Economic Ideas

The Reason We Should Drive Around in Circles

Everyday economics and the cost of roundabouts
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Comments (2)
  1. Alexis says:

    In southern New Jersey they’ve been eliminating the roundabouts. Wonder why?

    1. ScottRAB says:

      Alexis,
      That is a common myth.
      Many people confuse other and older styles of circular intersections with modern roundabouts. East coast rotaries, large multi-lane traffic circles (Arc D’Triomphe, Dupont Circle), and small neighborhood traffic circles are not modern roundabouts. If you want to see the difference between a traffic circle, a rotary (UK roundabout) and a modern roundabout (UK continental roundabout), go to http://tinyurl.com/kstate-RAB to see pictures. And here’s another site that shows the difference between an older rotary and a modern roundabout: http://tinyurl.com/bzf7qmg
      The NY rotaries are being phased out because their large diameters permit high speeds, which are more difficult for entering traffic to merge with and result in injury crashes. The emerging saying is ‘At a rotary crash you need an ambulance. At a modern roundabout crash, you might need a tow truck’.

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