Traffic circles (roundabouts) in your area

[lordsutch]

Nobody tell tradephoric about Milton Keynes.

[ET21]

They just added a roundabout on Dugan Road just south of US 30 in Sugar Grove, Illinois. Reason was due to the proximity of the train tracks (right at the US-30 stoplight), a side street for a subdivision on the other side of the tracks, and a driveway for some local industry along the BNSF tracks. US-30 is being redone anyways in that area between that light and the end of the IL-56 spur, probably for two lanes in each direction.

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.7618348,-88.4892041,17z

[cl94]

Here are 9 roundabouts along a 1.6 mile route outside Kansas City.  It's redonkulous to have this many roundabouts back to back like this.  Eliminate some of the roundabouts and make them RIRO designs.  I seriously would get car sick driving through these many roundabouts in a row.

Your arguments are all invalidated due to your use of the word 'redonkulous.'  Please move to the time-out area immediately and await further instructions.

I welcome roundabouts as an alternative to the dozens of traffic signals with time-wasting fully-protected lefts that are pervasive in my area.  Keep 'em coming!

I remember when the Albany area started getting roundabouts. Everyone hated them. Then they realized that, when used properly, they actually save time. If used properly, most people don't even need to stop.

[AlexandriaVA]

Here are 9 roundabouts along a 1.6 mile route outside Kansas City.  It's redonkulous to have this many roundabouts back to back like this.  Eliminate some of the roundabouts and make them RIRO designs.  I seriously would get car sick driving through these many roundabouts in a row.

Your arguments are all invalidated due to your use of the word 'redonkulous.'  Please move to the time-out area immediately and await further instructions.

I welcome roundabouts as an alternative to the dozens of traffic signals with time-wasting fully-protected lefts that are pervasive in my area.  Keep 'em coming!

I remember when the Albany area started getting roundabouts. Everyone hated them. Then they realized that, when used properly, they actually save time. If used properly, most people don't even need to stop.

People hate and fear things they're not used to, even if the new thing is better than before. Officials and planners sometimes need to force things down people's throats for their own good.

[tradephoric]

Nobody tell tradephoric about Milton Keynes.

Post a route in Milton Keynes where a driver travels through 9 roundabouts along a 1.6 mile route.  Then i can decide how redonkulous Milton Keynes is.  Drivers shouldn't be forced to slalom through 9 roundabouts in 1.6 miles just because some engineer has a roundabout fetish. 

I'm in favor of roundabouts in general, but against that Kansas City design. 

[tradephoric]

Your arguments are all invalidated due to your use of the word 'redonkulous.'  Please move to the time-out area immediately and await further instructions.

I welcome roundabouts as an alternative to the dozens of traffic signals with time-wasting fully-protected lefts that are pervasive in my area.  Keep 'em coming!

You are from Detroit renegade?  Here's a 20 mile drive along surface streets of metro Detroit.  I guarantee you this... if the traffic signals in this video were replaced with roundabouts, it would have taken a lot longer to drive these 20 miles.  You'd be redonkulous trying to dispute that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wkf7iLSblZ0

[cl94]

Your arguments are all invalidated due to your use of the word 'redonkulous.'  Please move to the time-out area immediately and await further instructions.

I welcome roundabouts as an alternative to the dozens of traffic signals with time-wasting fully-protected lefts that are pervasive in my area.  Keep 'em coming!

You are from Detroit renegade?  Here's a 20 mile drive along surface streets of metro Detroit.  I guarantee you this... if the traffic signals in this video were replaced with roundabouts, it would have taken a lot longer to drive these 20 miles.  You'd be redonkulous trying to dispute that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wkf7iLSblZ0

Take this stuff back to your "roundabout bashing" thread. Please.

[jakeroot]

Your arguments are all invalidated due to your use of the word 'redonkulous.'  Please move to the time-out area immediately and await further instructions.

I welcome roundabouts as an alternative to the dozens of traffic signals with time-wasting fully-protected lefts that are pervasive in my area.  Keep 'em coming!

You are from Detroit renegade?  Here's a 20 mile drive along surface streets of metro Detroit.  I guarantee you this... if the traffic signals in this video were replaced with roundabouts, it would have taken a lot longer to drive these 20 miles.  You'd be redonkulous trying to dispute that.

Okay, I sense a theme here.

It's redonkulous to infer that every road in the United States has the ROW of those Detroit boulevards. You know full well that you need the ROW of a typical freeway to get those things going. The reason the roundabout has been so popular is because, while you need extra ROW at the intersections, you can massively increase the capacity of a road without widening it, which is sometimes the only option.

