Roundabout fever

[TAKerry]

2 minutes ago, Lee H said:

I’m actually shocked that Columbus’ statue is still there. I thought it would have been cancelled by now.

They have been removed where I live!!

[rocketraider]

I'm more surprised some roundabout traveler hasn't collided with it and knocked it down. Middle of a roundabout isn't the best location for statuary or for that matter nice landscaping like a lot of little towns like to install in them.

 

A drunk driver in a work van took out Reidsville NC's WSI monument in 2012. It stood, as you may have guessed, in a downtown traffic circle. 6 foot tall statue mounted on a 32 foot pedestal and plinth, and on impact the whole thing toppled onto the van. The soldier's head broke off, came thru the van's windshield, and landed in the drunk's lap. 

 

The Civil War historical community was unfortunately unable to save that one. The catastrophic damage to the 100+ year old statue and public sentiment worked against it. The City of Reidsville installed landscaping in its place and that's been taken out a couple times too because drivers didn't properly navigate the roundabout.

 

So- if you absolutely have to have a roundabout, don't put anything in the middle of it.😁

[Frank DuVal]

I can't tell you how many times the cast iron fencing at Lee Circle in Richmond was taken out by drivers until it was finally taken down in an effort to save money fixing it. The circle, and the street, was paved with Belgian Block, and all the cars/trucks going down the street having to make a right left maneuver at speed (35 MPH, not "circle" rules, but traffic went around circle as if it was the straight street) dropped oil that was hanging from engine/frame/ you get it. This oil on the Belgian Block made a skating rink every time a few drops of rain  hit it. I have been in the inside lane when a VW was doing 360s next to me in the outside lane! My collision repair shop was two blocks away and I got business from that intersection. Now, if a driver unfamiliar with the circle was coming down Monument Avenue at an elevated speed with some rain, boom, fence section gone, or cars parked on the circle, oh, did I not mention that?, get slammed.

 

A famous chase ensued after a gunman killed an employee during a robbery at a fast food restaurant out in western Henrico County and the get away driver fled east into Richmond, down Monument Avenue. I was at work that night and heard the commotion. The getaway car took out 21 other cars in the intersection and along the street. Misty was the weather.

[60FlatTop]

A roundabout was built at the intersection of my avenue and the main street less that a quarter mile from me.  At least one of the signs is knocked down every morning and the nasturtiums in the center are crushed by tire tracks.

The approaching timid drivers are more timid and the aggressive drivers are more aggressive. Once in the circle I think something associated with the body's sense of lateral G forces affects the minds. Conditioned for straight line acceleration, this new feeling appears to be something akin to how a dog rides with their head out the window. There is a transformation that is not consistent in every driver. It's a treat.

 

Many years ago our office received a trade magazine. An article I copied and hung on the bulletin board was about the installation of a snap acting door on a John Deere combine plant. The head of maintenance praised the new door and was quoted "The old doors opened so slowly that many times the combine ran into the door before fully opening. The new fast doors have resolved that problem".

 

Something just triggered those thoughts. Some have said I just don't see the big picture.

[CarNucopia]

So those things are called roundabouts? I always called them chicanes.😆

 

If you don’t like roundabouts, wait until you get Double Diverged Diamonds like we’re seeing in Illinois.

 

 

Edited January 3 by CarNucopia (see edit history)

[JACK M]

20 hours ago, wmsue said:

Roundabouts can work very well but can be a real experience while vacationing.

We're getting a 'Divergent Diamond' interchange to hopefully prevent accidents. Fingers crossed ........

 

Go to the 42 second marker to begin the show and tell of the new design

 

Anyone  ever seen one of these....or driven on one?

 

 

Bill

 

 

 

Sure, Phoenix Oregon.

[JACK M]

1 hour ago, CarNucopia said:

So those things are called roundabouts? I always called them chicanes.😆

 

If you don’t like roundabouts, wait until you get Double Diverged Diamonds like we’re seeing in Illinois.

 

 

I have to relearn these every time I go to visit my friend Keiser.

[joe_padavano]

1 hour ago, CarNucopia said:

So those things are called roundabouts? I always called them chicanes.😆

 

If you don’t like roundabouts, wait until you get Double Diverged Diamonds like we’re seeing in Illinois.

 

 

I encountered one of these for the first time in Atlanta last summer. WTF?

[MotiveLensPhoto]

A few years ago Michigan started the Michigan left, which I though was stupid. Make a right then a u-turn at the designated spot. According to the DOT they reduced accidents over 40%. There was one roundabout I used to use daily and after 2 years there were people who STILL couldn't figure it out.

 

IMO it's not the design of the roads, but the novel design of roads. People who drive the same roads over and over (most of us) will eventually either stop paying attention or look for ways to "beat" the traffic. Making changes keeps us engaged.

[MotiveLensPhoto]

2 hours ago, CarNucopia said:

So those things are called roundabouts? I always called them chicanes.😆

 

If you don’t like roundabouts, wait until you get Double Diverged Diamonds like we’re seeing in Illinois.

