Comments on: Roadguy video: About those roundabouts

By: Amanda

Amanda — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 21:00:30 +0000

I go through the roundabout at Portland and 66th pretty frequently on my way home from work. I admit I was a little leery of the concept – and I also admit it took me 4 or 5 times going through it to figure out how the traffic flow works – but now I’m a wholehearted supporter of the idea. At least for intersections like that one! It used to take an eternity to make a left turn there; now, I generally only have to sit about 10 seconds before it’s my turn to go.

By: Kathy H

Kathy H — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:12:53 +0000

As evidenced by comments here, not all roundabouts are created equal. The one on Hwy3 also has issues in the winter… roundabout speed limit is 15mph, then changes immediately to 55mph uphill coming out of the curve. Quite the treat when icy. Lots of downed signed and tornup curbs/grass. Wheee!

By: Larry

Larry — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 04:15:03 +0000

Roundabouts are common in New England with multi-lane roundabouts in Boston. I had no problems with any of them. It only requires common sense. But whoever the brain-dead idiot from MNDot that designed and ordered those two roundabouts on MN7 west of Minneapolis totally lacked any common sense and needs at best a lobotomy. It’s one thing in the city but when you’re going 55 plus and have to crawl around at 20 with a dirt mound in the middle blocking your view shows poor planning. Ttaffic activated signals would have probably done the job with warning signals prior to the intersection.

By: Mike

Mike — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 22:57:18 +0000

Just FYI,
The 66th and portland round-about is one block from the richfield fire station. also, I have not taken the time to monitor how often the fire trucks avoid the round-about

By: DGB

DGB — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 23:58:32 +0000

Studies show….

This is the most awful way to live your life.

By: Joel truck driver

Joel truck driver — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 03:11:56 +0000

yea Dale unfortunately that is just some of the bs we have to deal with, success is when we dont hit anyone.

no i havent been through those roundabouts Froggie

By: Morg

Morg — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 01:14:09 +0000

Right on Callie. Roundabouts can be a very poor choice in the locations you mention.

I think the ones in New Prague are particularly poorly designed. ONly been through them a couple times awhile ago, but it seems they were very tight even for the average vehicle. I remember the aprons being coating with tire tracks.

By: Calli Arcale

Calli Arcale — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 21:28:23 +0000

The roundabout on Hwy 3 by Empire baffles me. It’s got very poor visibility (especially since someone decided to put a huge mount of dirt in the middle and plant stuff on it), and it means that the 55 MPH traffic has to slow down to 30 *all the time*. With a light, the traffic would have to come to a complete stop when there was actually crosstraffic, but since 3 is the main route, 3 tends to be a lot busier. I think roundabouts really only make sense if there is comparable traffic on both roads. If one road is substantially lighter than the other, a traffic semaphore makes more sense, so you’re not always slowing down the one direction to benefit the occasional traffic in the other direction.

By: Pete

Pete — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:45:42 +0000

I doubt most drivers even notice Yield signs anymore. Hell, they barely pay attention to Stop signs and red lights. Roundabouts seem like a good idea, until they are used by the average (i.e. - sub-intelligent) driver.

By: Froggie

Froggie — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:48:50 +0000

Dale (or Joel for that matter): have you experienced the roundabout down on Hwy 13 in Scott County (at County 2), or the roundabouts on the I-35 interchange at Medford? Asking since those were the first MnDOT-built roundabouts.