[tradephoric]

I heavily admire WisDOT's consistency with roundabout design. Every roundabout in the state seems to have exactly the same set of markings.

Even though they may be consistent, Wisconsin roundabouts have seen a 12% increase in total crashes and a 38% reduction in injury crashes.  This is a lot worse than the national numbers that show a 40% reduction in total crashes and an 80% reduction in injury crashes.  Andrea Bill touches on these statistics in her TRB presentation:

http://teachamerica.com/RAB14/RAB1403CBill/index.htm

Wow.

Kid: "Hey, look, it's Santa Claus!"

Tradep: "Did you know that around Christmas, there's a 17.2% increase of traffic accidents at multi-lane roundabouts"?

This thread got off track when jeffandnicole started talking about Santa Claus.  Merry Christmas!  Don't blame me for this BS.

[Quillz]

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.

I'm researching roundabouts for my master's and this is the sentiment I've found in my research, too. That when properly designed, roundabouts are extremely effective. They promote "traffic calming" better than stop signs, are less expensive to maintain (long term) than signal lights, can help avoid non-standard intersections (i.e. having one road be diagonal, or have five roads merge), and general create fewer traffic accidents every year than a non-roundabout intersection. I do find they are very generational, older people seem to like them less than younger people, since it's not what they're used to.

Anyway, getting back on-topic, I just saw a roundabout installed at the Hasley Canyon Road off-ramp from northbound I-5.

[Quillz]

While not specific to my area, I posted a KMZ file of over 5,100 roundabouts in America that i thought could be useful to this discussion (a file I personally compiled over many, many hours).  I'm trying to contribute and keep this thread on point.  If someone wants to give me flack for a passing comment i made about the safety of multi-lane roundabouts, bash away.

BTW, I want to use this KMZ file in my thesis, since I obviously want to have a map showing where roundabouts are installed (even though I'm focusing on the ones in California). Could you PM me with your name and data sources you used, so I can put them in the bibliography?

[DaBigE]

While not specific to my area, I posted a KMZ file of over 5,100 roundabouts in America that i thought could be useful to this discussion (a file I personally compiled over many, many hours).  I'm trying to contribute and keep this thread on point.  If someone wants to give me flack for a passing comment i made about the safety of multi-lane roundabouts, bash away.

BTW, I want to use this KMZ file in my thesis, since I obviously want to have a map showing where roundabouts are installed (even though I'm focusing on the ones in California). Could you PM me with your name and data sources you used, so I can put them in the bibliography?

Kittleson & Associates, Inc. also has a database file that you could use as well: http://roundabouts.kittelson.com/Roundabouts/List/US The site includes a Google Earth KML file you can download.

[jeffandnicole]

I heavily admire WisDOT's consistency with roundabout design. Every roundabout in the state seems to have exactly the same set of markings.

Even though they may be consistent, Wisconsin roundabouts have seen a 12% increase in total crashes and a 38% reduction in injury crashes.  This is a lot worse than the national numbers that show a 40% reduction in total crashes and an 80% reduction in injury crashes.  Andrea Bill touches on these statistics in her TRB presentation:

http://teachamerica.com/RAB14/RAB1403CBill/index.htm

Wow.

Kid: "Hey, look, it's Santa Claus!"

Tradep: "Did you know that around Christmas, there's a 17.2% increase of traffic accidents at multi-lane roundabouts"?

This thread got off track when jeffandnicole started talking about Santa Claus.  Merry Christmas!  Don't blame me for this BS.

No, it got off track when you kept bringing up accident rates on a thread that is titled "Traffic circles (roundabouts) in your area". 

[NJ]

Columbus Circle in Manhattan/NYC

[jeffandnicole]

I have the dual Brooklawn Circles that circulate US 130 thru this area.  The main one (to the right in the link below) has 3 main streets entering and exiting (US 130 & NJ 47), one side street that fights its way into the circle (Hannevig Ave), 1 street that doesn't actually go into the circle but can seriously affect traffic within the circle (Creek Rd, CR 753), and within or mere feet of the circle, no fewer than 9 curb cuts for access to a gas station, a diner, a former water ice stand, and a used car dealer. 

https://goo.gl/maps/J2jqZYFB5Hw

Honestly, its the perfect traffic circle that describes everything that's wrong about New Jersey traffic circles.

