INDOT Planning More Roundabouts

[1995hoo]

I've been known to go out of my way just to USE a roundabout.  I love them.
....

Me too, and last month when we were visiting my sister-in-law in Florida it drove her nuts because she absolutely hates the roundabout near her house and avoids it whenever possible. Seems she had a near-miss a while back when some old fart decided not to yield. I guess I understand that. But I always prefer any setup (like a roundabout) that (a) doesn't require you to come to a stop unless there's actually a reason why you need to come to a stop and (b) that assumes that drivers are competent to obey yield rules instead of assuming that nobody will ever yield to anybody else.

I suppose a discussion of roundabouts you've driven through would probably deserve its own thread in the general discussion forum. I doubt I could come up with a full list for myself because I've driven in England and Scotland and so I've encountered a vast number of them there.

[kphoger]

I suppose a discussion of roundabouts you've driven through would probably deserve its own thread in the general discussion forum. I doubt I could come up with a full list for myself because I've driven in England and Scotland and so I've encountered a vast number of them there.

My point in making a list was to say that I've navigated many roundabouts, and have only had issues with the ones that aren't 'proper' 'modern' roundabouts.

[1995hoo]

I suppose a discussion of roundabouts you've driven through would probably deserve its own thread in the general discussion forum. I doubt I could come up with a full list for myself because I've driven in England and Scotland and so I've encountered a vast number of them there.

My point in making a list was to say that I've navigated many roundabouts, and have only had issues with the ones that aren't 'proper' 'modern' roundabouts.

Fair enough. Off the top of my head I can think of at least 20 roundabouts I've driven through in the US and Canada (not counting "traffic circles") and I'm sure I've encountered at least that many in the UK. I won't go so far as to say I've never had "issues" with proper modern roundabouts, but the issues I've had have come from other drivers being reckless or stupid (ignoring yield signs, stopping when there was no need to stop, and failing to signal properly are the three problems I've encountered). To me that sort of thing constitutes user error rather than a problem with the roundabout itself.

[kphoger]

On rural roundabouts, I do have a habit of not slowing down enough in time.  I'm not sure why I do that, but sometimes it freaks my wife out  .  It's not like you have to slow down less for a red light, but somehow my brain just doesn't calculate things correctly.

[hbelkins]

I avoid roundabouts like the plague. I want nothing to do with those monstrosities.

[johndoe]

I realize I'm bumping an old topic, but I was surprised to see a DOT employee (hbelkins) so opposed to roundabouts.  I guess most DOT employees I hear talk about roundabouts seem to think they're useful (in some circumstances).  Roundabouts seem to be getting proposed more and more often around here.  hbelkins is your opinion shared by your DOT, or are you a rebel?    Can you tell us what sort of work you do?   

[hbelkins]

I realize I'm bumping an old topic, but I was surprised to see a DOT employee (hbelkins) so opposed to roundabouts.  I guess most DOT employees I hear talk about roundabouts seem to think they're useful (in some circumstances).  Roundabouts seem to be getting proposed more and more often around here.  hbelkins is your opinion shared by your DOT, or are you a rebel?    Can you tell us what sort of work you do?   

I'm not an engineer. I do public relations for an eastern Kentucky district office.

And yes, I'm allowed to have opinions and express them publicly. Kentucky does not have a lot of roundabouts and I don't know if we have an official position on them or not.

I've heard all the arguments in favor of them, but I don't like them basically because so many people don't know how to drive in them. Plus, if the roundabout is full of traffic, sometimes you have to sit and wait forever before there's a big enough gap in traffic to enter it. At least with a traffic light, you know it's going to turn green sometime and you will be assured of a chance to go.

[US71]

I've heard all the arguments in favor of them, but I don't like them basically because so many people don't know how to drive in them. Plus, if the roundabout is full of traffic, sometimes you have to sit and wait forever before there's a big enough gap in traffic to enter it. At least with a traffic light, you know it's going to turn green sometime and you will be assured of a chance to go.

Conway, Arkansas has two within 1/4 mile of each other (one replaced a traffic signal). I agree that many people don't know how to drive them. Approaching traffic is supposed to yield, but doesn't. Traffic in the roundabout randomly stops for incoming traffic or switches lanes without notice (especially when it's their "exit").

Fayetteville, Arkansas is finishing up work on their first and people don't know how to drive in it yet, if they ever will.

[Jordanah1]

give 'em time, i was adamantly opposed to them here in oshkosh, WI. when they began planning and building them, but now i love them. occasionaly ther are close calls, and sometimes you will have to wait what seems like forever, but im gonna be honest, im so used to zipping up and getting through these roundabouts in only a few seconds, that when i do have to wait, im still not waiting for the length of the light that the roundabout replaced. there are still alot of people that dont know how to use them (there is definitely a learning 'curve' to using these circles) but overall, theyare very effective. the biggest problem i see, is when large bursts of traffic are coming from a stoplight up the road. with some of the projects they did, they replaced intersections at ramp terminals and the frontage roads, but not any farther up/down the road. these lights still collect alot of cars, that all hit the roundabout at once, so i wouald actually like to see many more of these lights become roundabouts, they work better in sequece.

[mukade]

Plus, if the roundabout is full of traffic, sometimes you have to sit and wait forever before there's a big enough gap in traffic to enter it. At least with a traffic light, you know it's going to turn green sometime and you will be assured of a chance to go.

I haven't seen that situation at any of the Indy area roundabouts, but I sure did in Ann Arbor at the Geddes Rd interchange with US 23 in the morning rush. I would say that whole road was designed poorly, though.

Google map

Except for this one in Ann Arbor, I like them.

[theline]

Google map

If you turn off lables, it looks like construction was going on when the satellite image was made. I'm confused: were the roundabouts going in or coming out?

[mukade]

Going in because they are there now.

[US 41]

I'm not a huge fan of roundabouts either. In Terre Haute they are putting roundabouts in at the SR 46 / SR 641 interchange. I wish INDOT would put a trumpet exit in and run RIley road under 641 along its current route. Roundabouts arent really used in Terre Haute so no one knows how to drive them.

[rte66man]

Conway, Arkansas has two within 1/4 mile of each other (one replaced a traffic signal). I agree that many people don't know how to drive them. Approaching traffic is supposed to yield, but doesn't. Traffic in the roundabout randomly stops for incoming traffic or switches lanes without notice (especially when it's their "exit").

Are those the ones in from of the new high school?  What a DUMB place for them. 

rte66man