Unnecessary Stop Signs

[LarryBGood]

Originally Posted by Carolina Knight

If space permits, traffic circles are a viable alternative to all way stops on two-lane roads. They are not a good idea for four-lane roads.

I read that the traffic circle/roundabout was developed in the U.S., but among all of the developed and developing countries, they are least used in the U.S..

I think Americans are too aggressive to use the traffic circle safely.

I never saw yellow lines on a residential street until I moved to Charlotte.

[paulosfm]

It's done for "traffic calming" purposes. The speed bumps are part of the craziness. All this does is pump more hydrocarbons into the air in those neighbors because vehicles gear down and require more fuel, which is turned into emissions, when they stop (or slow) and then accelerate. Those speed bumps are a waste of tax dollars. In addition, they slow emergency vehicles (think house on fire) and they are hard on the suspension of ALL vehicles especially big fire trucks and MEDIC vehicles.

[SCCoqui]

Originally Posted by LarryBGood

I read that the traffic circle/roundabout was developed in the U.S., but among all of the developed and developing countries, they are least used in the U.S..

I think Americans are too aggressive to use the traffic circle safely.

I never saw yellow lines on a residential street until I moved to Charlotte.

I don't think it's a matter of aggression but a matter of understanding the rules of a traffic circle.

In NJ there are a few circles that would scare the daylights out of some people -- one of them actually does have two lane roads coming into it and has some lights (google Somerville Circle in NJ). It's not for the faint at heart, but because people know the rules behind it its actually keeps traffic flowing in an intersection that would otherwise have gridlock.

A less notorious circle I used to drive was in the town of Bound Brook NJ. It's simple circle, more of the type that people are used to. That one flows well because people know to use a zipper merge when navigating through it. It only gets mucked up when people forget to do that.

Traffic circles work well if people know the rules, but I don't see that happening here. People have a hard enough time understanding the rules at a 4 way stop!

[Better Than Everyone]

it just boggles my mind that someone wants to do away with stop signs in favor of gas mileage….and is apparently serious….SMH

[bs13690]

Originally Posted by paulosfm

It's done for "traffic calming" purposes. The speed bumps are part of the craziness. All this does is pump more hydrocarbons into the air in those neighbors because vehicles gear down and require more fuel, which is turned into emissions, when they stop (or slow) and then accelerate. Those speed bumps are a waste of tax dollars. In addition, they slow emergency vehicles (think house on fire) and they are hard on the suspension of ALL vehicles especially big fire trucks and MEDIC vehicles.

The newer speed humps aren't quite as bad at least. I've been though apartment complexes that have old speed bumps almost as high as the curb, those are nuts.