Roundabouts

[Zacha341]

^^^ This morphing was rather cool though!

The Davison Area/ Rd had so many interesting things about and around it.

[expatriate]

I just drove around a new roundabout at Gratiot and Palm road. [[between Marysville and Richmond). Glad to see traffic engineers taking advantage of these.

[Former_Detroiter]

I just drove around a new roundabout at Gratiot and Palm road. [[between Marysville and Richmond). Glad to see traffic engineers taking advantage of these.

In the 50's my father took Gratiot from Detroit to Palms Rd when we went to visit my grandparents who lived in a town called Smith's Creek. I remember Palms Road was gravel back then. Is it paved now?

[expatriate]

I continued on Gratiot and didn't really notice, but from a google map aerial view it would appear to be paved today.

[canuck]

I like roundabouts. I go through 4 of them when I get off highway 10 into my small town in South Shore Montreal. The wait at street lights is a lot more painful than waiting for traffic at roundabouts, even at rush hour. We also have one close to home near our town hall, and I think it does a good job of slowing traffic for pedestrians and bikes. There were a lot of them in Ireland when I drove there a couple of years ago, and they helped traffic flow immensely over there.

[Zacha341]

^ I had to get used to them. I was initially jacked dealing with the angled one at the bottom of Northwestern and Orchard Lake Rd. Still not a fan of it during rush hour as too many don't use it right.

[canuck]

^ I had to get used to them. I was initially jacked dealing with the angled one at the bottom of Northwestern and Orchard Lake Rd. Still not a fan of it during rush hour as too many don't use it right.

Yes, if you’re not used to, or new to the intersection, it can be hard to figure out when there are two lanes within the circle. It’s a pretty good thing we have geo apps to help choose the right exit now though.

[expatriate]

I have more than once had to go around the circle again when I missed my exit, but it was easily done and they are much more efficient when you get used to them. There is a learning curve with any new thing, but end the end the advantages become evident.

[expatriate]

Another advantage in my opinion is the potential for eliminating the annoying "Michigan Left Turn" on divided highways. Here is another city that is making the switch.
https://youtu.be/SAqu5cBetkQ

[Cincinnati_Kid]

^ I had to get used to them. I was initially jacked dealing with the angled one at the bottom of Northwestern and Orchard Lake Rd. Still not a fan of it during rush hour as too many don't use it right.

Now they're putting one not even a 1/2 mile away at the shopping mall in front of the old Best Buy and Aldi's. I don't why they're even putting one there in the first place, so close to the one at 14 Mile and Orchard Lake. Looks like it might be a disaster.

[Hermod]

[Scottathew]

Roundabouts save lives. Traditional intersections kill scores of Americans every year.

Roundabouts aren't difficult. You yield to pedestrians and any traffic that's already in the roundabout.

If something goes wrong, you'll probably be OK because speeds are lower and crash angles aren't t-bone or head-on.

[expatriate]

While roundabouts make pedestrian crossings less direct they can be designed to make them safer.

[Jimaz]

Here's a two-year-old video showing a Tesla aborting attempts to traverse a roundabout. The roundabout footage starts at 2:21.

Can Autopilot Go Through Roundabouts?

[expatriate]

Here's a two-year-old video showing a Tesla aborting attempts to traverse a roundabout. The roundabout footage starts at 2:21.

Can Autopilot Go Through Roundabouts?

Interesting that the autopilot makes a full stop when only a yield is required. This somewhat diminishes the efficiency of a roundabout. Additionally I would add that "yield" signs should become increasingly unnecessary as it becomes a regular rule of the road. IMHO our roadways are cluttered with way too much signage.

[Jimaz]

Interesting that the autopilot makes a full stop when only a yield is required. This somewhat diminishes the efficiency of a roundabout....

To be fair that video was two years old. They may have improved since then. But I did look for examples of the autopilot succeeding {because that would be pretty impressive} and I didn't find any.

[Scottathew]

To be fair that video was two years old. They may have improved since then. But I did look for examples of the autopilot succeeding {because that would be pretty impressive} and I didn't find any.

Autopilot has greatly improved over time. However, it is still VERY far off from fulfilling the claims of Musk. I drank the Musk Kool Aid a few years back and I thought we were imminently on the cusp of driverless. I now feel that we're 10+ years out from wide, commercially available, adoption.

Tesla has the best computer-aided safety and driving system, but it's far short from the promises of Musk.

[expatriate]

Getting back to the efficiency of roundabouts I recently went through this intersection of Warren and Gratiot that in my opinion could be greatly improved by one. There are currently 14 signal lights that could be replaced by NONE with a well designed traffic circle. The cost savings in maintenance alone would be worth it, not even counting the idling time at red lights in little traffic.
[[I have no idea why this image is sideways)

[Jimaz]

...
[[I have no idea why this image is sideways)

Which makes some of them look upside down. LOL!

I think they tie lights up like that while they're swapping old lights for new. So there are more lights than normal in that image.

Or am I reading it wrong? Wouldn't be the first time.

[Former_Detroiter]

Getting back to the efficiency of roundabouts I recently went through this intersection of Warren and Gratiot that in my opinion could be greatly improved by one. There are currently 14 signal lights that could be replaced by NONE with a well designed traffic circle. The cost savings in maintenance alone would be worth it, not even counting the idling time at red lights in little traffic.
[[I have no idea why this image is sideways)

[Jimaz]

... There are currently 14 signal lights that could be replaced by NONE with a well designed traffic circle....

Signal lights belong on a HUD inside the vehicle. Signage too.

Imagine how that would change the landscape.

Someday a child will ask his father "Dad? What were traffic lights?"

[KnnNike]

This Eurojunk needs to be outlawed.

This Eurojunk is responsible for thousands of people not dying in crashes around the United States each year...if you get in a crash in a roundabout, you're almost certainly going to walk away.

Do you really want more people to die because you can't adapt to a very simple change on the roadway that has been common in the U.S. for 20+ years?

[Jimaz]

The Rant Is Due — best of Roundabouts

For some, they are the height of automotive traffic efficiency. For others, they are a circular scourge on the American landscape. Whether known as traffic circles, rotaries, or roundabouts, they have become a target of anger and ignominy across the country. The people of the USA have a lot to say about these circles of traffic control, and much of it is not favorable. Tangents include old drivers, potholes, and former North Carolina Elevator Queen, Cherie Berry.

[JonWylie]

The Rant Is Due — best of Roundabouts

Wow this was the dumbest shit I've ever listened to

[expatriate]

"This Eurojunk is responsible for thousands of people not dying in crashes around the United States each year...if you get in a crash in a roundabout, you're almost certainly going to walk away."

Yep, T-Bone crashes at traditional intersections are way more lethal, especially on our hi-speed stroads when drivers are trying to game the traffic signals.