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We're excited about our new roundabout

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Re: We're excited about our new roundabout

#31

Post by ajb »

nullspace wrote: post #27
ajb wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It may be unusual there, but in the UK we have loads. Some are smaller than this: the minimum roundabout is just a paint circle. They aren't a problem Most people here actually prefer roundabouts to traffic lights because you keep moving (although this is partly selection bias- traffic lights are deployed at junctions where a roundabout would fail to evenly arbitrate the different flows )

You may feel less enthusiastic about it once you watch the linked video. I wouldn’t exactly call it a roundabout. That’s only what’s at the center of it.

Ok fair enough, that extra bit does make it slightly more complicated. Having said that though, I would not be fazed by this, and I don't think many UK drivers would be - because we already deal with many that have more parts. When I was learning to drive, I found a particular triple roundabout quite painful but no longer have any difficulty.

There are two skills you need to pick up to deal with any roundabout system. The first is judgement of how distant other vehicles need to be before you can enter. As a learner I used to irritate the drivers behind me by being far too cautious; on a busy roundabout you can't expect an enormous gap, so you need to know what length of gap the other drivers will expect you to take advantage of. This you can only learn from experience.

The other is to plan your route, because you need to choose your entry lane based on where you want to go. These days your navigation app will probably tell you the best entry lane.

Re: We're excited about our new roundabout

#32

Post by Terr_ »

googledocsftw wrote: post #23
Dalewyn wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'll take a traditional cross with traffic signals or stop signs on all sides, it's simple and effective. Roundabouts are a waste of space, disrupt traffic, and take more brain processing than I care to afford if I can help it. This particular example isn't even round.

How is a roundabout more disruptive than a 4 way junction with stop signs. In terms of brain processing, you get used to it and it becomes second nature. It is a skill.

Agreed, with the condition that there is only one lane.

Ones with multiple layers stress me out, there are more ways to screw up and more demands on your defensive-driving attention.

Re: We're excited about our new roundabout

#33

Post by ProllyInfamous »

googledocsftw wrote: post #23
Dalewyn wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'll take a traditional cross with traffic signals or stop signs on all sides, it's simple and effective. Roundabouts are a waste of space, disrupt traffic, and take more brain processing than I care to afford if I can help it. This particular example isn't even round.

How is a roundabout more disruptive than a 4 way junction with stop signs. In terms of brain processing, you get used to it and it becomes second nature. It is a skill.

We have back-to-back round-a-bouts in Chattanooga (153 / Lake Resort / Access) which have two loops (concentric inner & outer round-a-bouts)... that can be quite confusing for anybody unfamiliar with the local pattern.

Re: We're excited about our new roundabout

#35

Post by thepaulmcbride »

I live in the US now, but originally from Ireland. My least favourite part of US road infrastructure is the 4 way stop. They are just not good compared to a roundabout. Half the time the only way you can tell it’s an all way stop is by looking for the back of the stop signs on the perpendicular road.

With a roundabout, you only have to look in one direction, and if it’s clear, you don’t even have to stop.

Re: We're excited about our new roundabout

#36

Post by thepaulmcbride »

rootusrootus wrote: post #26
code_runner wrote: post #19

US here. There seems to be an obsession at the moment with adding roundabouts in my area. They don’t always fit where they are put. Some of them have a stop sign in the roundabout? When asked why, the answer is reducing “points of conflict”, which is a static variable. There aren’t actually studies being done before or after to see if makes the flow of traffic better. They are also adding them in walkable areas with…

> Some of them have a stop sign in the roundabout? Traffic gets much heavier and we'll need stop signs at our roundabout near my house. During rush hour it has predominantly one flow of traffic and nobody slows down below 30-35 mph so getting into the roundabout can be difficult. A stop sign would defeat some of the point of a roundabout but it may become necessary to enforce safety.

In the UK a lot of roundabouts have traffic signals for this purpose that only turn on during busy times.

Re: We're excited about our new roundabout

#37

Post by AngryData »

I fail to see how this helps over more traditional designs. Not to mention tight roundabouts always have horrible curbs that trucks have to smash into to try and jump over to make the turns, and they are never gentle bumps, they are always tire and curb damaging trash, especially for heavy loads which are primarily the vehicles that need to jump the curbs.

All the roundabouts around me I wish they would just get rid of, I can navigate them just fine, but they are way too small, over congested, and dangerous because the 5 seconds you have to read the signs as you approach to know whats going on is too much for anyone non-local which makes them unpredictable and nervous drivers.

Re: We're excited about our new roundabout

#38

Post by al_borland »

nixosbestos wrote: post #12

Apparently I'm sticking my neck out here, but it really doesn't seem that hard. Overhead, I can intuit the path I would take, and if I imagine it first-person, it seems even more obvious. It's frustrating riding with certain other American drivers in other countries. I've met numerous folks now that seem upset that they have to actually pay attention to their driving and the traffic. Meanwhile I'm horrified that they…

I'm ok with most roundabouts. However, there is one near me that everyone complains about. There are 3 of them right in a row, but even that isn't the main issue. There is one with 5 places to turn out, which is relatively small and confusing. If you get it wrong it dumps you out on the expressway and it's an almost 9 mile trip to get back to where you originally wanted to go with no other option than to drive the 9 miles. I have yet to talk to a single person who hasn't made this mistake at least once. A little "oops" road to connect the expressway on-ramp with the road people intended to take would go along way and save hundreds, if not thousands, of wasted miles each year. Many people avoid the area completely because they don't want to deal with it.

Re: We're excited about our new roundabout

#39

Post by nine_k »

AngryData wrote: post #37

I fail to see how this helps over more traditional designs. Not to mention tight roundabouts always have horrible curbs that trucks have to smash into to try and jump over to make the turns, and they are never gentle bumps, they are always tire and curb damaging trash, especially for heavy loads which are primarily the vehicles that need to jump the curbs. All the roundabouts around me I wish they would just get rid…

OTOH if you can't read the sign where to turn right, you can keep turning left, make a full circle, and check the signs again, and again if needed, in under half a minute. All without creating a problem to anyone around you, and being safe yourself.

I'll take it any time over a typical highway exit; if you miss it, or uf you take a wrong one, it's usually dozens of miles before you have a chance to take any corrective action at all.

Re: We're excited about our new roundabout

#40

Post by freditup »

The picture of the roundabout from above at the beginning of the article is extra confusing because it doesn't have the final lane markings yet and the ones you can see are misleading.

The (presumably) final markings[0] make things less confusing.

[0]: https://www.google.com/maps/place/High+Rock+Rd,+Washington+9...

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