jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Do a search for "roundabouts," and you'll find articles saying how great they are. Judging by the new ones in Kingston, NY, they aren't great.

We used to have a large traffic circle by the Thruway entrance. Four roads fed into it, and it was large enough that you could enter even if a car had just entered on your left. The new one - a roundabout - is so small that 18-wheelers must use both lanes. If you're waiting to enter, and a car enters on your left, it's too close for you to drive into the circle. The result is a line of cars waiting to enter the roundabout. As if that weren't band enough, cars in the left lane are allowed to make right turns to exit in front of cars in the right lane.

Now we have a brand new roundabout. We used to have traffic lights. Red - stop; green - go. Now we have this confusing roundabout, which people are avoiding by driving out of their way by several miles. I'm glad I found this picture so you can so what it's like. Of course, from the air, it's easier to get a good view and understand it. Down on ground level, with cars entering from every angle, it's very confusing.

MSW

the technical term for this is

(wait for it)


crappy design

cbabcock

I used to live in the area, went through the old one often. The real problem was people not obeying the signs about what maneuver was allowed from each lane.

Indi Loc: L. I., NY, Palm Beach Cty when it's cold.

We have one just like that in Jones Beach around the water tower. Can be very dangerous. Fortunately, big trucks are prohibited.

pendennis

Suburban Detroit areas are the latest to go to this idiocy. People ignore the lane signage, fail to yield, stop unnecessarily, to mention a few "sins". Thought to be a panacea for eliminating traffic control lights and turn lanes, it's really a mess.

I lived in New England in the late 60's, early 70's, and a number of small towns had them. They work fine in a small town, where traffic is minimal, and folks tend to obey the signage.

fourlocks Loc: Londonderry, NH

I was a member of several regional planning commissions who were responsible for dealing with traffic issues when these things were coming into vogue. Roundabouts are not meant to function as a large traffic circle. They are classified as "traffic calming devices" (similar to speed bumps) meant to keep traffic flowing at a slow but steady pace. We had some fairly major roads where rush hour traffic backed up severely due to several traffic lights. Once the lights were replaced with roundabouts, the backups were mostly eliminated...once people got used to them. There's a also an environmental benefit because slow-but-steady moving cars create less emissions than the same number of vehicles in stop-and-go mode.

Archboo3 Loc: Central Florida

We are now seeing more and more of them in Florida. some place the are so small that if there was a fire the fire truck would have to take a detour that could wind up causing more property damage or lives. I think that my friends in the army would like at your picture above and call that a real Cluster FK.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

They key is getting used to them.
SO many people never see one and don't know how to drive through (around?) them.

stu352 Loc: MA/RI Border

I nearly got taken out again at the Bourne Bridge rotary on Cape Cod on Sunday. There are two lanes going around it, and invariably some tourist on the inside lane who doesn't know the area or the game, sees his road coming up and just zags right, in front of whoever is in the outside lane, me for instance. Curse you, white Suburban.

There's another one by the airport in Hyannis that can also be exciting at times.

fourlocks Loc: Londonderry, NH

My best friend lives in East Sandwich where I often visit so I'm very familiar with both circles and you're right, idiots who don't know how to drive on them cause problems. Along with your white Suburban issue, I've seen people already on the circle slow down or even stop in the middle of the circle to let someone enter from a side road. That's about as smart and with roughly the same effect, as running a red light.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Ah, yes. I remember it well. It was either Sport Cars Illustrated or (after the name change) Car and Driver that used that circle in road tests. It tested how fast they could drive around that circle. High tech!

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

That's a major problem. People shouldn't have to get used to a road system. People travel all over the country, and they shouldn't have to learn new skills for driving in new areas.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Then they should be everywhere or nowhere.....

wmurnahan Loc: Bloomington IN

The big problem I see is folks not knowing how to use them. I see it almost daily, that folks come to a stop if anyone is anywhere in the circle. Even if a car is just a quarter of the circle away, if you and him are doing the same speed, you merge (which seems to be what folks have a problem with understanding the concept) and keep going.

fjdarling Loc: Mesa, Arizona, USA

There is a small roundabout 3 blocks up the street from my house, and due to road construction all around us, I had to use the roundabout for about 2 years. A light rail track also goes through the roundabout, which is one of the main reasons they built the roundabout instead of widening the traffic-lighted intersection there. Anyway, during those 2 years I had innumerable near collisions due to drivers ignoring the yield signs when entering. The other construction projects have now been completed so I can now avoid the roundabout whenever possible.