 

 

The one at I-88 and Route 59 has cut wait times through that intersection at rush hour by half, based on my estimate.

[rocketraider]

"Michigan Left" reminded me of when I encountered left turn on red during the 1997 Oldsmobile Centennial in Lansing.

 

Virginia and NC don't have such and I'd never heard of anything like that. I was waiting for a left green arrow in my Ninety Eight with Virginia plates and people were yelling at me, flipping me off, you name it.

 

All I know is making a left turn on red in the Commonwealth will get you a reckless driving ticket with a substantial fine and insurance points, which is something you don't want here. RD is also one of the few traffic offenses that can result in a LEO seizing the vehicle's plates and impounding it on the spot. 

 

Nope. You don't want that.

[hidden_hunter]

57 minutes ago, MotiveLensPhoto said:

Make a right then a u-turn at the designated spot.

They introduced that here because there was no way to make a turn lane longer so they make you go 150m down the road and the bay is much longer, it's still controlled by a traffic light 

 

We also have hook turns (which are more common for cyclists) https://www.drive.com.au/caradvice/how-to-do-a-hook-turn/ which make you turn right from the left lane so that trams can pass

[CarNucopia]

1 hour ago, MotiveLensPhoto said:

The one at I-88 and Route 59 has cut wait times through that intersection at rush hour by half, based on my estimate.

Cool that they work as intended. The first time I drove through one, it was really disorienting. I felt like I might go into oncoming traffic.

[TAKerry]

4 hours ago, CarNucopia said:

So those things are called roundabouts? I always called them chicanes.😆

 

If you don’t like roundabouts, wait until you get Double Diverged Diamonds like we’re seeing in Illinois.

 

 

Theres one of these in Delaware. I go through it on my way to one of my cruise nights. First time through I thought what the hey?? Change lanes for the opposite direction to go straight?  It seems confusing at first but I suppose it works ok.

[3macboys]

4 hours ago, CarNucopia said:

So those things are called roundabouts? I always called them chicanes

Funny you mention that, I was thinking that depending on the vehicle you are driving they are fun to take with a bit of speed.  That reminded me of the time I heading to Welland, Ont to pick up some 38 Desoto parts.  I'm coming into a two lane roundabout when a middle age guy in a Miata thought he was a bit of hot shoe and gets on it coming in from the side street - problem for him was it was fresh asphalt and it had just started to rain - round and round he went, ended up facing the wrong way before his first chance to exit.  From the look on his face I suspected that the interior could have used a good rinse from the rain after that adventure.

[8E45E]

16 minutes ago, 3macboys said:

That reminded me of the time I heading to Welland, Ont to pick up some 38 Desoto parts.  I'm coming into a two lane roundabout when a middle age guy in a Miata thought he was a bit of hot shoe and gets on it coming in from the side street.

I wonder if he was reminicing of watching the Hudson Brothers Comedy Show, where they go round and round a traffic circle at the beginning in a Divco milk truck.  The Hudson Brothers Razzle Dazzle Show | show | 1974 | Official Clip - video Dailymotion

 

 

 

 

Craig

Edited January 3 by 8E45E (see edit history)

[Leif in Calif]

I do enjoy them in my Swedish cousin's 2CV

[Frank DuVal]

On 1/3/2024 at 2:17 PM, joe_padavano said:

I encountered one of these for the first time in Atlanta last summer.

Joe, you don't get out much in Virginia? Charlottesville, Zion Crossroads, Stafford, Haymarket....  All interstate exchanges. I'm sure there are more.

 

22 hours ago, rocketraider said:

All I know is making a left turn on red in the Commonwealth will get you a reckless driving ticket

Unless you are turning left on red from a one way street onto another one way street. I've done it many times in Fredericksburg and Richmond. Never out in the country for some reason.🤣

 

🎄🍲 🥂

[keiser31]

On 1/3/2024 at 11:02 AM, JACK M said:

I have to relearn these every time I go to visit my friend Keiser.

Amazingly, we have only had one fatality because of this new interchange. Some old guy (probably my age) went onto the wrong lane. It was VERY confusing to get used to.

[joe_padavano]

5 minutes ago, Frank DuVal said:

Joe, you don't get out much in Virginia? Charlottesville, Zion Crossroads, Stafford, Haymarket....  All interstate exchanges. I'm sure there are more.

Are you talking about the interchange where Rt. 15 crosses I-66 in Haymarket? I have been through that intersection, but I guess it didn't register on me like the one in Atlanta.

[Frank DuVal]

That's it! Divergent Diamond. Really helped that intersection of I-66 and US 15.

 

🎄🍲 🥂

[Marty Roth]

4 hours ago, Leif in Calif said:

I do enjoy them in my Swedish cousin's 2CV

I also had a 2-CV for several years-

 

Probably the only car which could TAKE A TURN ON ALL FOUR TIRES  ---  AND THE DOOR HANDLES  ---  AT THE SAME TIME.

