Lights at traffic circles

[nikki_d]

@jrenaut 50551 wrote:

I know we have at least one Brit here, and we must have some New Englanders.

And a native NJ-ian. We do traffic circles and we do them proudly and properly- without lights!

[mstone]

@nikki_d 50641 wrote:

And a native NJ-ian. We do traffic circles and we do them proudly and properly- without lights!

I can think of some heinous exceptions.

[nikki_d]

@mstone 50652 wrote:

I can think of some heinous exceptions.

They must be in the north, or as people from that part of the state call it “Joisey.”

[mstone]

@nikki_d 50814 wrote:

They must be in the north, or as people from that part of the state call it “Joisey.”

Interestingly, the wikipedia article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_traffic_circles_in_New_Jersey) has a picture of one of the ones I was thinking of (recently replaced). It was a circle with a bisecting road through it, and a bunch of stoplights. My mind boggled every time I drove through it–how could any DOT possibly screw up that badly, providing all the problems of a circle and all the problems of a controlled intersection?

Edit to add: to be fair, this is the same insane configuration as the 50 & 29 intersection at Fairfax Circle. Same question applies to VDOT.

[jrenaut]

@mstone 50816 wrote:

providing all the problems of a circle and all the problems of a controlled intersection?

I believe that’s called “efficiency”.

[bobco85]

I just came back from a trip to Clearwater, FL, where I did some biking and encountered a few roundabouts. I think the best variation on the roundabout is the one that is less subtle about right-of-way than the basic form: all 4 ways have yield signs. That’s all I think people need to know for a roundabout to work, even if roundabouts implicitly give right-of-way to those in the circle.

@KLizotte 50631 wrote:

There is a place in the UK where there are seven(!) roundabouts linked together.

Is this it (it’s only 6, but together they form one massive roundabout, so it could be 7)? It’s called the Magic Roundabout: http://goo.gl/maps/GhQbW

[KLizotte]

@bobco85 50847 wrote:

I just came back from a trip to Clearwater, FL, where I did some biking and encountered a few roundabouts. I think the best variation on the roundabout is the one that is less subtle about right-of-way than the basic form: all 4 ways have yield signs. That’s all I think people need to know for a roundabout to work, even if roundabouts implicitly give right-of-way to those in the circle.

Is this it (it’s only 6, but together they form one massive roundabout, so it could be 7)? It’s called the Magic Roundabout: http://goo.gl/maps/GhQbW

No, unfortunately I can’t find a map/picture of the one I am thinking of. The circles were linked like a chain. I don’t remember where it was located. I used to get a little carsick if the taxi went through too many roundabouts. :p

[JimF22003]

The Jersey intersections, and the one in Fairfax are called “jug-handles” I believe. I wouldn’t call them traffic circles.

[mstone]

@JimF22003 50866 wrote:

The Jersey intersections, and the one in Fairfax are called “jug-handles” I believe. I wouldn’t call them traffic circles.

No, a jug handle is a facility to enable left turns from the right lane, converting the turning traffic into cross traffic but retaining a square intersection. These are circles which were partially “un-circled”.

[JimF22003]

@mstone 50867 wrote:

No, a jug handle is a facility to enable left turns from the right lane, converting the turning traffic into cross traffic but retaining a square intersection. These are circles which were partially “un-circled”.

OK, guess I’m just a jug-head

[Terpfan]

I always run the red light when I’m going through Thomas Circle. The cars par zero attention to the bike lane and so you may as well be invisible if you’re going with them around it southbound. If i’m coming up VT and going down M, I won’t even go around the circle and opt to do a quick break of law across that one stretch of sidewalk by Thomas Circle is ridiculous.

[ShawnoftheDread]

@bobco85 50847 wrote:

Is this it (it’s only 6, but together they form one massive roundabout, so it could be 7)? It’s called the Magic Roundabout: http://goo.gl/maps/GhQbW

That looks like fun, but the apparent reliance on “magic” to make it work makes me a bit nervous.

[TwoWheelsDC]

My favorite circle is Memorial Circle, since it’s Bizarro…traffic inside the circle has to yield to traffic entering the circle.

http://goo.gl/maps/P8WKD

[jrenaut]

I think we can all agree on two things:

• A circular road where anyone traveling on the circular path always has right of way over anyone not traveling in the circular path is a Traffic Circle.
• A circular road containing any exceptions to the previous, including but not limited to stop lights, stop signs, straight roads, llamas, or BMWs is a Death Trap Where Cars Will Kill You.

Jury is still out on jughandles. In theory they sound good, but I don’t have much experience using them so I don’t really know.

[mstone]

@jrenaut 50906 wrote:

I think we can all agree on two things:

• A circular road where anyone traveling on the circular path always has right of way over anyone not traveling in the circular path is a Traffic Circle.
• A circular road containing any exceptions to the previous, including but not limited to stop lights, stop signs, straight roads, llamas, or BMWs is a Death Trap Where Cars Will Kill You.

Jury is still out on jughandles. In theory they sound good, but I don’t have much experience using them so I don’t really know.

Actually, no. “Traffic Circle” means “old fashioned deathtrap of a road design”. A “circular road where anyone traveling on the circular path always has right of way over anyone not traveling in the circular path” is a “roundabout”.

Jughandles can make cars go faster on light-to-moderate traffic roads. That should give you pause right there. They start to fall apart as traffic volumes increase, and are generally confusing because they make left turns inconsistent (like we need more confused people on the road).

[Author]

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