Jump to content

Union County to get its first Roundabout


DigitalSky

Recommended Posts

http://www.wsoctv.com/specialreports/4729424/detail.html

I think overall it will be a good thing for the rapidly growing area

The article said that currently the intersection's shape and angle make it hard for drivers to see, and that a signal probably wouldn't do much good. But then there's the factor of change, and even though a roundabout may be positive it will be interesting to see how residents react to it, especially ones who have never seen/used one before.

Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • Replies 7
  • Created
  • Last Reply

roundabouts are great for intersections that have too much traffic for 4-way stop signs to work. The one in first ward allows davidson traffic to flow smoothly, but keeps 9th street traffic from having to wait to cross davidson, which would otherwise be necessary with a light.

Roundabouts also provide a nice identity for an area. for some reason, if an area has a roundabout, it seems more friendly and neighborly.

One thing that people don't understand about roundabouts, though, that i see all the time in first ward is that you can easily go 360 around the circle to make a u-turn, but people are always pulling tight u-turns going the wrong way. I have to figure there was a lesson they missed in kindergarten about circles.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

roundabouts (or rotaries as they are called up here in new england; i still tend to call them roundabouts) are interesting devices. they can definitely be put to great use, but when you have heavy traffic running through you really have to be careful.

there are definitely rules of the rotary that people need to know, and when you get people entering a rotary not knowing what those rules are, you can definitely have big trouble. for myself, coming from NC, it took me several run-ins with a rotary before i actually started feeling comfortable using them. one of the few roundabouts i had ever traveled on a regular basis was that small one i used to pass when i would turn onto davidson off of 7th street (going to NoDa). there was usually no traffic to worry about there. now, it is like second nature for me, but in the beginning i was always freaked out.

it will probably take a little time before people really become comfortable with that new roundabout. i don't know how heavy the traffic is at that location.

i do think that they are a great way to keep traffic flowing. most of the rotaries i pass through on a daily basis have multiple lanes passing through, so they really keep traffic flowing and organized even though the first time i went through one with 2 or more lanes i was totally freaked out, it is all quite civilized and organized, most of the time anyway.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

WSOC makes me sick with what they think news is...who cares?  You think people would have never seen a rotary before.

In other news, Cabarrus County is getting another stoplight and UNC Charlotte is getting a rotary, too.  :rolleyes:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Some people like hometown news, this place is still home to native North Carolinians you know.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The DOT in the Winston-Salem metro area has embraced roundabouts over the past few years. I can think of maybe half a dozen they have put in, and they are always mentioned during road improvements. As long as traffic doesn't get to thick they are fine, the ones here are easy to get thru.. but go down to Pinehurst when traffic is busy and those can be a little trying to get thru... hope you like them!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think modern roundabouts are a good innovation for many intersections in NC. We have two here in Huntersville and I am not aware of any increase in accidents related to these improvements over the old traffic circles. They also provide an opportunity to provide for public artwork in their centers.

I would like to see more of them in Charlotte.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.