NJDOT officially calls these the Brooklawn Circles; there's no separate name for either of them.  On Google Maps, someone decided to name the smaller of the two 'Forbidden Circle' for some reason; nothing on NJDOT's website references that name whatsoever.

Sometime next year, NJDOT is supposed to redesign Creek Road's access into and out of the circle to prevent some of the issues that it causes, and will upgrade a nearby side street to bring Creek Rd traffic out to US 130 a short distance to the north.

[cl94]

I have the dual Brooklawn Circles that circulate US 130 thru this area.  The main one (to the right in the link below) has 3 main streets entering and exiting (US 130 & NJ 47), one side street that fights its way into the circle (Hannevig Ave), 1 street that doesn't actually go into the circle but can seriously affect traffic within the circle (Creek Rd, CR 753), and within or mere feet of the circle, no fewer than 9 curb cuts for access to a gas station, a diner, a former water ice stand, and a used car dealer. 

https://goo.gl/maps/J2jqZYFB5Hw

Honestly, its the perfect traffic circle that describes everything that's wrong about New Jersey traffic circles.

NJDOT officially calls these the Brooklawn Circles; there's no separate name for either of them.  On Google Maps, someone decided to name the smaller of the two 'Forbidden Circle' for some reason; nothing on NJDOT's website references that name whatsoever.

Sometime next year, NJDOT is supposed to redesign Creek Road's access into and out of the circle to prevent some of the issues that it causes, and will upgrade a nearby side street to bring Creek Rd traffic out to US 130 a short distance to the north.

Still better than Penns Neck Circle near Princeton

[mrfoxboy]

I have the dual Brooklawn Circles that circulate US 130 thru this area.  The main one (to the right in the link below) has 3 main streets entering and exiting (US 130 & NJ 47), one side street that fights its way into the circle (Hannevig Ave), 1 street that doesn't actually go into the circle but can seriously affect traffic within the circle (Creek Rd, CR 753), and within or mere feet of the circle, no fewer than 9 curb cuts for access to a gas station, a diner, a former water ice stand, and a used car dealer. 

https://goo.gl/maps/J2jqZYFB5Hw

Honestly, its the perfect traffic circle that describes everything that's wrong about New Jersey traffic circles.

NJDOT officially calls these the Brooklawn Circles; there's no separate name for either of them.  On Google Maps, someone decided to name the smaller of the two 'Forbidden Circle' for some reason; nothing on NJDOT's website references that name whatsoever.

Sometime next year, NJDOT is supposed to redesign Creek Road's access into and out of the circle to prevent some of the issues that it causes, and will upgrade a nearby side street to bring Creek Rd traffic out to US 130 a short distance to the north.

Still better than Penns Neck Circle near Princeton

Ick. Penns Neck looks like a pain in the neck. Those are a bit more common in Europe than here, but signal-controlled roundabouts are ick... Looks like it could use a flyover for mainline traffic on US1

[jeffandnicole]

I have the dual Brooklawn Circles that circulate US 130 thru this area.  The main one (to the right in the link below) has 3 main streets entering and exiting (US 130 & NJ 47), one side street that fights its way into the circle (Hannevig Ave), 1 street that doesn't actually go into the circle but can seriously affect traffic within the circle (Creek Rd, CR 753), and within or mere feet of the circle, no fewer than 9 curb cuts for access to a gas station, a diner, a former water ice stand, and a used car dealer. 

https://goo.gl/maps/J2jqZYFB5Hw

Honestly, its the perfect traffic circle that describes everything that's wrong about New Jersey traffic circles.

NJDOT officially calls these the Brooklawn Circles; there's no separate name for either of them.  On Google Maps, someone decided to name the smaller of the two 'Forbidden Circle' for some reason; nothing on NJDOT's website references that name whatsoever.

Sometime next year, NJDOT is supposed to redesign Creek Road's access into and out of the circle to prevent some of the issues that it causes, and will upgrade a nearby side street to bring Creek Rd traffic out to US 130 a short distance to the north.

Still better than Penns Neck Circle near Princeton

Ick. Penns Neck looks like a pain in the neck. Those are a bit more common in Europe than here, but signal-controlled roundabouts are ick... Looks like it could use a flyover for mainline traffic on US1

Oh, NJDOT has wanted to for years.

Just to give you an idea of where this is...it's in the same area where 95 was planned to go.  So God-forbid someone sneezes, people get upset.  Tell nearby residents you want to do a road construction project, and they go ballistic.

