Roundabouts in USA

[NalaGee]

How Americans are receiving more and more Roundabouts, and what they think.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/19/us/19 ... out&st=cse

In Canada, one Motoring Safety ' expert ' has been raving about them for years and said
they are far safer than the Stop Signs.

[ExadiNigel]

Armed with mounting data showing that roundabouts are safer, cheaper to maintain and friendlier to the environment, transportation experts around the country are persuading communities to replace traditional intersections with them.

and we're taking backward steps by putting more and more traffic lights on them! Bizarre!

[martine]

...and we're taking backward steps by putting more and more traffic lights on them! Bizarre!

You might be interested in this week's BBC Radio 4 program: 'More or Less'...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b00wdkf9/More_or_Less_10_12_2010

Listen from about 8mins 30secs...about the effectiveness of traffic lights and recent thinking...

[Big Err]

Armed with mounting data showing that roundabouts are safer, cheaper to maintain and friendlier to the environment, transportation experts around the country are persuading communities to replace traditional intersections with them.

and we're taking backward steps by putting more and more traffic lights on them! Bizarre!

Not quite - the safety aspect of the roundabout is that most collisions that occur on them are glancing blows at lower speeds than can be experienced at priority give way junctions.

The Californians have been raving about the fuel efficiencies of roundabouts over signalised crossroads, ie most vehicles in moderate to low flow conditions do not require to stop thereby improving fuel economy.

Signalisation on roundabouts is often done as a retro fit safety feature to improve lane discipline and to handle flow characteristics that cannot be catered for under normal roundabout rules.

[jont]

Signalisation on roundabouts is often done as a retro fit safety feature to improve lane discipline and to handle flow characteristics that cannot be catered for under normal roundabout rules.

And while it might make sense at weekday rush hour, it's still utterly ridiculous that lights aren't turned off outside of these times to allow traffic to flow as roundabouts were designed

[ExadiNigel]

Signalisation on roundabouts is often done as a retro fit safety feature to improve lane discipline and to handle flow characteristics that cannot be catered for under normal roundabout rules.

And while it might make sense at weekday rush hour, it's still utterly ridiculous that lights aren't turned off outside of these times to allow traffic to flow as roundabouts were designed

Amen!

[Big Err]

And while it might make sense at weekday rush hour, it's still utterly ridiculous that lights aren't turned off outside of these times to allow traffic to flow as roundabouts were designed

Fair comment Jon and in many places there are roundabouts with part time signals. I'm not sure how the traffic reacts when they are suddenly switched on and off. I'm sure some one has done a study on it though

[fungus]

Here in Poole we have a large roundabout with lights that were initialy only switched on at rush hours only, as the intersection was very busy at those times. This was fine, but then the council decided to make them permanently switched on, which is ok when it's busy, but absolutely rediculous at 9pm when there's very little traffic.

Someone told me that the lights were paid for by Tesco who have a store just off the roundabout. Apparently this was one of the conditions in granting planning permision for the store. Whether that's true or not, I don't know.

Incidently it is Poole council who are raking in a fortune in speeding fines at the red light/speed camera posted on Pistonheads the other day.The Police say that the camera is not for safety reasons, but due to public concern. Apparently one, yes one , pedestrian has voiced concerns about safety at the junction

[morsing]

“The other day I saw someone going the wrong way in it,” said Steven Grim, 56, a longtime resident. “The wife and I looked at each other like, ‘Oh, that’s interesting.’ ”

[Big Err]

Here in Poole we have a large roundabout with lights that were initialy only switched on at rush hours only, as the intersection was very busy at those times. This was fine, but then the council decided to make them permanently switched on, which is ok when it's busy, but absolutely rediculous at 9pm when there's very little traffic.

You should ask why they were made permanent, there may have been a collision history?

Incidently it is Poole council who are raking in a fortune in speeding fines at the red light/speed camera

Unless these offences have been decriminalised the council wont be getting a penny for any tickets issued.