jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

One big problem with the roundabouts I've seen is drivers changing lanes right in front of other cars. This happens to me almost every time I'm in the local roundabout. Drivers are allowed to make a right turn from the left lane. That's bad news for cars in the right lane.

California is trying something new at a notoriously bad roundabout. It's called a Turbo Roundabout, an idea developed in the Netherlands in 1996. There is only one other in the country, in Jacksonville, FL. Before drivers enter the roundabout, they select where they want to go. They drive into that lane and remain there until they exit.

The local roundabout isn't wide enough for tractor trailers, so they must use both lanes. Great design!

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Helps to know the design and traffic patterns prior to entering.........
Unless they have good signage.
Not all roundabouts are created equal.

ken_stern Loc: Yorba Linda, Ca

Looks like a great idea
BUT------
I'm originally from N.J. and remember these damn circles -- If/when it rains out here drivers either drive too slowly and or put the peddle to the floorboard & bang into each other or the folks going too slow --
This is something CA drivers will initially and for many years to come screw-up
However
Still a good idea & worth a try -- For me -- I'll take the alternate route

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

I don't see how someone coming into the roundabout from the right road gets to go out to the left road. They have to cross the traffic in lanes 1 and 2

Going to be a lot of people getting shunted onto the wrong road until they get used to that design and get into the correct lane a mile ahead of time

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

About 10-15 years ago our highway department considered a roundabout for an obnoxious intersection with 5 roads coming to a point. 2 of the roads composed a major commuting highway so getting into the traffic on those roads was tough around commuting hours. They considered a traffic light and a roundabout. The phrase they used at the time was that a roundabout 'would calm traffic' (which I read as 'would slow traffic'). There was a traffic light about a mile upstream on the evening commute so the traffic had breaks occasionally except when the downstream traffic got calmed enough to back it up past the intersection. My take was that the roundabout would meter traffic so that downstream intersections would see a constant stream of traffic and entering the road would just get much worse downstream.

Fortunately there was not enough land available to construct a roundabout. And not enough money to put in a traffic light. So nothing happened.

Roundabouts CAN be good. A nearby town had two major roads that came together at a roundabout. They had roughly equal traffic so the roundabout worked. The proposed roundabout had highly unequal traffic levels, which made me think it wouldn't work.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

The trick is to get into the correct lane before entering the roundabout. All the accidents will occur outside the roundabout, making it look safer.

bobmcculloch Loc: NYC, NY

Yeah, like people will get into the correct lane a mile before, did you ever see people be in the right lane at an exit? I see people cut over from the left lane to a right exit almost every time I'm on the NJ Parkway.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Right!

StanMac Loc: Tennessee

Yep! Good and timely signage is the key. Signage needs to start at least half a mile before the roundabout.

Stan

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

Only important for multi-lane roundabouts. Single lane roundabouts don't have that problem.

sippyjug104 Loc: Missouri

What could possibly go wrong..?

markngolf Loc: Bridgewater, NJ

When I took my driver's license test in 1954, driving on the "traffic circle" was a requirement. I have never had a problem with them. I live but 4 miles from a very busy one and use it almost daily.
Mark

marine73 Loc: Modesto California

welcome to California except they will shoot across five to six lanes of traffic to get to their exit. The problem as I see it is that drivers do not plan ahead for their exit as they drive an therefore make these dangerous moves.

koratcat

I remember these things from years ago in New Jersey. Decided then that there should be a special circle in Hell for whoever came up with the idea.

Eyes Loc: Buffalo, NY

Well, I'm afraid I wouldn't agree! I think they are a Great invention! There ARE probs of course, such as those too slow, too fast, & of course the inpatient drivers when traffic is heavy --- they have to wait "too long" to enter! But, at least for the "average" road-connections (meaning single lane types) , I think they are wonderful....

Carl