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?

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

"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.

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."

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

"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 à 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

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"

"Chester Bullock" wrote in message
...
"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?


Vail installed one just before the World Championships several years
ago.
Now there is one in Frisco, and a few in Denver, as well as the
Loveland
(town, not ski area) area. Pretty amusing to watch people drive in
them,
they have no clue what they are doing...

My estimation: they are better than a traffic light when there is no
traffic, so you don't end up waiting forever to go. But when there is
a
long line of traffic (ie, rush hour), it can be pretty screwed up...

I saw a scientific analysis of them on some channel or another. When
compared to a "two lanes in each direction intersection, the contact
points were greatly reduced.

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?

Emericuns have trouble with them, but they seem to be getting more
popular in high traffic areas.

But just imagine if the U.S. put in a Magic Roundabout. Carnage.

http://www.swindonweb.com/life/lifemagi0.htm

-klaus

"klaus" wrote in message
...
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?

Emericuns have trouble with them, but they seem to be getting more
popular in high traffic areas.

But just imagine if the U.S. put in a Magic Roundabout. Carnage.

http://www.swindonweb.com/life/lifemagi0.htm

The only reason it works for you is because you drive on the wrong side of
the road.