Traffic circles

[BeNJeNWaFFLe]

I hate these! There is one by me (that I know of). It is the end of a parkway and it crosses with another parkway! And of course this is at the beach. So it is always busy and people are coming at you at high speeds and they don't know how to properly use a traffic circle. I always fear for my life when I go to the beach.

 

[poohbear1029]

I hate them because I never know how to use them.

There's a nearby town that has one and the people IN the circle have to yield to people coming into it. The one where DH is from, the people coming INTO it have to yield to those already in it.

What's the right way???

The "right" way up in NEw England is that the people in the rotary have the right of way, the people entering it have to yield.

I voted that I like them....in theory......but then there are about 97% of people who dont know how to drive them....and then the wacked out local traffic officials who screwed some of them up back home by having some of the rotaries entry points have stop signs and some yield signs! Traffic is supposed to flow through them...there should not be stop signs at a rotary!

 

[hiwaygal]

Here's more info on how they "should" be used:

http://www.alaskaroundabouts.com/mythfact1.html

 

[DVC-Don]

Roundabouts - Yay
Rotaries - Boo

 

[caitycaity]

I HATE THEM! there is one in particular here where i always feel like i am taking my life in my hands when i try to merge!

 

[Bob Slydell]

There's not really a good choice for me on the poll. I know what they are, but honestly, I can only think of one around town and it's all the way on the other side of town, so I never have to deal with it.

 

[Credit Man]

Hate them. Here in NJ they are slowly phasing them out.

 

[chasbos]

LOVE THEM! Now saying that we do not have very many around here in Ontario and most people do not know how to drive either. But in Europe they are wonderful! People know how to use them and they keep traffic flowing.

 

[Chicago526]

Hate them. They only work IF everyone KNOWS how they work and what to do, and then ACTUALLY do it!

Thank God, we only have one in my area, and I rarely go that way!!!

 

[chell]

I like them as long as the other people using them know what to do.

 

[kasar]

I voted "hate them" but it's not actually the rotary that I hate, it's the people that don't know how to drive on one. I have to go through a rotary every time I go to work and it kills me to be stuck behind a bunch of idiots stopped there waiting for God knows what. Hello....you are supposed to merge onto the rotary. It is wide enough for you to merge into it without getting in the way the oncoming traffic.

Spoken like a true New Englander!

I like them. But they're definately not for whimps - once you're committed - GO!

 

[oogieboogie]

I hate them. We have one in a nearby town and the backup it causes is enormous especially during rush hour and you're waiting behind some little old lady who's too scared to merge in. Ugh!

Then you have the idiots who think they can go 75mph in the circle and of course the little old ladies who wait until the circle's empty before they'll merge. Hellooooo... it's a continual flow.... just go already!

 

[caitycaity]

Hello....you are supposed to merge onto the rotary. It is wide enough for you to merge into it without getting in the way the oncoming traffic.

maybe they are originally from the dc area where few rotaries have enough room to merge into oncoming traffic. i wouldn't have a problem with them if there was a merge lane.

 

[hucifer]

LOVE THEM! Now saying that we do not have very many around here in Ontario and most people do not know how to drive either. But in Europe they are wonderful! People know how to use them and they keep traffic flowing.

I think they are awesome. When people know how to use them, they work.

I think the problem is that we Americans aren't used to them. The ones in Europe work wonderfully because they have been using them for a long time. And yes, I've driven in Europe. That's when I fell in love with them.

 

[lilboo]

Love, love , love them. But agree-more people need to become familiar and comfortable with them to make them truly work here. Too many chickens.

 

[bigmerle1966]

There are in the rise here in my part of MD. In one of them they had to put in directional signs than change the center of it, it looked like people kept running through the middle of it rather than around. The only one I have problems with is the one at the IKEA in College Park. It really doesn't belong there, all the others are a part of a road at an intersection and that one is in the entrance driveway of the store.

 

[CheshireVal]

There really aren't very many of them down here... they're kinda rare.

I do prefer them to 4-way stops though.