Roundabout Tour, via Google Earth

Here's something useful:

"...a tour of modern roundabouts within the United States. Most of these roundabouts have been built after 1995 when American engineers learned about the benefits they bring for safety and mobility."

I am a big believer in roundabouts and wish they were used more. Consider: the real problem with urban driving is its stop and go nature. I find it frustrating and maddening. I would much rather move along at a smooth 20 miles per hour through a system of roundabouts, never stopping for lights or stop signs, than to zoom up to 40 and then have to come to a dead-stop. It's easier on the vehicle and on the emotions of the driver.

Now I am not saying roundabouts are perfect for every situation; I can see issues with pedestrians in some situations. But they have their role and we ought to be experimenting more with them.

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Here's a place to find an updated and even more complete Google Earth link from a firm which seems to specialize in them: Kittelson's Modern Roundabouts.

Comments

[Will Cox]

Thanks for the link!

[Scott Wood]

In my experience, traffic circles (what roundabaouts are called in New Jersey) are horrific. At long last, just before I left, NJ started getting rid of them.

People getting in or out of them have no clue what the people in the inner lane are going to do, and the people in the inner lane trying to get out to exit have to guess whether the people in the outer lane are going to exit or stay in the circle.

Single lane traffic circles, especially really big ones, such as the traffic circle on Tester Rd and Main St in Monroe, should work fine. But they aren't going to accomplish much in high traffic areas.