Roundabouts: Your Opinion

[amcjap]

We had many in NJ and in the last couple of years they're gotten rid of most because of the traffic. Only a few left now.

[havin fun]

Pinehurst has a traffic circle. Traffic is always congested except 10Pm to 6AM. At "peak times" wait can be anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes if there are no accidents involved. With an accident? (3-4 per week) Your guess is as good as mine!
Locals avoid it like the plague-thereby congesting up the smaller roads around it. Now the NC DOT is widening one of it's major feeder routes (HWY 211) into 4 lanes - funneling down to 1 lane as 211 appoaches the circle.
This circle was fine for the 1920's, for the traffic it was built for. But this is 2008!!!
If a dog had caused as much personal injury and property damage-it would have been "put down".

[jenn02674]

I've traveled to England extensively and LOVE the traffic circles. England, as most of you know, is a very dense and congested country but the traffic never seems to be as bad as it is here, even in London. Now I am not saying the traffic is not ever bad, I don't expect it to go away, but it always seems worse here in the US. Rush hour in any place is going to be bad. Some of the larger ones in England still have traffic lights on them but these are 5, 6.7 way intersections

If traffic circles are causing problems, it is because people don't know how to drive on them.

[Asheville Native]

Originally Posted by jenn02674

I've traveled to England extensively and LOVE the traffic circles. England, as most of you know, is a very dense and congested country but the traffic never seems to be as bad as it is here, even in London. Now I am not saying the traffic is not ever bad, I don't expect it to go away, but it always seems worse here in the US. Rush hour in any place is going to be bad. Some of the larger ones in England still have traffic lights on them but these are 5, 6.7 way intersections

If traffic circles are causing problems, it is because people don't know how to drive on them.

I also have regularly driven 'traffic circles' when traveling to Syracuse area on business that were designed for the smooth and continuous flow of traffic, and you are right, they work.

Asheville has designed their 'roundabouts' as 'choke points' and 'traffic calming' devices, and they are working as designed, they are slowing traffic, increasing backups, impeding the flow of rush hour traffic. As effective choke points they are backing traffic up into other intersections controlled by signals thus everyone gets to share the backup even if they are not going toward the circle. And being that it is less than a block from city hall/courthouse area is a pedestrian obstacle course.

[jenn02674]

So wait a minute, not quite understanding, you are saying the ones in Asheville are there to create backup vs. trying to keep in flowing? Why would they want to do that? Just to slow people down because there are pedestrians? Just asking, haven't been to Asheville in a very long time so don't have any idea.

[Asheville Native]

Originally Posted by jenn02674

So wait a minute, not quite understanding, you are saying the ones in Asheville are there to create backup vs. trying to keep in flowing? Why would they want to do that? Just to slow people down because there are pedestrians? Just asking, haven't been to Asheville in a very long time so don't have any idea.

Asheville has become very automobile unfriendly in the past decade. They are spending 100's of thousands putting islands, chicanes, humps, one lane choke points (on two way streets), zig zags, roundabouts all designed to discourage motor vehicle traffic.

Right now Kimberly and Edwin place are all marked up for islands, choke points, and who knows what else. While the pavement is in such poor shape that the rough ride is enough to keep the speeds down.

If they felt they could get away with it, I'm sure they (current city leaders) would ban all vehicular traffic from all of the downtown area. The alternative, make driving to town as unpleasant and slow as possible.

Going to be interesting to see how clearing the roads of snow is going to be handled at these places, that is if we ever get a decent snowfall again.

[southbound_295]

Originally Posted by Asheville Native

I also have regularly driven 'traffic circles' when traveling to Syracuse area on business that were designed for the smooth and continuous flow of traffic, and you are right, they work.

Asheville has designed their 'roundabouts' as 'choke points' and 'traffic calming' devices, and they are working as designed, they are slowing traffic, increasing backups, impeding the flow of rush hour traffic. As effective choke points they are backing traffic up into other intersections controlled by signals thus everyone gets to share the backup even if they are not going toward the circle. And being that it is less than a block from city hall/courthouse area is a pedestrian obstacle course.

I learned to drive on 2 of the most notorious circles in NJ. You can't beat them for back-ups! I have never driven on the roundabout version, but I'm interested to see how they are working in NC.

[slaz]

Seems like every time i come to one the people in front of me don't know how to yield. It just backs up.

[Asheville Native]

Originally Posted by slaz

Seems like every time i come to one the people in front of me don't know how to yield. It just backs up.

The size is the reason for backups.
They are so small creating a tight turning radius that speed is less than 10 MPH, and for trucks it is at their maximum turning ability, and requires they drive over curbs.

Due to their size, the circle itself is a single lane.

Due to their size, drivers cannot really tell if a vehicle in the circle is going to exit outbound on the same street you are entering from, or continue in the circle, making yielding or going a guessing game, creating a situation where only 2 or 3 vehicles are actually traveling through the intersection.