Traffic circles (roundabouts) in your area

[NJ]

How common are traffic circles (roundabouts) in your area? Post pics if you have any.

[AlexandriaVA]

Not common enough in Northern VA. The few we have work fine. The more, the better.

[tradephoric]

Here's a KMZ file of 5,125 roundabouts in America (doesn't include traffic circles or neighborhood circles with small diameters).

http://www.mediafire.com/download/e9ch50iu2afkh4x/Modern+Roundabouts+%28May-2015%29.kmz

[Zeffy]

Are we referring to circles, rotaries (as they say in Massachusetts), and roundabouts?

If non-roundabouts count, I live less than 10 minutes away from the death trap known as the Somerville Circle.

[hbelkins]

None near me, thank God. Closest ones are in Lexington. Unfortunately, I will have to experience the two newest ones on Friday.

The more fewer, the better.

FIFY.

[AlexandriaVA]

None near me, thank God. Closest ones are in Lexington. Unfortunately, I will have get to experience the two newest ones on Friday.

FTFY. Let us know, by the way, if roundabouts are too technically difficult to negotiate.

[cu2010]

None yet, though we're getting one next year as part of a bridge reconstruction project for some really dumb reason.

I hate those stupid things and wish they'd go die in a fire.

[The High Plains Traveler]

Our unincorporated community got the first roundabout in this county at an active intersection --- as opposed to a partially built-out development --- about a year ago. It's an intersection (formerly a two-way stop), by the way, that I hated to navigate in the direction requiring me to turn left. I often told my wife, "This is a good location for a roundabout!" She'll roll her eyes and confirm this.

It was strongly opposed in the local paper, and since its opening there has been almost no griping. I like going through it. Most local residents seem to have figured it out.

Properly sited and designed, roundabouts can be a good traffic control option. There, I said it. I know of two or three other locations where they would be preferable to the current two-way stop.

[AlexandriaVA]

It was strongly opposed in the local paper, and since its opening there has been almost no griping. I like going through it. Most local residents seem to have figured it out.

Many people in the heartland are very resistant to change of any sort. They also travel abroad less and hence don't have the chance to see them in action (and have only seen Chevy Chase's European Vacation)

Properly sited and designed, roundabouts can be are a good traffic control option. There, I said it. I know of two or three other locations where they would be preferable to the current two-way stop.

FTFY

[jakeroot]

The more fewer, the better.

FIFY.

Help me HB. Perhaps it's being 1/3 of your age, but I think the roundabout is the best European import of the last quarter century.

[mrfoxboy]

New Brunswick has it's fair share, and have been implemented more and more. Properly-placed, they are great.

This huge (mostly) roundabout is starting to see it's limits tested sadly, but in general seems to work considering the marshy terrain limits bridges and the large amount of traffic using it.
https://goo.gl/maps/FrzHRAuakr42

This roundabout is another prime location for one, and with current traffic levels it's easy to merge in.
https://goo.gl/maps/EpYBL3mY5xm

Of course drivers here have been exposed to them long enough (first example dates from around 1972 IIRC, and the second has been there since at least 1997)

Fresh roundabout that replaced a 4-legged traffic signal that didn't line up to Purdy (and by extension Mapleton, which is an important road), instead it used to line up with Waverley, and drivers had to cut across to continue going on Collishaw (another important road going into an industrial area). The roundabout here has eased traffic moving Collishaw->Purdy/Mapleton without impacting Killam Dr traffic too much.
https://goo.gl/maps/Zj1tTXK1bs22

This one is poorly designed, and seemed to have been built too "east" the result is that the roads don't quite match up (particularly turning "left" from Gateway Dr. can be tricky). The other two roundabouts NE on Miramichi Rd are much better. They were put up sometime before 2006.
https://goo.gl/maps/UAQx2k2XFux

[SignGeek101]

The more fewer, the better.

FIFY.

Help me HB. Perhaps it's being 1/3 of your age, but I think the roundabout is the best European import of the last quarter century.

Nope. I don't like them, mostly because I think people don't know how to use them well here, due to lack of training, practise or otherwise. That being said, they can work better than 4 way stops depending on the intersection (four way stops with more than one lane, which are most of them). I know many former traffic lights/four ways stops that have been converted to traffic circles in different locations. Some work pretty well, while others I feel are waiting to cause an accident.

