Archinect - News2024-05-01T11:41:09-04:00https://archinect.com/news/article/149984750/the-benefits-of-roundabouts-explained-by-the-mayor-of-the-indiana-town-that-now-has-102-of-them
The benefits of roundabouts, explained by the mayor of the Indiana town that now has 102 of them Alexander Walter2017-01-04T16:20:00-05:00>2018-01-30T06:16:04-05:00
<img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/36/36e14272d9403701e6855f6d1d418e15?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><em><p>In Carmel, driving around in circles isn’t a symptom of being lost; it’s a way of life. Despite its small size, the Indiana city has more roundabouts than any other burg in the U.S. [...]
The thing most people don’t know is how much money is saved by converting traffic signals into roundabouts. Our city engineer’s office has found that on average, roundabouts in Carmel have cost $250,000 less to build than signalized intersections and they are much less expensive to maintain [...].</p></em><br /><br /><p>While Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard talks about "unheralded benefits" of roundabouts (and the potential impact of Trump's infrastructure plans on his city's 102 roundabouts) in the CityLab article, reader douglasss points out an often overlooked benefit of this approach to intersection design over the conventional 4x4 species in the comment section:</p><p><em>"An added benefit of roundabouts is that (if they are spaced close enough) they eliminate the need for center turning lanes, thus narrower roads. Instead of needing a center turning lane to make a left hand turn, you just go to the next roundabout and turn around. This also allows for mid road tree lined medians, which center turning lanes destroy."</em></p><p>Related stories in the Archinect news:</p><ul><li><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/139313726/the-surprisingly-ideological-debate-over-roundabouts" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The surprisingly ideological debate over roundabouts</a></li><li><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/138804407/humanizing-street-design-with-shared-space" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Humanizing street design with 'shared space'</a></li><li><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/149939041/how-prepared-are-american-cities-for-the-new-reality-of-self-driving-cars" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">How prepared are American cities for the new reality of self-driving cars?</a></li></ul>
https://archinect.com/news/article/139313726/the-surprisingly-ideological-debate-over-roundabouts
The surprisingly ideological debate over roundabouts Amelia Taylor-Hochberg2015-10-19T12:48:00-04:00>2018-01-30T06:16:04-05:00
<img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/90/907s7dexv5gxc3s6.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><em><p>The same is happening in other UK cities, which have decided that signal junctions are better for traffic flow and safer for cyclists. [...]
After a century of resistance, US cities are finally learning to love the roundabout – the Bronx just got its first – believing them to be safer and better for traffic flow. [...]
“Traffic lights are so fascist and dictatorial, telling you when to stop and go,” says Beresford. “Roundabouts are quintessentially English and democratic in their etiquette.”</p></em><br /><br /><p>More from Archinect on street design:</p><ul><li><a title="Humanizing street design with 'shared space'" href="http://archinect.com/news/article/138804407/humanizing-street-design-with-shared-space" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Humanizing street design with 'shared space'</a></li><li><a title="More roads won't ease traffic, but charging drivers more at peak hours will" href="http://archinect.com/news/article/102098978/more-roads-won-t-ease-traffic-but-charging-drivers-more-at-peak-hours-will" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">More roads won't ease traffic, but charging drivers more at peak hours will</a></li><li><a title="4,114 Stoplights in Los Angeles and the Intricate Network that Keeps Traffic Moving" href="http://archinect.com/news/article/36355552/4-114-stoplights-in-los-angeles-and-the-intricate-network-that-keeps-traffic-moving" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">4,114 Stoplights in Los Angeles and the Intricate Network that Keeps Traffic Moving</a></li><li><a title="From California to Texas, car culture is losing its monopoly" href="http://archinect.com/news/article/134108329/from-california-to-texas-car-culture-is-losing-its-monopoly" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">From California to Texas, car culture is losing its monopoly</a></li></ul>