Roundabouts

[IndyDave1776]

Chances are it was a contractor who did the design and contractors who built it, whether they did it to the design specs or not!

I have never been involved in the design process and how much of it is done in house and how much is outsourced. In any case, the state engineers have to approve the design. It is guaranteed that a contractor built it, and it is almost certainly close enough to specs that it is a design problem not a failure to follow the specs.

I ran that R-A-B in a small, regular 18 wheeler tandem trailer. Those don't maneuver as well as the big tube I pull. Michigan has several R-A-B and I have yet to find one I don't like. I've even go around a few times just for fun and to make the people following me wonder what I'm doing.

 

[JettaKnight]

I would point out that the roundabouts in question are among the worst designed in the most boneheaded stupid place I have ever seen. That is a situation where a conventional interchange would have been both better and most likely less expensive to construct, especially taken in the [STRIKE]contest[/STRIKE] context (hitting the wrong key is bad enough, but worse when the misspelling fits and makes sense!) of the amount of truck traffic into and out of the port.

I could also point out that I am not impressed with the one on 42 near Terre Haute. When a roundabout is constructed on a designated truck route and I find myself rubbing the curbs on both sides at the same time, that tells me that an engineer needs fired or at least given a good ass kicking.

What about diverging diamonds?

 

[JettaKnight]

[video=youtube;uYVcdFWErQw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYVcdFWErQw[/video]

Any update now that it's five years later? It went from 11 to 17... where'd it go from there when everyone got used to it?

I don't know if it works, but here's the intersection from that story:
https://www.google.com/maps/@42.772...4!1sfqcw3UlnshcOIT13fC1euw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

I fail to see how that's confusing.


What about fatalities or serious injuries? A 20 mph collision is a helluva a lot safer than a 50 mph one. What I saw in the video could be described as a fender bender - the alternative is blood on the pavement. As a motorcyclist, I'll prefer the lower impact version.



For those in Fort Wayne, I see there's a plan for one at the five point intersection of Goshen and Sherman.

 

[KMaC]

Roundabouts are a survival of the fittest contest by their very design. The only flaw I find with them is pedestrian safety. You look left at on coming traffic but few people check to the right to see if someone is about to walk in front of them.
FYI, 99.9% of all road construction projects, especially expensive ones like a roundabout, use federal funding and that means the design meets the standards for it's classification. Getting a design exception is possible but a PITA.

 

[HubertGummer]

I don't mind the single lane roundabout but the multi lane versions where you have right turn only lanes I could do without. You can never trust the dumbazz in the right lane next to you won't decide he wants to go straight instead...and they usually do that without checking their mirrors first(big surprise, huh).

The majority of people can't figure out how to navigate a 4 way stop so it's no wonder their brain can't handle a multi lane roundabout.

 

[rhino]

Did anyone mention that total destruction of the formerly fun areas around the Speedway that now have roundabouts and traffic rerouted?

Where do all of the really good out of town hookers hang out during race week???!!!

 

[JettaKnight]

Did anyone mention that total destruction of the formerly fun areas around the Speedway that now have roundabouts and traffic rerouted?

Where do all of the really good out of town hookers hang out during race week???!!!

This brings up a good point: how many squeegy guys, pan handlers, flower sellers, and hookers are out of a job?

 

[91FXRS]

This brings up a good point: how many squeegy guys, pan handlers, flower sellers, and hookers are out of a job?

So....that settles it roundabouts are racist!!

 

[bwframe]

So....that settles it roundabouts are racist!!

Gotcha. Let's get antifa on that right away. Tear them all down tonight...

 

[actaeon277]

If it's "better", but more people have trouble with it.... then it's not "better".

 

[dvd1955]

....I fail to see how that's confusing.....

I do. The little sign in the middle says to stay to the right of the median it is on. It doesn't say you can't turn left just past the median

 

[jamil]

How do you know who goes first at a 4 way stop without a sign?

I love roundabouts. If you're doing it right, you hardly ever have to stop....if you are frequently stopping at a roundabout, you or the others or both are doing it wrong.

well. Inhad to stop for the lady that turned left. That's about it though. Once on I don't think I've ever had to stop.

 

[churchmouse]

Did anyone mention that total destruction of the formerly fun areas around the Speedway that now have roundabouts and traffic rerouted?

Where do all of the really good out of town hookers hang out during race week???!!!

As that cut off my main North south route hell yes I am peeved.
It does make the traffic flow a lot better during the rush.

 

[IndyDave1776]

What about diverging diamonds?

What about at least having a large enough diameter you can drive a truck through it without hitting both sides and/or running over the curbs on both sides at that same time? Some times it takes me from the belief that people too stupid to live shouldn't be given government jobs to merely believing people too stupid to live shouldn't, especially when I have to live with their stupidity every day.

 

[bwframe]

If it's "better", but more people have trouble with it.... then it's not "better".

I think it's probably better for everyone that had 4-5-6-13 stop sign intersections on their daily commute, waiting for a dozen cars at each sign.

Consequently, a person driving that same route for the first time is befuddled with confusing rules, signs and turns amongst a bunch of other drivers "trying to kill them." All the while navigating a roundabout intersection that is supposedly just like the last, the same as we all have fingerprints that are unique to one another.

 

[chezuki]

It amazes me that anyone in the Indianapolis area is baffled by roundabouts... Monument Circle is a giant one.

 

[awames76]

anyone try a divergent diamond yet. there is one at i69 and dupont in fort wayne

 

[rhino]

If it's "better", but more people have trouble with it.... then it's not "better".

Hush you!

They have numbers and percents and stuff. And reasons.

As that cut off my main North south route hell yes I am peeved.
It does make the traffic flow a lot better during the rush.

Traffic flow, schmaffic schflow!

That area used to be the most entertaining part of the whole spectacle! Now it's . . . nothing.

 

[JettaKnight]

If it's "better", but more people have trouble with it.... then it's not "better".

Depends on how you define better.

Less driver attention required? Fewer collisions? Fewer fatalities? Increased traffic flow? Reduced fuel consumption? Pedestrian friendly? Retailer friendly? Less land use? Less maintenance?

There's a lot of factors in decision making for intersections.

 

[JettaKnight]

anyone try a divergent diamond yet. there is one at i69 and dupont in fort wayne

That was a big improvement when that went in.