Magic Roundabout (Swindon)

Re:Magic Roundabout (Swindon) by jiveturkey on Thursday January 23, 2020 @11:47AM (#22129059)

I don't like it. From the bottom, if you want to go straight you enter on the right lane. From the right, if you want to go straight you enter on the left lane. This lack of symmetry means you need to be very familiar with the path in advance, and not get confused about which orientation you're in. For the signage to be far enough from the roundabout to get your bearings in time, it will be too far for most people to even be looking for it. This design will add to the late merge asshole problem.

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Re:Magic Roundabout (Swindon) by CamperBob2 on Thursday January 23, 2020 @01:46PM (#22130415)

Late merges are optimal, and the fact that so many people disagree with this practice (or take it as a personal affront) is one of several gross failures of US driver education programs.

However, yes, complicated roundabouts that require perfect knowledge of what lane you need in order to take an exit you can't see in advance do suck. If you find yourself installing a roundabout with more than one lane, you probably should be installing a traffic light instead.

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Re:Magic Roundabout (Swindon) by Sohcahtoa82 on Thursday January 23, 2020 @08:40PM (#22134554)

> late merge asshole problem.

Early mergers are the assholes. You're SUPPOSED to merge late. If you see a sign saying "Construction ahead 3 miles, left lane closed" or something, and you immediately start trying to merge, you're the one doing it wrong.

Early merging creates unpredictability in traffic flow. Zipper merges are safer and lead to shorter merge queues. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merge_(traffic)#Zipper

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Re:Magic Roundabout (Swindon) by frosted-flakes on Thursday January 23, 2020 @08:49PM (#22134615)

There's a difference between late merges and late lane changes, which is what OP meant. When all vehicles are merging into one lane, sure, the zipper merge is superior. But when you realise you're in the wrong lane right before an intersection and try to force your way over, that's the problem.

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Re:Magic Roundabout (Swindon) by Sohcahtoa82 on Thursday January 23, 2020 @09:00PM (#22134697)

> There's a difference between late merges and late lane changes

Starting to go off topic, but I'm starting to feel I'm the only person the never refers to a lane change as a merge when it isn't a part of a lane ending. IMO, a "merge" should only refer to lanes ending. Otherwise, fighting about "late merging" becomes ambiguous.

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Re:Magic Roundabout (Swindon) by jiveturkey on Friday January 24, 2020 @12:40PM (#22140529)

Correct. I mis-spoke. I guess I picked up on 'late merge' term from someone else and that's how I call it. But indeed I meant a last-minute lane change.

Folks commenting on this, thanks for the correction but also you should have picked up from the context (of a tornado roundabout) that I was referring to a lane change.

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