic volume, you'll almost always want to move to traffic lights anyway. They're actually a replacement for the 4-way Stop - a ridiculous type of intersection that ought not to exist.

Post by Tloewald » Mon, Oct 19, 2015, 9:58 PM UTC

duaneb wrote: post #26

verelo wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Roundabouts with stop signs are insane, i see them in Ontario too and cannot figure them out. Coming from Australia (that admittedly at times tends to over uses roundabouts) all i can ever wonder when i see a quiet road with traffic lights, or a seemingly pointless 4 way stop sign is "WHY IS THIS NOT A ROUNDABOUT?" I agree at a certain volume there are better alternatives, but there are massive benefits for a very lo…

> North America, please stop abusing using "stop" signs. No one stops anyway, just make them "Yield" signs unless its a seriously bad intersection. Maybe outside of cities. In cities, they are the best thing ever for pedestrians.