I’ve heard that traffic circles (i.e. the circular intersections with traffic lights) are extremely dangerous, and that that’s part of why roundabouts have faced so many difficulties entering the US (because the US had traffic circles in the early 20th century and the cultural perception is that circle = dangerous).
It sounds like you have only found badly designed roundabouts to be honest. Not Just Bikes probably has a video dedicated on how a good one should look like, including priority signaling when appropriate
Same. They’re wonderful for auto throughput and auto safety, that’s about it. They don’t save much if any space over traditional intersections (Really their space and shape requirements make them fairly prohibitive in any place that isn’t already dominated exclusively by motor infrastructure), they create a lot more travel distance for pedestrians and cyclists who have to go around the outside, and they generally don’t have any signals for cars to stop for pedestrians and cyclists crossing as they make their way around that long orbit. They’re about as effective a solution to our car-centric society as the electric car.
As a pedestrian I hate them because they prevent crossing the road anywhere but those zebra paths at the roundabout. In my city there are multiple roundabouts on a road with about a ten minute walk between them. Crossing that road is essentially impossible except at the roundabouts because the traffic flow never stops. It’s like trying to cross a freeway!
I think they had written something to the effect of where they live, zebra stripes ensure that drivers give way to pedestrians. But that might have been a rhetorical mistake on their part because I see they’ve edited the comment since then to say that pedestrians can only cross at zebra stripes.
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As a pedestrian i HATE roundabouts. No lights, no stop signs, i just have to hope that maybe a car will see me and stop
Obligatory
There is a cool roundabout near me with stop lights that all turn red at the same time, stopping all vehicle traffic and letting pedestrians go.
I’ve heard that traffic circles (i.e. the circular intersections with traffic lights) are extremely dangerous, and that that’s part of why roundabouts have faced so many difficulties entering the US (because the US had traffic circles in the early 20th century and the cultural perception is that circle = dangerous).
It sounds like you have only found badly designed roundabouts to be honest. Not Just Bikes probably has a video dedicated on how a good one should look like, including priority signaling when appropriate
Same. They’re wonderful for auto throughput and auto safety, that’s about it. They don’t save much if any space over traditional intersections (Really their space and shape requirements make them fairly prohibitive in any place that isn’t already dominated exclusively by motor infrastructure), they create a lot more travel distance for pedestrians and cyclists who have to go around the outside, and they generally don’t have any signals for cars to stop for pedestrians and cyclists crossing as they make their way around that long orbit. They’re about as effective a solution to our car-centric society as the electric car.
I actually love them. Roundabouts have zebra paths on the lanes just before the roundabout themselves.
As a pedestrian I hate them because they prevent crossing the road anywhere but those zebra paths at the roundabout. In my city there are multiple roundabouts on a road with about a ten minute walk between them. Crossing that road is essentially impossible except at the roundabouts because the traffic flow never stops. It’s like trying to cross a freeway!
Painted lines?
What do you mean? They are zebra pathes, yes.
I think they had written something to the effect of where they live, zebra stripes ensure that drivers give way to pedestrians. But that might have been a rhetorical mistake on their part because I see they’ve edited the comment since then to say that pedestrians can only cross at zebra stripes.