I've seen it all now!

[DoreSlamR]

Traffic lights in a roundabout.

8 sets of them in fact!

This is the solution for people's inability to use a roundabout properly, yet there has already been accidents on it!


http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/reg...ll-work-video/

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-05-2...a&section=news

[GasoLane]

I went to Hobart about 20yrs ago and they had traffic lights on a roundabout then.

Were the Tasweigiens ahead of the times or just strange

[IceValk85]

i can see that one causing one of two things.

lots of congestion or ripper smashes.

Ice

[DoreSlamR]

I realize traffic lights in a roundabout is nothing new, it just seems to be a bandaid fix for a bigger problem.

[Jim Goose]

Its not really a roundabout, but a series of "X" intersections which were fachioned into a circle!!!!

Very poor design and I wonder will the lights be manually controlled via someone in a control room watching cameras?

We have 2 sets of roundabouts here in Townsville which have traffic lights at parts of roundabout (one roundabout has one entrance controlled by lights and another has two entrances controlled by lights), these are turned on at peak hour and apparently controlled manually.

[Rodp]

I don't understand the use of a roundabout if you're going to stick traffic lights in them. I don't know how congested this area gets but it seems to me that it's fraught with issues if traffic banks up. They may as well plow the lot and stick a traditional intersection there like they did at the 5 ways at Miranda.

The only time I've seen traffic lights in a roundabout was denying entry to try and improve traffic flow, not stopping traffic already in the roundabout. Makes no sense to me.

[flappist]

They are everywhere, the maroochydore "square-about"
https://maps.google.com.au/maps?hl=e...08256&t=h&z=18

There used to be a classic at Bris airport before the new road opened.

If you want to see how a real roundabout works look up "the magic roundabout Swindon"

https://maps.google.com.au/maps?q=Th...d+Kingdom&z=19

[tweeked]

Roundabouts make no sense.

So if 4 people arrive at a roundabout at the same time, none of them have the right of way. Some one has to break the road rules to stop gridlock.

No wonder 90 percent of drivers exhibit confusion and lack of confidence getting past them.

[flappist]

Originally Posted by tweeked

Roundabouts make no sense.

So if 4 people arrive at a roundabout at the same time, none of them have the right of way. Some one has to break the road rules to stop gridlock.

No wonder 90 percent of drivers exhibit confusion and lack of confidence getting past them.

You only give way to cars that are already on the roundabout, if you all arive at the same time then all of you enter at the same time, you don't cross in front of each other.

Treating a roundabout like an intersection is the major reason why they get congested.

[FGX-351]

Yeah Brisbane airport was a great example.
Just when traffic couldn't get any worse at the time....they put lights on the round about.

[Road_Warrior]

Isnt this lane metering technology Main Roads are trying to implement in WA? They've been talking with the City of Gosnells about it with that Garden Street/Nicholson Road roundabout as well.

[MAGPIE]

Now this is a roundabout....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_R...emel_Hempstead)

[Road_Warrior]

Originally Posted by MAGPIE

Now this is a roundabout....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_R...emel_Hempstead)

I've been through that roundabout (well, one just like it in Swindon) on the bus and it wasnt that bad, it was just like he weaved his way through it and that was it...

[MAGPIE]

Yeah they look worse than they are, the Hemel Hempstead roundabout is bigger than the Swindon one though and has an extra roundabout to it.

[jcxr]

Originally Posted by GasOLane

I went to Hobart about 20yrs ago and they had traffic lights on a roundabout then.

Were the Tasweigiens ahead of the times or just strange

I went to hobart one week end. It was closed

[Scott]

Originally Posted by flappist

There used to be a classic at Bris airport before the new road opened.

I thought that one would be a real mess, worse than it already was, when they introduced the lights to it. I use that intersection very frequently and cab through it half a dozen times a month too.

Me, all the cabbies and everyone else I spoke to thought it would make the terrible delays on that section of road even worse, I had to admit in quick fashion that the traffic lights at the roundabout actually made a dramatic improvement to the backlog on the EW Arterial, airport bound.

You used to get occasions where the whole road was blocked all the way to Sandgate Rd - frequently. Have not seen that since the lights went in, will never* see it again after the bridge went straight over it.

I recall one near Castle Hill or Seven Hills in NSW, it worked very well too.

Looks stupid ---> works.

[Kieron]

Anyone been to Berlin lately?

There was a large roundabout there and you had to give way to cars entering it, fairly sure it had traffic lights to stop cars already on it too.

Confusing and tricky if you approach it in peak hour in a RHD camper van like I did!

[V8XTasy]

round abouts are good as they allow continuous flow of traffic, but only up to a point. They do take some thought, forward planning and lane discipline to use though and some consideration of others on the road, so I guess that's where it falls over. Traffic lights are generally needed when there's a continuous flow of traffic from one direction, to break it up and allow others to join, but lights on the roundabout itself do cause issues as basically you are traveling around a right hand bend, possibly trying to change lane, only to suddenly come to a red light or queued traffic, creating many rear end bumps.

