Radio Smart Talk for Wednesday, July 6:
One of my favorite vacation spots is Ocean City, New Jersey. I love the clean beach and family-friendly atmosphere. However, there are only a few routes into Ocean City. One of the main approaches is through Somers Point -- just across a bay from Ocean City. What lurks in Somers Point is something that stresses me every time I drive there -- a traffic circle, as they're often called in New Jersey, or roundabouts as they're known elsewhere. (although construction is underway that could alter the roundabout).
My adult children still like to tease me about the time a few years ago when I drove three complete times around the Somers Point roundabout trying to navigate traffic to make a turn. "It was busy that day" is my only comeback.
When I heard that roundabouts were being built in the middle of Linglestown in Dauphin County and on Forge Road near Palmyra in Lebanon County, I uttered a few chosen words to myself. These are roads I travel fairly often. Would I have to find other routes to avoid the embarrassment of not being a confident roundabout driver?
When I first heard about the Linglestown roundabout, I thought there have to be other people like me. I think I'm a good driver. I haven't had a speeding ticket in 20 years and I've never been involved in an accident (other than some guy running into the rear of my car on a highway more than 30 years ago). I thought the puzzle of the roundabout would be a good and useful topic on Radio Smart Talk. Then last week, the Patriot-News reported the same story (and did a wonderful job I might add). The Patriot's story included tips for which I am eternally grateful.
On Wednesday's program, we'll look at how to drive roundabouts because apparently we'll be seeing many more of them as the experts have concluded they're safer than regular intersections.
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Press Secretary Dennis Buterbaugh will appear on Radio Smart Talk to walk us (or drive us) through roundabouts. Buterbaugh will answer other transportation-related questions on funding, bridges, and highway construction.
By the way, that roundabout in Somers Point is tougher to navigate than Linglestown's. I can only guess what I would do in London where the roundabouts look as controlled as moths flying around a bright light.
What are your experiences driving through roundabouts? What's the best and safest way to get through them? Ever had a bad experience? Post your comments below.
LISTEN TO PROGRAM:
comments
This oversight is unconscionable.
The other criminality is the failure by motorists to stop for pedestrians trying to cross a roadway---------common sense should apply that if the pedestrian is already on the road the drivers should stop------but they don't.
Seldom if never do I hear of police ticketing people for failure to yield to pedestrians.
At least the signs now becoming common informing motorists that pedestrians have the right of way are a good thing.
Evidently when you are merging onto a highwway, Yield means 'to cut off anyone who is already on the hiway'.
The guests were unsure about turn signals. The answer is "yes", it is recommended that you use your right turn signal to indicate when you are about the exit the roundabout. That allows other vehicles approaching the roundabout to enter without coming to a complete stop. There is great guidance at these links:
http://www.dot.state.pa.us/Internet/web.nsf/Secondary?openframeset&frame=main&src=RoundaboutContactInfo?readform
ftp://ftp.dot.state.pa.us/public/PubsForms/Publications/PUB%20578.pdf
Roundabouts work well for medium levels of traffic. They're not needed for light traffic. They fail in very heavy traffic when one of the through routes has the opportunity to dominate the flow - which is more likely to happen at a larger, high-speed roundabout. As a consequence, the UK has modified many of the larger roundabouts. At some, they have installed traffic lights (either full-time or operating only at peak hours); other measures include screens and vegetation that actually reduce sight lines, inducing drivers to slow down when approaching the intersection.
Newer British roundabouts tend to be smaller, much the same as the ones now appearing in Maryland and Pennsylvania.
As to the distinction in terminology between "roundabout" and "traffic circle": this is an invention of US traffic engineers, to emphasize that the new roundabouts have a specific set of rules and practices. There is no such distinction in British usage: they are all roundabouts - except that special names
are sometimes devised for unusual variants.
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