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Traffic Circles
I was going to ask this question back during the TdF threads (which seem to
have all dried up now) but let it pass. I was impressed by the number of traffic circles on the course, and wondered why we didn't have more here. I was reminded of the question the other day when I saw a small traffic circle in a San Diego suburb. I remember there were plans for one up in Ojai (don't know if it was ever built), and I remember riding around another in upstate NY (Syracuse?). Are there any others scattered around the US and Canada? |
#2
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Traffic Circles
On Wed, 20 Aug 2003 18:50:08 -0700, "Richard Henry"
wrote: I was going to ask this question back during the TdF threads (which seem to have all dried up now) but let it pass. I was impressed by the number of traffic circles on the course, and wondered why we didn't have more here. I was reminded of the question the other day when I saw a small traffic circle in a San Diego suburb. I remember there were plans for one up in Ojai (don't know if it was ever built), and I remember riding around another in upstate NY (Syracuse?). Are there any others scattered around the US and Canada? From www.journal-topics.com/ah/03/ah030807.5.html : "In Des Plaines, the infamous Cumberland Circle is considered the most dangerous street in town. From January, 2003 to April, 2003, there have been 26 collisions with injuries, according to data from the Des Plaines Police Dept. The reason? 'Lack of familiarity,' said Police Dept. Spokesperson Chris Terrazzino. 'Six or seven streets feed into the circle. There's an inside lane and an outside lane. People don't know where to get on and where to get off. We put striping in, but it's difficult to negotiate. A lot of people panic.' Between 1995 and 2002, there have been a total of 716 collisions at the Cumberland Circle, according to the police department." What I don't get is, we as a people seem to have trouble sharing the road in these circle thingies, but our lift-line etiquette is comparatively outstanding. Weird. bw |
#3
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Traffic Circles
"Richard Henry" wrote in message news:kzV0b.5272$QT5.899@fed1read02... I was going to ask this question back during the TdF threads (which seem to have all dried up now) but let it pass. I was impressed by the number of traffic circles on the course, and wondered why we didn't have more here. I was reminded of the question the other day when I saw a small traffic circle in a San Diego suburb. I remember there were plans for one up in Ojai (don't know if it was ever built), and I remember riding around another in upstate NY (Syracuse?). Are there any others scattered around the US and Canada? There are a few around here. In my travels I see more and more going in as well. Utah has lots of new neighborhoods and city wannabes. I like them. In England you can go down a pretty considerable length of road with many "intersections". The circles make them go pretty smooth. For us here they can be a little confusing. But once you get used to them there are rules that make them go pretty smoothly. |
#4
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Traffic Circles
In article kzV0b.5272$QT5.899@fed1read02,
"Richard Henry" wrote: I was going to ask this question back during the TdF threads (which seem to have all dried up now) but let it pass. I was impressed by the number of traffic circles on the course, and wondered why we didn't have more here. I was reminded of the question the other day when I saw a small traffic circle in a San Diego suburb. I remember there were plans for one up in Ojai (don't know if it was ever built), and I remember riding around another in upstate NY (Syracuse?). Are there any others scattered around the US and Canada? There used to be a few in Edmonton, AB, but they started to eliminate them. It appeared that drivers couldn't be expected to learn how to use them properly, and once again, we dumbed down the world rather than ask the populace to rise to the challenge. And they're now using a sort of "mini" traffic circle on residential streets in Vancouver, BC. They don't do anything more than put in a concrete curb and plant the middle with flowers, but it means that you can have an uncontrolled intersection and expect that pretty much everyone will make it through. More dumbing down, I guess, but this time it works better than the "put 4 way stop signs everywhere" approach that would probably have been used otherwise. -- Alan Baker Vancouver, British Columbia "If you raise the ceiling 4 feet, move the fireplace from that wall to that wall, you'll still only get the full stereophonic effect if you sit in the bottom of that cupboard." |
#5
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Traffic Circles
Richard Henry wrote:
I was going to ask this question back during the TdF threads (which seem to have all dried up now) but let it pass. I was impressed by the number of traffic circles on the course, and wondered why we didn't have more here. I was reminded of the question the other day when I saw a small traffic circle in a San Diego suburb. I remember there were plans for one up in Ojai (don't know if it was ever built), and I remember riding around another in upstate NY (Syracuse?). Are there any others scattered around the US and Canada? Bite your tongue. The purpose of traffic circles around here is 'traffic calming' which really means 'slow down traffic enough to drive it onto somebody else's street instead of mine.' Apparently they're dismantling a few of them at the residents' request (cost: $50K; don't know if that's the total cost or just removal). Same occasionally goes for speed humps, such that the newer ones seem to be removable. I used to honk whenever I drove over one until I found out thatyou can get a ticket for that. Nice to know that we have enough money for crap like that, as well as digging up intersections to lay down decorative brickwork, even though there are still potholes and broken sidewalks. Maybe Ahnold can do something about that. -- Cheers, Bev xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx "Once you've provoked a few people into publicly swearing they are going to hunt you down and kill you, the thrill wears off." -Elric of Imrryr |