[Charliewool]

I reckon we should go back to these traffic lights?.. (at least we knew how long the wait was)

[TheSneakiness]

Originally Posted by DoreSlamR

I realize traffic lights in a roundabout is nothing new, it just seems to be a bandaid fix for a bigger problem.

The Maroochydore "squareabout" flappist mentioned works very well. The airport one did too until some new link tunnels were built and changed the intersection.

[tweeked]

Originally Posted by flappist

You only give way to cars that are already on the roundabout, if you all arive at the same time then all of you enter at the same time, you don't cross in front of each other.

Treating a roundabout like an intersection is the major reason why they get congested.

Works for big intersections and low volume traffic, and how often do you have that? High volume roads that have small roundabouts do not work well. Try the above with a vehicle approaching a smaller roundabout and you at a standstill and he will be in your side door before you are out of his way. Who will be liable for the accident or be apportioned most of the blame?

[mik]

people don`t know how to merge properly, down mexico way we have traffic lights installed to some of the freeway on ramps.

[svo supporter]

Originally Posted by tweeked

Roundabouts make no sense.

So if 4 people arrive at a roundabout at the same time, none of them have the right of way. Some one has to break the road rules to stop gridlock.

No wonder 90 percent of drivers exhibit confusion and lack of confidence getting past them.

This is where the old road rule of give way to the right comes into play. Unfortunately it seems to have been forgotten over the years.

[Road_Warrior]

Originally Posted by mik

people don`t know how to merge properly, down mexico way we have traffic lights installed to some of the freeway on ramps.

Yes we're getting those on the freeway here in Wait Awhile. A lane metering system.

[damo76]

I worked on this ealup project, the lights are good, they do the job well.
Its just people cant drive for ****, the amount of bumper benders and people beeping there horns from impatience was horrendous.
People just have to slow down, even when we had 40km signs up while we were working people were going through at 60+.
And the lights arent manually controlled.

[flappist]

Originally Posted by tweeked

Works for big intersections and low volume traffic, and how often do you have that? High volume roads that have small roundabouts do not work well. Try the above with a vehicle approaching a smaller roundabout and you at a standstill and he will be in your side door before you are out of his way. Who will be liable for the accident or be apportioned most of the blame?

Only if you do not treat it as a roundabout. In a roundabout no one can cross in front of another and even if you all turned up at the same time you can enter as the car to your left is ahead of you as you all enter the roundabout.

Giving way to approaching traffic from the right does not apply at a roundabout unless the traffic is already on the roundabout.

[Kevaclone]

Originally Posted by svo supporter

This is where the old road rule of give way to the right comes into play. Unfortunately it seems to have been forgotten over the years.

Give way to the right rule has no place on a roundabout
It's Give way to traffic already on the roundabout, this could be any vehicle to your left or right as long as they entered before you

I see it every day people charging into a roundabout and only looking to their right only to find a semi trailer had entered before them on their left and is now across their path, and they get quite upset that the truck didn't stop and wait for them to enter

What causes the most congestion is people who stop and wait for vehicles on their right that are still approaching the roundabout, when it's they who should be proceeding into the roundabout first and the other vehicle then must give way to them

As for the 4 vehicles arriving at the same time, they can all enter the roundabout as they will all be clear of each other as they go around
Roundabouts are not rocket science, they are common sense which too many drivers lack

[DoreSlamR]

4 vehicles entering at the same time on this roundabout is neglible.

It's quite large, with about 100 metres between entrances.

Which further confuses me, how people can crash in such a spacious, dual lane roundabout is beyond me.

[svo supporter]

Originally Posted by Kevaclone

Give way to the right rule has no place on a roundabout
It's Give way to traffic already on the roundabout, this could be any vehicle to your left or right as long as they entered before you

I see it every day people charging into a roundabout and only looking to their right only to find a semi trailer had entered before them on their left and is now across their path, and they get quite upset that the truck didn't stop and wait for them to enter

What causes the most congestion is people who stop and wait for vehicles on their right that are still approaching the roundabout, when it's they who should be proceeding into the roundabout first and the other vehicle then must give way to them

As for the 4 vehicles arriving at the same time, they can all enter the roundabout as they will all be clear of each other as they go around
Roundabouts are not rocket science, they are common sense which too many drivers lack

My response was to the comment regarding people turning up at the same time. It's a highly unlikely scenario though.

I do agree though....Give way to traffic already on the round about....That's the rules.

[aussie muscle]

Originally Posted by Jim Goose

I wonder will the lights be manually controlled via someone in a control room watching cameras?.

Most traffic lights operate on a timer (ie computer controlled)

Originally Posted by mik

people don`t know how to merge properly, down mexico way we have traffic lights installed to some of the freeway on ramps.

That was weird, with it going green for like 1 second, i guess to let one car through at a time.