Posted on 10/07/2011 7:29:44 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
Like them or hate them — and few motorists have no opinion — it appears traffic roundabouts are part of Wisconsin’s transportation future. A pair of Wisconsin Department of Transportation engineers received an earful on the topic during an informational hearing by the state Senate’s transportation committee at the Capitol on Thursday. “It feels like the DOT is in love with roundabouts,” said DePere Republican Frank Lasee. “It feels like you guys want to put them everywhere. I’ve seen perfectly good intersections that are turned into roundabouts, and these suckers are expensive.”
“That’s why we did this study,” said Jerry Zogg, DOT’s Chief Roadway Standards Engineer. A study of 24 roundabouts by the UW Traffic Operations and Safety Lab found most intersections with roundabouts have seen an increase in traffic, along with decreases in fatality and injury accidents, although some saw an increase in overall accidents. “We knew we had to wait long enough that we could get enough data, that they were out there long enough that you could do a good statistical evaluation, but we didn’t wait any longer than we needed to. These were all the roundabouts that were built 2007 and earlier.”
“We started pursuing these based on the body of evidence that we saw nationally and internationally,” explained DOT Deputy Administrator Rory Rhinesmith. “There was a substantial drop in fatal crashes and severe injuries, and that’s why we decided that they were a good tool to have in our toolbox.” DOT expects to have 300 roundabouts in place statewide by the end of 2015. Put in perspective, Rhinesmith pointed out there are tens of thousands of intersections in the state. State Senator Mary Lazich, a New Berlin Republican, wants DOT to go slow. “I just think this needs a lot more testing before we push it any further,” said Lazich, who had cited concerns with a roundabout at the intersection of I-43 and Moreland Road in her suburban district. “I think we really got to monitor the ones that we have before we move forward any more.”
The Senators also said there was a perception among residents and local elected officials that DOT does not heed opposition to specific roundabouts. “There have been cases where we believed it was the right solution, but because of local resistance . . . we went with the signalized intersection,” said DOT’s Rhinesmith. That wasn’t the case in Kiel, where Senator Joe Liebham said there was strong local opposition to installation of two roundabouts. “I don’t remember anybody desiring or wanting a roundabout design at these two intersections,” said Liebham. “They were working just fine as four-way stops. DOT was hellbent on putting those roundabouts in.” Liebham did concede that a couple of roundabouts in his neighborhood seem to be working well, although he noted few drivers drive through them at the posted 15 mile an hour speed limit.
I grew up in a tiny town in Virginia whose centerpoint was a traffic circle (roundabout, whatever) and it actually worked quite well, probably better than a stoplight would have. But it seems like traffic engineer types are turning them into a fad. Maybe they work, maybe they don’t, I guess it’s a case-by-case thing. I do know they confuse the heck out of people who aren’t used to them!
}:-)4
I love em! They are also very safe. A four way intersection can have the occasional nasty t-bone accident. All you are gonna get at roundabouts is fender benders. And you rarely have to come to a complete stop. I’m one of the more agressive users of them. I just slow down a little and slip right into the traffic. They’re great.
And about the safety part, they are sort of a “dumbing down” of roads to protect bad drivers (and the rest of us) from killing people.
Tell me about it. Years ago my Alabama-born wife and I visited Cape Cod. During one of our outings we drove through a roundabout. She was amazed, and couldn't figure out why they would build it that way. I tried to explain the rationale, to no avail.
Then we have the "Michigan" left turn. A major intersection near us was converted to that not long ago. Talk about mass confusion.
Liebham did concede that a couple of roundabouts in his neighborhood seem to be working well, although he noted few drivers drive through them at the posted 15 mile an hour speed limit.
Roundabouts aren't made to slow people down so much as to keep people moving
Properly sized, they are fine. I have an issue with the small round-abouts that are more like bumps in the middle of an intersection.
In England, they have "mini-round-abouts" which are, no foolin', a painted circle in the middle of an intersection of two streets!
I hate stop lights so I LOVE roundabouts. I just want to keep moving.
Roundabout? In New England they are called a rotary.
In the town next to me we have one with seven streets intersecting, no traffic lights, and it only gets messed up when there is either a new driver or an out of stater. The locals know how to manage it. But they can be horrible during rush hours.
Take a look:
http://wikimapia.org/1678684/The-East-Longmeadow-Rotary
I hate them but I suppose that I should temper my opinion with two facts:
1. They reduce the number of (union) state employees to mismanage them and
2. They create work for all the private industry wreckers who come and pick up the pieces after all the accidents that they cause.
LOL! I like the way you think... :)
I hate roundabouts! Roundabouts consume more land at intersections and most drivers speed through them and/or do not know how to use them properly. The news blurb you posted quotes WisDOT acknowledging that while fatalities and injuries decrease, accidents INCREASE with roundabouts.
Besides, I would rather have Cedarburg law enforcement using their labor more effectively and engaged in actual public safety or even sitting in revenue-generating speed traps than cleaning up after roundabout accidents and filing police reports.
Europe has had these awful roundabouts for years, but I want to know what imbecilic civil engineering professor started this silly movement in the United States. That professor needs to be beaten repeatedly with a sharp, pointed stick for instigating this nonsense!!
Oh, Bob - I LOVE Cedarburg; it’s SUCH a pretty town. I hope you win this one!
Hi girly! Roundabouts are enjoying a resurrection around here, but we call them traffic circles. I don’t mind them except for the idiots who hit their brakes, paralyzed with fear about moving through them. One neighborhood which draws a lot of traffic due to its beautiful historic homes put them in to slow people down. Apparently people are into speed sight seeing these days. We’re all in a hurry.
Thanks. I know that on a topic like this I’m not likely to win any hearts and minds so I go for the chuckle ;-)
I’ve noted that lots of folks appear, if not to love them to have learned to accept them. In my neck of the woods it is different. What I witness is that they are interpreted as a license to anarchy. I avoid them like the plague because invariably when I go through one I witness examples of flat-out insane driving, usually in the form of someone blasting through taking the straightest possible attack angle. This means shoulder to shoulder (including sidewalks or the circle center when possible), and to hell with anyone around them.
Usually when I encounter them I am in my company car and don’t want an accident on my record (hence the avoidance).
Cheers
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