To answer the OP, there are some roundabouts in Winnipeg, several just south of my house in a new housing development.

Speaking of roundabouts, how often are these used? https://goo.gl/maps/iQfJJwdhKxM2

They're not really traffic circles, but I don't know what to call them. I've only seen them here, and nowhere else I've lived.

[AlexandriaVA]

The more fewer, the better.

FIFY.

Help me HB. Perhaps it's being 1/3 of your age, but I think the roundabout is the best European import of the last quarter century.

Nope. I don't like them, mostly because I think people don't know how to use them well here, due to lack of training, practise or otherwise. That being said, they can work better than 4 way stops depending on the intersection (four way stops with more than one lane, which are most of them). I know many former traffic lights/four ways stops that have been converted to traffic circles in different locations. Some work pretty well, while others I feel are waiting to cause an accident.

To answer the OP, there are some roundabouts in Winnipeg, several just south of my house in a new housing development.

Speaking of roundabouts, how often are these used? https://goo.gl/maps/iQfJJwdhKxM2

They're not really traffic circles, but I don't know what to call them. I've only seen them here, and nowhere else I've lived.

It sounds like your beef isn't with the facility, but rather with the drivers who can't use them properly.

[SignGeek101]

The more fewer, the better.

FIFY.

Help me HB. Perhaps it's being 1/3 of your age, but I think the roundabout is the best European import of the last quarter century.

Nope. I don't like them, mostly because I think people don't know how to use them well here, due to lack of training, practise or otherwise. That being said, they can work better than 4 way stops depending on the intersection (four way stops with more than one lane, which are most of them). I know many former traffic lights/four ways stops that have been converted to traffic circles in different locations. Some work pretty well, while others I feel are waiting to cause an accident.

To answer the OP, there are some roundabouts in Winnipeg, several just south of my house in a new housing development.

Speaking of roundabouts, how often are these used? https://goo.gl/maps/iQfJJwdhKxM2

They're not really traffic circles, but I don't know what to call them. I've only seen them here, and nowhere else I've lived.

It sounds like your beef isn't with the facility, but rather with the drivers who can't use them properly.

That's about right. I think they would work better if people knew how to use them properly. People, including myself, have limited experience knowing when to yield, when to proceed, which lanes are for what etc.

[peterj920]

Here is one of the many roundabouts constructed as part of the I-41 project in Green Bay, WI.  This roundabout is for Wis 29 local traffic, while a directional T interchange above is a free flow connection for regional traffic between I-41 and Wis 29.  The bridge pier in the center is for one of the flyover ramps.  There are over 60 roundabouts in the Green Bay area with new ones being constructed each year. 

[peterj920]

Below is a roundabout from I-41 South to Shawano Ave.  The roundabout is 3 lanes.  Many of the roundabouts around Green Bay are multilane with 2 or 3 lanes. 

[hotdogPi]

They're all over the place where I live.

[riiga]

Too many. Here's a map, roundabouts in blue, future ones in green, traffic circles (entering traffic does not yield) in red.

[jeffandnicole]

It was strongly opposed in the local paper, and since its opening there has been almost no griping. I like going through it. Most local residents seem to have figured it out.

Many people in the heartland are very resistant to change of any sort. They also travel abroad less and hence don't have the chance to see them in action (and have only seen Chevy Chase's European Vacation)

I'm pretty convinced many newspaper comment complainers have never left their own state...or even their own town...acting as if whatever is being proposed is the stupidest, dumbest thing ever imagined.

[tradephoric]

Here's a map of roundabouts in the lower 48:

http://www.mediafire.com/download/e9ch50iu2afkh4x/Modern+Roundabouts+%28May-2015%29.kmz

Nope. I don't like them, mostly because I think people don't know how to use them well here, due to lack of training, practise or otherwise. That being said, they can work better than 4 way stops depending on the intersection (four way stops with more than one lane, which are most of them). I know many former traffic lights/four ways stops that have been converted to traffic circles in different locations. Some work pretty well, while others I feel are waiting to cause an accident.

