We're excited about our new roundabout

Re:We're excited about our new roundabout by al_borland on Sunday October 06, 2024 @02:01PM (#41758833)

I think part of the issue is that it’s multi-lane. So if you’re in the right-lane to go to one road, and miss it, staying in the right-lane forces you onto the highway. If there is a car in the left lane you can’t get over to avoid it without causing an accident, or stopping, which would backup the whole circle and also risk accidents. So you end up paying the 9 mile tax. There is no way to miss your turn and easily recover.

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Re:We're excited about our new roundabout by ssl-3 on Sunday October 06, 2024 @11:47PM (#41762611)

Indeed. I've seen a number of stuffed-up multi-lane roundabouts in the States.

I've also seen a trio of 3 of them be adjusted (by changing lane markings and signage -- nothing of grand expense) in a way that was much more sensible and easier to follow than the original design.

It seems to me that a lot of the issues with them could be eliminated by having a bail-out path that is both safe and acceptable.

Logically, it seems like this ideally means providing the opportunity to simply go 'round again and do it over.

Or where that's not possible and there must be a lane with an irrevocable default exit, then: That exit should be low-cost and provide an opportunity nearby to safely stop and spend as much time as it takes to re-evaluate a second attempt

It should never dump a driver into an unexpected 9-mile-long Pavlovian clusterfuck.

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Re:We're excited about our new roundabout by rswail on Monday October 07, 2024 @04:15AM (#41763827)

I like the German roundabouts that have 3 lanes at each entry. The furthest left takes you to the 3rd exit (left hand turn), the middle takes you to the 2nd exit (straight ahead), and the right hand lane takes you the 1st exit (right hand turn).

The lanes are painted to "spiral" so that if you take the furthest left hand, by the time you get to the 3rd exit, it's the outermost lane.

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Re:We're excited about our new roundabout by PaulRobinson on Sunday October 13, 2024 @08:03AM (#41827250)

Spiral roundabouts are very common all over Europe, including the UK. They take a little getting used to, but once you realise your drivers side wheel just needs to stay the correct side of the white line, and the white line will take you where you need to go, it's all good.

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