Roundabouts Save Lives…

[marvin02]

I bet you like it when stop lights are timed to stop traffic doing the speed limit too don’t ya.

A looong time ago I was told that if you are doing the speed limit that you would be stopped by every other light. Don't know if this is still part of the traffic engineers playbook.

 

[tmcindy]

Well, they definitely are different. The one I have to use up North, when I go to my Niece's, has 2 lanes all the way around, so, if you want to stay on the road you're on & take second exit, stay in right lane. Now, the roundabout I have to use on 10th street on my way to IU West, the right lane ends, so, unless you are going to take the first exit, you better stay in left lane (made this mistake my first time). I think I prefer this style, once you learn how it works.

 

[marvin02]

This is by design to make one slow down. Also, most do not just go straight into the circle, they have curves designed to force the vehicle to slow down…

Poor design then. I have been through some roundabouts that you can not see oncoming traffic until you are just abut nosed into the roundabout.

It certainly doesn't work. The aggressive drivers just drive right into the roundabout without looking because, "I didn't see anything coming." and anyone sensible is going to slow down to nothing because they can't see.

There are well planned and laid out roundabouts, but there are also some very awful ones.

 

[OurDee]

I ain't got no time for no roundabout.

Buddy of mine did that on a motorcycle. Killed him.

 

[Ingomike]

A looong time ago I was told that if you are doing the speed limit that you would be stopped by every other light. Don't know if this is still part of the traffic engineers playbook.

It is way more complicated than that. Today they time the lights (those that can be timed) so that morning rush hour flows in and the evening rush hour out. If one is going the opposite way you will get them all…

 

[gregkl]

Yes, they put the bridge abutments right up against the roads entering the round-abouts and the round-abouts right up next to the bridge. A little bit of setback on either one would have greatly improved visibility and safety.

I drive both of the roundabouts at the 39 exchange every Sunday.

 

[tmcindy]

Rockville Road needs a bunch of them. That's the worst stretch of traffic in the Indy Metro area if you ask me.

Avon is terrible. If you need to go to the store, you better be back home before 1500. And forget the weekends.

 

[two70]

I drive both of the roundabouts at the 39 exchange every Sunday.

I don't go that way often but I think those 2 are a little more open with somewhat better visibility. The two for the 252 and 44 exchange are the ones I use the most and they are terrible. I'm surprised they don't have regular accidents.

 

[rooster]

It is way more complicated than that. Today they time the lights (those that can be timed) so that morning rush hour flows in and the evening rush hour out. If one is going the opposite way you will get them all…

I do not for one second believe that anyone is timing lights in order to effectively move traffic.

Plainfield’s Quaker BLVD that connects US 40 and hwy 70 for instance, you will hit every light if you go the speed limit, hell you catch every light going under and over the speed limit. It’s so poorly timed that they have pushed traffic to take the 2 lane road that goes past Hummel park instead of it.

Stafford rd from Quaker to Ronald Reagan. You will hit every single light regardless of speed.


Liberals wanna talk about saving the environment? I know one thing we can do to save thousands of hours in car idle time.

 

[gregkl]

If I hit the first light right, I can make it all the way down College ave through downtown all green. Must be 8-10 intersections.

I'd say Bloomington has them synced pretty well. Same on my return trip at the end of the day. Once I get the first green, I sail through.

 

[Ingomike]

I do not for one second believe that anyone is timing lights in order to effectively move traffic.

I have personally worked with the staff in counties to time the lights better, so they certainly do work to time them where they can and have lights that can be timed. Ever leave downtown going north in the afternoon, they are timed so you do not have to stop more than once if you drive the limit. 146th street between 37 and 69 are timed for morning and then for evening rush hours. You do not have to believe it but they do work on it and my calls have always been dealt with professionally as they want to flow traffic.

 

[Ingomike]

Plainfield’s Quaker BLVD that connects US 40 and hwy 70 for instance, you will hit every light if you go the speed limit, hell you catch every light going under and over the speed limit. It’s so poorly timed that they have pushed traffic to take the 2 lane road that goes past Hummel park instead of it.

Stafford rd from Quaker to Ronald Reagan. You will hit every single light regardless of speed.

Ever called to discuss this with the person in charge of signalized intersections?

 

[Ingomike]

If I hit the first light right, I can make it all the way down College ave through downtown all green. Must be 8-10 intersections.

I'd say Bloomington has them synced pretty well. Same on my return trip at the end of the day. Once I get the first green, I sail through.

THIS!

 

[DoggyDaddy]

I have personally worked with the staff in counties to time the lights better, so they certainly do work to time them where they can and have lights that can be timed. Ever leave downtown going north in the afternoon, they are timed so you do not have to stop more than once if you drive the limit. 146th street between 37 and 69 are timed for morning and then for evening rush hours. You do not have to believe it but they do work on it and my calls have always been dealt with professionally as they want to flow traffic.

Indianapolis seems to do it the opposite. I've had to come through downtown heading south out of town on West Street in the afternoon/evening rush hour and the timing was horrendous. I'd have to stop at every light. I was so relieved to get south of South Street and be out of there.

 

[Ingomike]

Indianapolis seems to do it the opposite. I've had to come through downtown heading south out of town on West Street in the afternoon/evening rush hour and the timing was horrendous. I'd have to stop at every light. I was so relieved to get south of South Street and be out of there.

Could that be a jam up caused by Lilly trying to get to the interstate?

 

[Milo]

Has anyone encountered a diverging diamond interchange other than the one on the north side of Fort Wayne.
It works surprisingly well

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Could that be a jam up caused by Lilly trying to get to the interstate?

I don't think so. We'd take off as soon as a light turned green and you could literally see the next one turning red as soon as you got through the intersection. I guess if you could drive about 80 or 90 mph through there, they might have been timed right.

 

[Ingomike]

I don't think so. We'd take off as soon as a light turned green and you could literally see the next one turning red as soon as you got through the intersection. I guess if you could drive about 80 or 90 mph through there, they might have been timed right.

My best guess is they were only timed one way and did not have variable timing like I described on 146th, or were timed to move the other streets you were crossing. They may not be not be able to be timed at all also…

 

[DoggyDaddy]

My best guess is they were only timed one way and did not have variable timing like I described on 146th, or were timed to move the other streets you were crossing. They may not be not be able to be timed at all also…

For whatever reason (which makes no sense to me when I think about it), the timing seemed better heading toward downtown than heading out from downtown.

Another thing that bugs me is that so much deference is given to north/south streets near me. I live on an east/west street and just to go about a mile, it would sometimes take me a good 10 minutes because so much deference was given to the north/south lights. They'd stay green for nearly 3 minutes, while the east/west light might only be green for 30 seconds or less. I'm like, "Not everybody wants to go north or south thank you very much!"

 

[Snapdragon]

Roundabouts only work if everyone knows what they are and how they operate. I watched a lady go left instead of right, directly into oncoming traffic...