5 ms·

Whatabout roundabouts with pedestrianlights?

by bugbuddy 2y ago

xeromal 2y ago
I've never seen those before. Does that mean the roundabout has redlights at every entrance
- bbor 2y ago
  For any roundabout fans on this forum who doubt that roundabouts with stoplights exist, you simply must make a pilgrimage to Washington, DC. They not only have stoplights around their multi-lane traffic circles, they have 3-4 inside some of them! Note the white lines: https://i.imgur.com/4v1c9zB.png https://i.imgur.com/4v1c9zB.png
  - RaftPeople 2y ago
    > you simply must make a pilgrimage to Washington I was in London area in the early 90's and they had stoplights at roundabouts that were high volume. If I remember right, a person told us the lights are only used at certain times of the day.
  - JackFr 2y ago
    Despite the circular nature of the roads, the major circles in DC do not function like traffic roundabouts, nor we're they designed with such considerations. On the other hand I suppose most traffic roundabouts don't have parks in the middle. There are actual roundabouts in DC, but typically they don't have names.
  - 015a 2y ago
    I would argue that isn't a roundabout; its just a road. A "roundabout" is a kind of intersection. One characteristic intersections generally have is that traffic should not stop upon entering the intersection. The picture you've linked is a circular road, with a half-dozen or so individual signaled intersection along it. While roundabouts do have center islands, sometimes even with sidewalks, pedestrians generally are not expected to ever walk there. For the same reason as outlined in the previous paragraph: getting pedestrians safely to the center island would require interrupting the flow of traffic inside the intersection. Walking by some roundabouts with built-up center islands, I sometimes wonder how long someone could camp out in the thicket without ever coming within 20 feet of another human on foot; the islands are no-man lands, very unlike the satellite image you link. I can reasonably envision a pedestrian signaled roundabout, where the crosswalks at the entrances and exits to the roundabout are all signaled. I have not, to my memory, ever seen one. And, again, I think the reality of their rarity speaks to my original point that pedestrians are, as in all US traffic design, always an afterthought.

Whatabout roundabouts with pedestrianlights?

xeromal 2y ago

I've never seen those before. Does that mean the roundabout has redlights at every entrance

bbor 2y ago
For any roundabout fans on this forum who doubt that roundabouts with stoplights exist, you simply must make a pilgrimage to Washington, DC. They not only have stoplights around their multi-lane traffic circles, they have 3-4 inside some of them! Note the white lines: https://i.imgur.com/4v1c9zB.png https://i.imgur.com/4v1c9zB.png
- RaftPeople 2y ago
  > you simply must make a pilgrimage to Washington I was in London area in the early 90's and they had stoplights at roundabouts that were high volume. If I remember right, a person told us the lights are only used at certain times of the day.
- JackFr 2y ago
  Despite the circular nature of the roads, the major circles in DC do not function like traffic roundabouts, nor we're they designed with such considerations. On the other hand I suppose most traffic roundabouts don't have parks in the middle. There are actual roundabouts in DC, but typically they don't have names.
- 015a 2y ago
  I would argue that isn't a roundabout; its just a road. A "roundabout" is a kind of intersection. One characteristic intersections generally have is that traffic should not stop upon entering the intersection. The picture you've linked is a circular road, with a half-dozen or so individual signaled intersection along it. While roundabouts do have center islands, sometimes even with sidewalks, pedestrians generally are not expected to ever walk there. For the same reason as outlined in the previous paragraph: getting pedestrians safely to the center island would require interrupting the flow of traffic inside the intersection. Walking by some roundabouts with built-up center islands, I sometimes wonder how long someone could camp out in the thicket without ever coming within 20 feet of another human on foot; the islands are no-man lands, very unlike the satellite image you link. I can reasonably envision a pedestrian signaled roundabout, where the crosswalks at the entrances and exits to the roundabout are all signaled. I have not, to my memory, ever seen one. And, again, I think the reality of their rarity speaks to my original point that pedestrians are, as in all US traffic design, always an afterthought.