If you're on US 1 itself, it's not terribly bad, all things considering.  But making any sort of turn is a pain.  It's not the only one in the state like that either.  Here's one on Rt. 38: https://goo.gl/maps/GMbQdJfUX5S2 .   And this one on 73 at 70 did the same thing: https://goo.gl/maps/y168fabjjVR2 .  The link is in GSV from 2008 because in 2009 it started to be reconstructed as an interchange.

[tradephoric]

No, it got off track when you kept bringing up accident rates on a thread that is titled "Traffic circles (roundabouts) in your area". 

I simply responded to some off-topic remarks made by SignGeek101 and Jakeroot.  I didn't initiate anything that was off-topic.  You seem mistaken yet again.  This is becoming a theme with you jeffandnicole.

[jakeroot]

To be fair to all involved, the only on-topic thing to do here would be to share about the roundabouts "in your area". It's only logical that we will end up discussing the roundabouts themselves.

[hbelkins]

Still better than Penns Neck Circle near Princeton

I think I need those reading glasses my eye doctor recommended I wear with my contacts, or else get those bifocals he prescribed and ditch the contacts. I read that as "Penis Neck Circle." 

[jeffandnicole]

No, it got off track when you kept bringing up accident rates on a thread that is titled "Traffic circles (roundabouts) in your area". 

I simply responded to some off-topic remarks made by SignGeek101 and Jakeroot.  I didn't initiate anything that was off-topic.  You seem mistaken yet again.  This is becoming a theme with you jeffandnicole.

Wow...You are the CREATER of the off-topicness of this thread!

2 responses in, you posted a file of all the roundabouts in the United States.  Unless you consider your area to be the entire country, your file had nothing to do with roundabouts in your area.

You didn't initiate anything off topic?  Yeah...ok.

[DaBigE]

No, it got off track when you kept bringing up accident rates on a thread that is titled "Traffic circles (roundabouts) in your area". 

I simply responded to some off-topic remarks made by SignGeek101 and Jakeroot.  I didn't initiate anything that was off-topic.  You seem mistaken yet again.  This is becoming a theme with you jeffandnicole.

Yet you can't move on. (I already realize the slight hypocrisy of this post)

Until my "snarky comment" you were steering the thread towards the topic of your well-established thread which already exists elsewhere in the forums. A simple link to your existing topic was all that was needed, but instead you felt the need to rehash the same information here. That was the whole point of my "snarky post". Someone needs to take their own advice and get over them self.

Now can we all put this in the past and get back to the original topic?

[english si]

Post a route in Milton Keynes where a driver travels through 9 roundabouts along a 1.6 mile route.

Sorry, I ended up a tenth of a mile short, and with an extra roundabout.

Then i can decide how redonkulous Milton Keynes is.

Don't knock it until you've been there. There's other reasons why MK is redonkulous, but the roundabouts aren't one of them. Concrete Cows, the delusion of city-hood, the accent - those are the sort of things that make MK redonkulous.

Drivers shouldn't be forced to slalom through 9 roundabouts in 1.6 miles

No one is forcing them to drive along that road, or any.

And if you slalom through a chain of roundabouts, then you are going to end up as one of the statistics you make pretty sharpish

just because some engineer has a roundabout fetish.

way better than a traffic-signal fetish. Southampton is obsessed with traffic signals and smart traffic planning and is far more of a nightmare to travel around - it is the only place I've ever heard of in the UK grid-locking for an entire day with no roadworks or closures (annoying the day I moved houses within the city - sadly you can't walk 3 miles with a bed, or a car-full of rubbish for the dump, because it would have been quicker than driving). Milton Keynes' traffic nightmare is being held up for 5 minutes at rush hour.

I'm in favor of roundabouts in general

it is increasingly clear you aren't - only being in favour of them in a few specific situations, and then if they are only a certain type (single-lane)

And my post is on-topic: Milton Keynes is fairly near me - before 1994 it was in my county and is only 30-40 miles away.

And just to wind up tradephoric, here's 6 roundabouts in 0.2 miles (OK, not a journey anyone would every make, other than road enthusiasts) about 10 miles from my house .

PS: the roundabout junctions with an at-grade mainline running through, and signals everywhere is called a hamburger. This was a term that started off on SABRE (AFAICS) but now is used by the industry people in the UK - including a horrific description of a scheme being "to hamburgerize roundabout 'x'".

[The Ghostbuster]

...but they won't slow down the roundabout!

The Reflex (1983)
Duran Duran