The high crash rates at multi-lane roundabouts (especially 2x2 roundabouts) are well documented.  There were several presentations discussing this issue at the TRB's 4th Annual International Conference on Roundabouts:

The Multi-lane Roundabout PDO Dilemma
http://teachamerica.com/RAB14/RAB1410AIsebrands/index.htm

The Roundabout Was Supposed to Reduce Crashes. What Happened?
http://teachamerica.com/RAB14/RAB1410ABobko/index.htm

Safety Evaluation of Wisconsin Roundabouts
http://teachamerica.com/RAB14/RAB1403CBill/index.htm

Safety Performances of Multi-Lane Roundabouts
http://teachamerica.com/RAB14/RAB1410APlowman/index.htm

[jeffandnicole]

Here’s a map of roundabouts in the lower 48 and then a whole bunch of other globbily gook:

http://www.mediafire.com/download/e9ch50iu2afkh4x/Modern+Roundabouts+%28May-2015%29.kmz

So it looks like, at least in the lower 48, that every state has at least once roundabout. 

[freebrickproductions]

Here are the ones I know about here in the Huntsville, AL area:
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.688956,-86.569426,3a,66.8y,222.11h,85.57t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sNxxQp0FJpB9oE3vKkTA38w!2e0
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.723893,-86.589898,3a,66.8y,218.9h,90.74t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sA1JmOxTGgWzdGKIgkqpMLg!2e0
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.757331,-86.68787,3a,66.8y,14.89h,84.7t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1s_GDsqxiKdlckEwHEuSXwiA!2e0
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.7426469,-86.6038302,20z/data=!3m1!1e3
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.797746,-86.930277,3a,66.8y,359.58h,85.61t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1szhA_BUfC7Y6zWu-urIndqg!2e0
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.724926,-86.642266,3a,66.8y,178.55h,88.79t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1s94up9tphjtXGet5tqkyuUQ!2e0
Not sure if this one counts:
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.7153,-86.7679,3a,66.8y,93.97h,83.84t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sPdkhXoM58PWC4XUl9XSh_A!2e0
There are also these, but I'm not sure if they count either:
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.6595153,-86.5377004,19z/data=!3m1!1e3
Other than those, I can't think of any more other than a few down in Opelika, AL on the other end of the state.

[NJ]

Franklin Lakes, NJ (Bergen County)

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.9933916,-74.2127847,3a,78.4y,101.15h,88.26t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sWv5k9FT4gXrZWTVZwvLVJQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Rutherford, NJ (Bergen County)

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.8283467,-74.1015357,3a,75y,101.42h,77.74t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1slcmLu4NbXafJ5_m80vJyLQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

[NJ]

Here are the ones I know about here in the Huntsville, AL area:
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.688956,-86.569426,3a,66.8y,222.11h,85.57t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sNxxQp0FJpB9oE3vKkTA38w!2e0
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.723893,-86.589898,3a,66.8y,218.9h,90.74t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sA1JmOxTGgWzdGKIgkqpMLg!2e0
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.757331,-86.68787,3a,66.8y,14.89h,84.7t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1s_GDsqxiKdlckEwHEuSXwiA!2e0
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.7426469,-86.6038302,20z/data=!3m1!1e3
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.797746,-86.930277,3a,66.8y,359.58h,85.61t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1szhA_BUfC7Y6zWu-urIndqg!2e0
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.724926,-86.642266,3a,66.8y,178.55h,88.79t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1s94up9tphjtXGet5tqkyuUQ!2e0
Not sure if this one counts:
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.7153,-86.7679,3a,66.8y,93.97h,83.84t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sPdkhXoM58PWC4XUl9XSh_A!2e0
There are also these, but I'm not sure if they count either:
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.6595153,-86.5377004,19z/data=!3m1!1e3
Other than those, I can't think of any more other than a few down in Opelika, AL on the other end of the state.

Love it... Wish we had more traffic circles like that in New Jersey!

[jeffandnicole]

Franklin Lakes, NJ (Bergen County)

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.9933916,-74.2127847,3a,78.4y,101.15h,88.26t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sWv5k9FT4gXrZWTVZwvLVJQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

This one caught my eye...I happened to scroll around and saw a stop sign.  I soon realized that last year, this had a small circle in the middle with stop signs on approach at all angles.  They reconstructed it with a larger center circle, and made it into a true roundabout.  Nice.