Roundabouts

Re: Roundabouts

Mark Harrington — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 21:49:48 GMT

Wis DOT requires that roundabouts be considered at newly rebuilt intersections, but the

local communities (two in this case) were divided and the one which favored the signalized

version prevailed.

Re: Roundabouts

cdenpa — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:38:32 GMT

do you know their reasoning?

Re: Roundabouts

Mark Harrington — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 20:59:44 GMT

I just learned that the two communities involved have

scrapped the roundabout in favor of a signalized intersection :-(

Re: Roundabouts

jdeg — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 18:12:51 GMT

caddcop:

This is the first Roundabout I designed: Hanover Parkway at Schrom Hills Park - 38°59'1.60"N and 76°52'23.98"W

Here we go... :)

(zoom out to see the other one)

Re: Roundabouts

caddcop — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:44:26 GMT

This is the first Roundabout I designed: Hanover Parkway at Schrom Hills Park - 38°59'1.60"N and 76°52'23.98"W

You can see it pretty clear in Google Earth. The client liked it so much that right up the road they asked us for another one. I was not involved in its design however.

The last one I worked on can be seen in Mapquest - the Google Earth images are old.

It's right near Glenelg High School14025 Burntwoods Rd, Glenelg, MD. It is much more rural than the Greenbelt ones.

Once people understand how they work, they are great. The only problem I've seen has been lack of public education on their use. When they start building two lane versions, it is critical. However, with proper sighning and striping, maost of the two lane ones here in Maryland seem to work very well.

Re: Roundabouts

MarkDJ — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 19:55:24 GMT

The attachment is how how to undertake the vertical design.

Re: Roundabouts

Mark Harrington — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:55:38 GMT

Well, not quite as rural, but the location is 43d13'15.98"N 88d03'49.66"W,

north of Milwaukee. And, yes to Yes, Shawn!!

Re: Roundabouts

Shawn Foster — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 03:00:53 GMT

I'll be the round about

The words will make you out 'n' out

I'll spend the day your way......

Okay, if you are a Yes fan, that's funny. ;)

Re: Roundabouts

cdenpa — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 00:41:59 GMT

Mark,

This is pretty rural too - not at all like what the others have posted! Is your locale this rural?

Not sure how to post the link but try this in Google Earth - 40.04.59.84 north and 75.44.3699 west.

Re: Roundabouts

Mark Harrington — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 02:50:52 GMT

There is one being planned in my backyard, in Mequon, WI USA, of all places!

(Cathy - this is rural Wisconsin)

I hope it goes thru, then I can drive it pretending I'm passing throught the

roundabout of all roundabouts at the Arc d' Triomphe in Paris!!

(it will require an active imagination).

Re: Roundabouts

Philip Davies — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 16:59:15 GMT

Down here in Australia roundabouts have been popular for 30 years or so. A correctly designed roundabout controls the vehicle speed as they enter the intersection and eliminate head-on and t-bone type crashes. The number of crashes are not necessarily reduced but the severity is greatly reduced resulting in a safer system. With the right traffic mix and volumes the geometric delays can be significantly better than signalised junctions resulting in reduced operating costs (delays and fuel).

If you are into designing roundabouts take a look at the new Bentley roundabout tool. It works in all the civil verticals and does an excellent job.

Re: Roundabouts

Thomas Voghera — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 03:59:51 GMT

not really ustn - but "Cars coming from your right have the right of way. Apply it rigourously and it works." ??

Here (Sweden) almost all "roundabouts" have a sign before them telling that you have to give way to all traffic in the "roundabout" in practice giving way to traffic from left, contrary to normal crossings.

Re: Roundabouts

MarkDJ — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 18:12:43 GMT

Cars coming from your right have the right of way. Apply it rigourously and it works.

Good fun at night.....

The more postively you drive the easier, hesitant drivers do struggle

Re: Roundabouts

jdeg — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 22:43:57 GMT

MarkDJ:

This is the roundabout to top all rounabouts, I've driven lots of times, no problems

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Roundabout_(Swindon)

So do you yield left or right?? :confused: Must be fun for the cops to try and figure out how an accident happened.

Re: Roundabouts

DeanBB — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 20:00:07 GMT

I think I'd choose an alternate route, rather than go through that, magic or no magic!

Re: Roundabouts

stuartw — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 17:49:46 GMT

MarkDJ:

This is the roundabout to top all rounabouts, I've driven lots of times, no problems

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Roundabout_(Swindon)

I've been 'through' this roundabout once! Good job there wasn't many cars about.

Re: Roundabouts

Phil Chouinard — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 16:05:33 GMT

Magic Roundabout... no kidding. Looks like you need a little bit of magic to get through that one :)

Seriously, though... that is a really interesting write up.

Re: Roundabouts

MarkDJ — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 15:36:01 GMT

This is the roundabout to top all rounabouts, I've driven lots of times, no problems

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Roundabout_(Swindon)

Re: Roundabouts

cdenpa — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 07:17:01 GMT

wow - you guys are sure not making me feel warm and fuzzy about having one in my backyard.

Re: Roundabouts

jdeg — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:50:00 GMT

DeanBB:

Roundabouts are fairly new to Arizona, so I have only rarely had the opportunity to use one, and never in a time or place with any traffic to worry about. When I was in London or Casablanca, I wasn't driving - thankfully! So I haven't truly experienced their advantages yet.

Weird, they started taking them out of Jersey cause people were running into eachother too much.

Re: Roundabouts

Phil Chouinard — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 21:31:20 GMT

Especially when that red light is on top of a police car :)

Re: Roundabouts

DeanBB — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 21:28:50 GMT

Roundabouts are fairly new to Arizona, so I have only rarely had the opportunity to use one, and never in a time or place with any traffic to worry about. When I was in London or Casablanca, I wasn't driving - thankfully! So I haven't truly experienced their advantages yet.

I'd think in a rural setting they would be better than a signalized intersection. I remember a coworker giving me a hard time as I sat at a red light in the middle of nowhere in Nebraska late at night, with not another vehicle to be seen anywhere. But hey, a red light is a red light! :)

Re: Roundabouts

Phil Chouinard — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 21:05:56 GMT

Yeah, there are a number of them in MA, too (I remember my Dad navigating them all the time). These appear to be quite common outside the US (go figure :) I've seen them in the UK, Australia, among other places.

Re: Roundabouts

jdeg — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 19:26:38 GMT

You mean a circle? :) They used to be all over the place in jersey where I grew up. They've slowly started to be replaced with intersections that have smart traffic lights. In a case where traffic started to get bad in one area they put traffic lights on the entrances to the circle. It was a little crazy.

From what's I've seen in PA people don't know how to merge or yield so a circle could be a real problem ;)

Re: Roundabouts

cdenpa — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 17:12:09 GMT

We are familiar with the ones on Route 15 in PA - Hanover and Oxford, I believe. They work well and have been there for years. People tell us the ones in NJ don't work so well. Europe, of course, is full of them and sometimes it is just a light bubble in the middle of the intersection.