RT to confuse an American.

[Soph0571]

A roundabout to end all roundabouts!

Are you confused?!?!?!

[hlthe2b]

1. Nope... Colorado has been installing roundabouts for decades now... The most crazy one is just

south of me and includes the access road to the interstate in various feeds very much like that. If we can maneuver the often ridiculous black diamond moguls on the slopes, we can negotiate traffic circles.

But, I can't speak for certain other regions of the US.

[abqtommy]

2. We've had roundabouts here in Albuquerque for some years now. Back in the

mid-90s when I was in Botswana I rented a car on weekends and drove around.
Driving on the left wasn't too bad but I did get confused at the roundabouts and
would circle around in the wrong direction. Fortunately traffic was very light and no
damage was done. I. Don't. Like. Roundabouts.

[2naSalit]

4. Montana has decided that we should have them everywhere...

And so they are building them everywhere. I'm not convinced they re better than traffic lights.

[Ocelot II]

6. They've become a thing in Minneapolis and 'burbs, too; they're all over the place.

Apparently the thinking is that any accident you might have at a roundabout will be at a relatively low speed and not as damaging as one at a traffic light.

[2naSalit]

3. Have you ever been to downtown Beantown?

That's about all there is in that city and cobblestone used to be the surface back when I lived around there. A remnant of being colonial states is the route design in many of the heavily settled areas. The streets were built on trails that came out of the woods and various locations such that seven or more trails may connect in a certain area so they got paved in cobblestone and later asphalt. I think the original idea of the round about in the US came from those old junctions.

And they are confusing.

[CrispyQ]

5. They are a pedestrian's worst nightmare.

I won't cross anywhere near a roundabout when I'm walking. Drivers get in this "I don't have to stop" mode. Some don't even slow down.

[Fla Dem]

7. Massachusetts has the most Rotaries / Roundabouts than any other state.

Not at all! Rotaries are no big deal if you learned to drive in Massachusetts. Just commuting to and from work in Boston I had to navigate 3.

Did you know that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has more rotaries than any other state in the nation? We do. According to the Boston Globe, Massachusetts now has over 100 rotaries (and roundabouts) — far more, and at a far higher density, than anybody else. May 31, 2021

A Beginner's Guide to Rotaries - CapeCod.comhttps://www.capecod.com › a-beginners-guide-to-rotaries

There are 118 rotaries in Massachusetts, and they're not easy to handle.Oct 1, 2010

Curious Why Rotaries Still Exist In Massachusetts –
https://boston.cbslocal.com/2010/10/01/curious-why-rotaries-still-exist-in-massachusetts/

Are roundabouts and rotaries the same?
Rotaries are much larger and allow traffic to move at a higher rate of speed, while roundabouts are smaller in diameter with traffic moving much slower.

Knodler Settles the Difference Between a Rotary and Roundabout
https://engineering.umass.edu/news/knodler-rotary-roundabout-video-umass-transportation

Massachusetts Is Going to Eliminate Most Rotaries
The state's distinctive (and occasionally terrifying) road pattern will be replaced with the safer roundabout method, per MassDOT officials.
by HAYLEY GLATTER· 10/9/2017
https://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/2017/10/09/massachusetts-eliminating-rotaries/

Longmeadow, Ma

Sagamore, Ma

Greenfield, Ma


Rotary vs Roundabout

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

8. We need a few of those built here in DC.

DC is a rather crowded city so space can't really be wasted. That whole center must be put to good use. Maybe a DMV office would be appropriate? Angle parking for the DMV office would be at the perimeter and wheelchair accessible sidewalks would be mandatory. To accommodate rush hour traffic, a car pool lane may need to added which would reverse directions from morning to evening.

As JFK once said, "Washington is a city of Southern efficiency and Northern charm."