#6
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Traffic Circles
"Richard Henry" wrote in
news:kzV0b.5272$QT5.899@fed1read02: I was going to ask this question back during the TdF threads (which seem to have all dried up now) but let it pass. I was impressed by the number of traffic circles on the course, and wondered why we didn't have more here. I was reminded of the question the other day when I saw a small traffic circle in a San Diego suburb. I remember there were plans for one up in Ojai (don't know if it was ever built), and I remember riding around another in upstate NY (Syracuse?). Are there any others scattered around the US and Canada? There is (or used to be) one somewhere in San Francisco; I don't remember exactly where, somewhere near the docks and the Caltrain line. When I moved there in 1990 friends made a detour to specially to show me, they were so proud of it. I don't recall that there was actually any traffic going arouund it. They're getting more and more popular in continental Europe, though their natural habitat has to be the UK, especially dormitory towns around London. Hemel Hempstead has a big one made out of six little ones, which defies comprehension - I have seen cars just stop in the middle in complete bafflement (in fact I think I might have done so myself). When they introduced them in France they initially tried to keep "priorité ŕ droite", which meant cars entering had right of way; a little thought will reveal that you only need one car at each entry to gridlock the whole thing. They changed that eventually, but the UK is still the only country I've driven in where people can be relied on to understand the things (Hemel Hempstead excepted). Jeremy |
#7
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Traffic Circles
Jeremy Mortimer wrote:
"Richard Henry" wrote in news:kzV0b.5272$QT5.899@fed1read02: .. They're getting more and more popular in continental Europe, though their natural habitat has to be the UK, especially dormitory towns around London. Hemel Hempstead has a big one made out of six little ones, which defies comprehension - I have seen cars just stop in the middle in complete bafflement (in fact I think I might have done so myself). When they introduced them in France they initially tried to keep "priorité ŕ droite", which meant cars entering had right of way; a little thought will reveal that you only need one car at each entry to gridlock the whole thing. They changed that eventually, but the UK is still the only country I've driven in where people can be relied on to understand the things (Hemel Hempstead excepted). ....and the roundabout in Hemel is a two way roundabout - it has two lanes, one in each direction (clockwise and counterclockwise) and the little roundabouts are likewise full duplex operations. In reality, you don't really know you're on a big roundabout, just a series of small ones. The bark is worse than the bite. The first time I came across it I was on a bicycle..... But what about Sweden? In the 60's they switched from left hand drive to right hand drive. Overnight. Get your heads round that one! Clue: think on/off ramps .... |
#8
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Traffic Circles
"NP" wrote But what about Sweden? In the 60's they switched from left hand drive to right hand drive. Overnight. Get your heads round that one! Clue: think on/off ramps .... I don't think Sweden had too many limited access roads with on/off ramps in the '60s, they weren't too common in '73 when I was there. They certainly didn't have modern freeway interchanges, which would really make switching from left to right hand drive interesting. At any rate, it wasn't an overnight switch, they spent quite a few years planning, educating the public, and building cars with steering wheels o -- markn the left well before the change actually happened. |
#9
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Traffic Circles
Richard Henry wrote:
I was going to ask this question back during the TdF threads (which seem to have all dried up now) but let it pass. I was impressed by the number of traffic circles on the course, and wondered why we didn't have more here. I was reminded of the question the other day when I saw a small traffic circle in a San Diego suburb. I remember there were plans for one up in Ojai (don't know if it was ever built), and I remember riding around another in upstate NY (Syracuse?). Are there any others scattered around the US and Canada? I think it's more of an east coast phenomenon. New Jersey used to be full of them. They're common around Boston. The only one I've ever seen in (ob)ski country is the one at Beaver Creek. Personally, I don't like 'em - it seems to be beyond the driving ability of most people to look before changing lanes while going around a curve. -- //-Walt // // "Fair and Balanced" |
#10
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Traffic Circles
"Walt" wrote in message ... I think it's more of an east coast phenomenon. New Jersey used to be full of them. They're common around Boston. The only one I've ever seen in (ob)ski country is the one at Beaver Creek. They were popular in Texas in the late 40's and early 50's. Still have a few of them around. One of the still existing ones in Houston you will see if you ever drive from downtown to Hobby airport. It is built under ,or rather, I45 was built over it. It has feeding into it the north and south I45 access roads (2 lanes each), a boulevard (2 lanes each direction) and a major street, also 2 lanes in each direction. With the average incompetence of the Houston driver I avoid it if at all possible. Luckily, the circle is small enough that speed is limited, so mostly what you get are merely fender benders, and sideswipes. Personally, I don't like 'em - it seems to be beyond the driving ability of most people to look before changing lanes while going around a curve. -- //-Walt // // "Fair and Balanced" |
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