 

Ours was a 1964 with the 435 cc horizontally opposed air-cooled 2-cylinder,

and this one appears to be the "BIG BLOCK 602 cc"

[ply33]

The only “Michigan Left” I can think of is on the north side of Tucson at the intersection of Oracle and Ina. I only visit that area maybe once a year and the first time after they changed it from a standard left it really confused me.

 

The only place I’ve come across diverging diamonds is in Utah. Feels odd but after thinking about how it works, it makes sense and I think I could get used to them if there were any around here that I used regularly.

 

There is at least one “single point urban interchange” in California, near the San Jose airport (Phoenix, AZ seems to be a big place for them). I feel a bit uncomfortable each time I am at one.

 

They are slowly converting some intersections around here to circles. Maybe someday people will learn how to deal with them.

[JV Puleo]

I have no problem with them but I've driven a lot in the UK so, while it was a surprise to see them proliferating here it wasn't a challenge. The real challenge was the village of Leighton Buzzard with it's 5 roundabouts in a row.

[Crusty Trucker]

My first encounter with a roundabout was in Ireland, driving on the "wrong" side of the road.

It cost me a new tire and a hubcap and probably five years off of my life. The rental company no doubt had it figured out by the time I was safely back in the states and they had to realign the front end and maybe buy a new wheel.

[Littlestown Mike]

13 hours ago, Marty Roth said:

I also had a 2-CV for several years-

 

Probably the only car which could TAKE A TURN ON ALL FOUR TIRES  ---  AND THE DOOR HANDLES  ---  AT THE SAME TIME.

 

Ours was a 1964 with the 435 cc horizontally opposed air-cooled 2-cylinder,

and this one appears to be the "BIG BLOCK 602 cc"

 I had a Peugeot that cornered in a similar manner.  Still, the best riding car I have ever been in....( my wife would add," when it ran")

[EmTee]

 

Don't try that in one of these!

 

 

[Frank DuVal]

When I was driving in England in 1989 it was quite unnerving to get passed by one of those Reliants when I was already doing 85 to 90 MPH. Yes, MPH, not KPH! Only when I was leaving was I informed the National speed limit was 55.😮

[Buffalowed Bill]

I didn't take the time to read all the responses, but frankly I don't see anything that is particularly different or earth shacking. I got my first taste of these when we drove in Britain in 1985. Some of the RA's that we encountered had six or more roads meeting at a single RA. You were expected to move into the center lane and back out to the proper lane when you were ready to exit. If you didn't know which exit you wanted you could conceivably continue in the center lane indefinitely (figuratively speaking). In spite of the new to me technology there was the added layer of driving on the right side of the road while driving a righthand drive car, and shifting gears with the left hand. This meant proceeding clockwise in these. It takes complete concentration but it was doable and I survived it. Regardless there are some really bad drivers out there. I don't like some of the images that this brings to mind!  

[Paul Dobbin]

On 1/2/2024 at 7:19 PM, zeke01 said:

Yes, we have a new one like that in front of the Asheville NC Airport & I-26.   Still confusing, but exciting.

    

[Leif in Calif]

This just in.....

Latest News Update

First data on South Bay’s new turbo roundabout are in — with surprising results. Is it really safer?

A new turbo roundabout is seeing triple the rate of accidents then the year before it was constructed, but experts say decreasing rates of injury prove that the new intersection is safer.

[Matt Harwood]

[jdome]

24 minutes ago, Matt Harwood said:

Is this what they mean when they talk about the launch of certain EVs ?  I can't seem to stop the motion long enough to see the car but it looks to be a black & white police car with a light bar.

Edited April 15 by jdome
Afterthought (see edit history)

[Larry Schramm]

I personally like the round abouts.  They keep traffic moving.  The one caveat is the number of persons that have no idea how to approach them and drive through them.  It makes you wonder if they can drive normally.

[plymouthcranbrook]

2 hours ago, Larry Schramm said:

I personally like the round abouts.  They keep traffic moving.  The one caveat is the number of persons that have no idea how to approach them and drive through them.  It makes you wonder if they can drive normally.

And inevitably those who play “chicken” like on other roads.

[7th Son]

3 hours ago, plymouthcranbrook said:

I personally like the round abouts.  They keep traffic moving. 

 

 

I prefer the old fashioned way..

 

 

 

 

 

[plymouthcranbrook]

14 hours ago, 7th Son said:

 

 

I prefer the old fashioned way..

 

 

 

 

 

Yeah except that is not my quote. It was me quoting Larry Schramm. I tend to agree with 7th Son

[8E45E]

On 4/15/2024 at 2:32 PM, Matt Harwood said:

If that was the traffic circle at 107th Avenue & 142 Street in Edmonton in the 1960's, he would have directly hit the AIR RAID SIREN in the middle of the circle!   (Remember them??!?)

 

Craig

[dodge28]

Fly overs are too costly both land wise and money wise. Takes too much land. Traffic is steadily increasing . Owning a car has become increasingly expensive to own and drive. In 1975 there was one car in my family of 4 . Today my 2 sons have a car each, my daughter in law has one and my 2 grand daughters have 1 each. That is in a space of 47 years. What is the projection for the next 40 years ? The highways are becoming creeping parking lots.