What do the Mythbuster guys have on their table?
10-08-2013, 07:59 PM
#16
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I would really like to have some round abouts in my area as they would help at a few intersections but being I live about 1 hour outside of LA we don't have nice things like that 
There are plenty of idiot drivers in my area, I wont even go on the freeway when it rains because of how clueless and dangerous people are.
Every one cuts you off then flips you off, its the SoCal way! I really wonder how some of these people got their license in the first place.
Oh, and turn signals are purely optional, especially when cutting across 3 lanes of rush hour traffic. Rant over.
. I will now step off my soap box
.
There are plenty of idiot drivers in my area, I wont even go on the freeway when it rains because of how clueless and dangerous people are.
Every one cuts you off then flips you off, its the SoCal way! I really wonder how some of these people got their license in the first place.
Oh, and turn signals are purely optional, especially when cutting across 3 lanes of rush hour traffic. Rant over.
. I will now step off my soap box.
10-08-2013, 08:07 PM
#17
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We have several local roundabouts (suburban area North of Atlanta, pretty heavy traffic everywhere. Generally work well on most applications - but there is a problem...
Visualize a crossroad intersection of a N-S road and an E-W road. At certain times of the day, commuter traffic is extremely heavy heading South on the N-S road, with moderate traffic on the E-W road.
Under these conditions, you will never get into the roundabout from the West. The constant stream of cars from the North will block entrance from the West continuously.
Visualize a crossroad intersection of a N-S road and an E-W road. At certain times of the day, commuter traffic is extremely heavy heading South on the N-S road, with moderate traffic on the E-W road.
Under these conditions, you will never get into the roundabout from the West. The constant stream of cars from the North will block entrance from the West continuously.
They work well in at a majority of intersections...just "yanks" dont have a clue.
My favorites are the ones that stop in the round about to give the merging traffic the right away.
or the one that zips across 3 lanes to get to there exit when they could just as easily make another lap.
We have then here in Vegas also.
10-08-2013, 08:33 PM
#18
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When I first started driving in the US - about 20+ years ago - I could not believe how slow 4 way cross roads were and how much quicker and efficient roundabouts were.
Glad to see that roundabouts are being now used in place of cross roads.
In France the main roundabout (and others) at the Arc de Triumphe works differently to UK based RAB. Vehicles entering the RAB have the right of way and those on the RAB have to yield. It is really fun hitting the RAB at about 50mph and watching everyone on the RAB screech to a halt in deference to your entry. See picture
There is also another very special RAB in Hemel Hempstead in the UK which consist of five individual small RAB's on one very large RAB. It was TOTAL chaos the first morning it opened. I have attached a picture for your interest. Similar one in Swindon. See picture
RAB's on smaller roads evolved into just a round bump in the road. You applied the same rules but just drive straight over it. Saves masses of space if you are short on space. See picture
And lastly how it is done in Japan 8>) see picture
Glad to see that roundabouts are being now used in place of cross roads.
In France the main roundabout (and others) at the Arc de Triumphe works differently to UK based RAB. Vehicles entering the RAB have the right of way and those on the RAB have to yield. It is really fun hitting the RAB at about 50mph and watching everyone on the RAB screech to a halt in deference to your entry. See picture
There is also another very special RAB in Hemel Hempstead in the UK which consist of five individual small RAB's on one very large RAB. It was TOTAL chaos the first morning it opened. I have attached a picture for your interest. Similar one in Swindon. See picture
RAB's on smaller roads evolved into just a round bump in the road. You applied the same rules but just drive straight over it. Saves masses of space if you are short on space. See picture
And lastly how it is done in Japan 8>) see picture
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Does it have the "Do It Yourself" manual transmission, or the superior "Fully Equipped by Porsche" Automatic Transmission?
George Layton March 2014928 Owners are ".....a secret sect of quietly assured Porsche pragmatists who in near anonymity appreciate the prodigious, easy going prowess of the 928."
10-08-2013, 08:48 PM
#20
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http://www.city-data.com/picfilesc/picc3128.php
Sorry I don't know how to do the pic. The sign means "Yield to traffic entering the circle."
DOH!!! Thank the gods it's a small town, so it only jams a few times a day and not for more than five or ten minutes.
P.S. Fixed it for ya.
P.P.S. What the statue of the hometown boy's about:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Cedar_Creek
http://www.bartleby.com/102/150.html
10-08-2013, 10:04 PM
#21
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I used to live in Swindon - it was rather confusing the first time - but once you got used to it - it just worked. It was a very busy junction but the multiple paths meant it never really fully jammed up so it was great - lots of capacity.
Originally it was called the Drove Roundabout - but everybody called it the Magic Roundabout anyway - after a few years they caved and just renamed it. It is of course named after the children's TV show of the same name.
I have driven around the giant Arc D' Triomphe roundabout, and also been in the car of a crazy Frenchman driving it - whose goal was to see how many outside loops he could make without stopping for anyone coming on. Even he said he never screws with the Taxi drivers who just don't ever stop... the Japanese model looks like the Arc d' Triomphe at rush hour - not good...
European roundabouts can be quite big so big trucks have no problem on those. The UK pioneered roundabouts going "virtual" it started with a white hump in the middle of intersections as Roger showed with directional arrows around it, "mini-roundabout ahead" signs and has evolved into a flat painted disc you can just drive right over. These allow mini-roundabouts to be placed where just a T junction was - and folks just follow the roundabout rules to negotiate it... so it supplants a "major/minor" concept with a "round robin" priority. When everyone implicitly understands roundabout behaviour - it just works - even in that setting.
Frankly it would just be a disaster here!!
Alan
Originally it was called the Drove Roundabout - but everybody called it the Magic Roundabout anyway - after a few years they caved and just renamed it. It is of course named after the children's TV show of the same name.
I have driven around the giant Arc D' Triomphe roundabout, and also been in the car of a crazy Frenchman driving it - whose goal was to see how many outside loops he could make without stopping for anyone coming on. Even he said he never screws with the Taxi drivers who just don't ever stop... the Japanese model looks like the Arc d' Triomphe at rush hour - not good...
European roundabouts can be quite big so big trucks have no problem on those. The UK pioneered roundabouts going "virtual" it started with a white hump in the middle of intersections as Roger showed with directional arrows around it, "mini-roundabout ahead" signs and has evolved into a flat painted disc you can just drive right over. These allow mini-roundabouts to be placed where just a T junction was - and folks just follow the roundabout rules to negotiate it... so it supplants a "major/minor" concept with a "round robin" priority. When everyone implicitly understands roundabout behaviour - it just works - even in that setting.
Frankly it would just be a disaster here!!
Alan
Last edited by Alan; 10-08-2013 at 10:33 PM.
10-09-2013, 01:05 AM
#22
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We have several local roundabouts (suburban area North of Atlanta, pretty heavy traffic everywhere. Generally work well on most applications - but there is a problem...
Visualize a crossroad intersection of a N-S road and an E-W road. At certain times of the day, commuter traffic is extremely heavy heading South on the N-S road, with moderate traffic on the E-W road.
Under these conditions, you will never get into the roundabout from the West. The constant stream of cars from the North will block entrance from the West continuously.
Visualize a crossroad intersection of a N-S road and an E-W road. At certain times of the day, commuter traffic is extremely heavy heading South on the N-S road, with moderate traffic on the E-W road.
Under these conditions, you will never get into the roundabout from the West. The constant stream of cars from the North will block entrance from the West continuously.
10-09-2013, 05:44 PM
#23
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The design is effective at slowing traffic, requires more acreage and is pretty, works well when you have poor street planing and three or more streets intersect - beyond that, the vid is lame.
Maybe they should demonstrate a 6-lane rounder. The fuel spent and tire wear are much less effective than a simple four way intersection, add todays driver distractions, it's a pourage of drivers ability of yielding.
Driven big rounders in the mid-east and TJ, putting these in areas of limited space are ridiculous. Union money burning holes in pockets is the problem.
My approach to a 4-way.. two cars on the same street pass through the intersection at the same time... pretty simple and doubles the amount of cars through the intersection -- also gives you a bit of buffer against someone else running the intersection.
Maybe they should demonstrate a 6-lane rounder. The fuel spent and tire wear are much less effective than a simple four way intersection, add todays driver distractions, it's a pourage of drivers ability of yielding.
Driven big rounders in the mid-east and TJ, putting these in areas of limited space are ridiculous. Union money burning holes in pockets is the problem.
My approach to a 4-way.. two cars on the same street pass through the intersection at the same time... pretty simple and doubles the amount of cars through the intersection -- also gives you a bit of buffer against someone else running the intersection.
10-09-2013, 06:02 PM
#24
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California unlikely being there are tons of people who don't yield, that and like to speed up then stop type of driving.
But New Yorkers have it the worst, it makes us Calfornians seem like we are nice and courteous on the road.
But New Yorkers have it the worst, it makes us Calfornians seem like we are nice and courteous on the road.
10-09-2013, 06:05 PM
#25
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The design is effective at slowing traffic, requires more acreage and is pretty, works well when you have poor street planing and three or more streets intersect - beyond that, the vid is lame.
Maybe they should demonstrate a 6-lane rounder. The fuel spent and tire wear are much less effective than a simple four way intersection, add todays driver distractions, it's a pourage of drivers ability of yielding.
Driven big rounders in the mid-east and TJ, putting these in areas of limited space are ridiculous. Union money burning holes in pockets is the problem.
My approach to a 4-way.. two cars on the same street pass through the intersection at the same time... pretty simple and doubles the amount of cars through the intersection -- also gives you a bit of buffer against someone else running the intersection.
Maybe they should demonstrate a 6-lane rounder. The fuel spent and tire wear are much less effective than a simple four way intersection, add todays driver distractions, it's a pourage of drivers ability of yielding.
Driven big rounders in the mid-east and TJ, putting these in areas of limited space are ridiculous. Union money burning holes in pockets is the problem.
My approach to a 4-way.. two cars on the same street pass through the intersection at the same time... pretty simple and doubles the amount of cars through the intersection -- also gives you a bit of buffer against someone else running the intersection.
Alan