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Roundabouts/Traffic Circles?


richyb83

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Round-abouts and/or Traffic Circles...What's your opinion of them?? Do you think they might work in BR?? Where might be the best location/intersection(s) be?? Round-abouts/Traffic Circles would no doubt require the driver's undivided attention; which may be a problem around here; too many drivers enamored w/ texting that's becoming a near epidemic. They do have their "Pro's & Con's",,,,would they really work on a re-envisioned Government Street?

http://en.wikipedia....wiki/Roundabout

In 1967 the big Traffic-circle at Airline Hwy(Hwy 61) & Florida Blvd(Hwy 190) was removed in favor of the cloverleaf-interchange...the Circle Bowl still remains LOL

Others that come to mind: Lee Circle in NOLA...Alexandria's Hwy 71 @ Hwy 165...Music Circle in Nashville(would like to ask their Forum how they like it?); Indianapolis is known as the " Circle City" & Houston's Museum District (Main at Montrose)

The Capital of "Roundabouts" in Louisiana Lafayette w/ abt 10 roundabouts & as many as 60 more on the way...The new Roundabout on Airport Road east of Hammond has been a success instead of the dreaded 4-way stop that left long lines....and in Ascension Parish talk of a new traffic circle/roundabout at Hwy 931 & 42 west of Port Vincent

LSU Roundabout in the shadows of Tiger Stadium(5 years old)

71107010.jpg

Edited by richyb83
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I like them for moderate traffic intersections....but you may need to re brand them into "continuous flow intersections" or something.

The word "roundabout" freaks drivers out.

Shocking since they are so easy to use....but I have had people come in the wrong way on me before.

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I like the Main & Montrose roundabout as well as Lee Circle and the LSU roundabout.

You have any pictures of the old one at Airline and Florida? I can't fathom one the large, and cannot fathom one on the current setup of Government. Way too much traffic near Foster.

A well designed one can be a great improvement for the intersection. Burbank and Nicholson sounds like a good candidate.

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I like the Main & Montrose roundabout as well as Lee Circle and the LSU roundabout.

You have any pictures of the old one at Airline and Florida? I can't fathom one the large, and cannot fathom one on the current setup of Government. Way too much traffic near Foster.

A well designed one can be a great improvement for the intersection. Burbank and Nicholson sounds like a good candidate.

That's a good idea. Burbank and Nicholson would be an ideal place.

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Thanks so much for the replies...Burbank & Nicholson would be a nice location.....unless Government Street went on a serious road-diet; it would be hard to see that happening.

Great points...continuous flow is what it's all about...slowing people down & reducing the severity of a damaging crash.

There are also a few new roundabouts at the Pinnacle casino property.

This Summer...plan on going to small island(and renting car) where there are NO Stop Lights...ONLY Roundabouts clock-wise bec they drive on "LEFT" side of the road; being a British Territory! It will take some getting used to; the main hwy max speed is only 40mph...and thru the settlements is just 25mph.

Will try and see if a pic can be found of the old Airline/Florida circle :thumbsup:

No different than you desiring a "Crime Free" BR....you act as if no other cities have a crime problem while lambasting BR...and yes it is a problem here in the Dirty South...Easily Top 10 per capita; it sucks...I'd be willing to bet if there was away to do stats/poll....most texting drivers per capita; that stat-line would look crime neck-&-neck. This place is loaded with amatuer drivers; then you give em multiple distractions...C'mon man :rolleyes:

And you think this is only in Baton Rouge?

c'mon man

Edited by richyb83
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If you want to see the difference between a traffic circle, a rotary (UK roundabout) and a modern roundabout, search www.k-state.edu to see pictures. www.fhwa.dot.gov has a video about modern roundabouts that is mostly accurate (

).

Modern roundabouts are the safest form of intersection in the world. Search www.iihs.org for FAQs and safety facts. The safety comes from the ‘slow and go’ operation instead of the ‘stop or go fast’ way a stop light works (or the ‘keep going fast’ large traffic circle fantasy). The smaller size of the modern roundabout is what makes them safer and keeps speeds in the 20 mph range. This makes it much easier to avoid a crash or stop for pedestrians. It also means that if a crash happens the likelihood of injury is very low. Safety is the #1 reason there are over 2,400 modern roundabouts in the US today and many more on the way.

Slow and go also means less delay than a stop light, especially the other 20 hours a day people aren’t driving to or from work. Average daily delay at a signal is around 12 seconds per car. At a modern roundabout average delay is less than five seconds. Signals take an hour of demand and restrict it to a half hour, at best only half the traffic gets to go at any one time. At a modern roundabout four drivers entering from four directions can all enter at the same time. Don’t try that with a signalized intersection.

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Welcome to the BR Forum ScottRAB...Fantastic 1st post! Thanks for the Cool video...makes a lot of sense! Will be sure to check out other sites :thumbsup: It would be nice to see some alternatives to all these intersections w/ unsynchronized traffic lights + stopping at red light for no reason irks me!

I believe a new Roundabout is planned on the Pecue/Stumberg extension at new Woman's Hospital...

Wonder if one could possibly work at the afflicted intersection of Lobdell & Government/Independence Blvd??

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  • 1 month later...

The tiny island of Provo(38sq miles) is the most developed island in the Turks & Caicos...is home to no traffic lights; but 13 or 14 Roundabouts....

turksandcaicos058.jpg

Roundabout on Grace Bay Road at Seven Stars resort....they don't yield...they "Give Way".... lol

turksandcaicos059.jpg

Interesting set-up further down Grace Bay Road; comes to a 90-degree angle w/ roundabout at The Sands Resort(just off pic to right)...

turksandcaicos066.jpg

I liked the way they kept traffic flowing instead of stopping & starting all the time

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  • 1 month later...

Any word on when they plan to start work for the new roundabout in Ascension Parish on Hwy 42 & Hwy 931(just west of Port Vincent)?? Wonder how that's going to work?

It should be interesting to see the traffic flow at the new roundabout for the new Women's Hospital access drive at the new Stumberg/Pecue extension.....

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  • 1 month later...

Here is my answer after a lil over a month....

La. 42-La. 431 roundabout to open Tuesday

PORT VINCENT — A $1.24 million roundabout at La. 42 and La. 431 in Ascension Parish opens Tuesday to traffic, state highway officials said.

Additional work remains on the first state-constructed modern roundabout in the greater Baton Rouge area but drivers can use the roundabout for the first time Tuesday, highway officials said. In the coming months, lane closures are expected as the final layers of asphalt go down and lighting is installed, Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development officials said in a news release Monday. The one-lane roundabout is being built at the T-intersection of La. 431 and La. 42, west of the Amite River Bridge, near the Livingston Parish line. Work began in February.

Modern roundabouts are circular intersections without traffic control lights that carry continuous traffic flows and improve safety, officials said.

According to plans, travel lanes are 20 feet wide while, inside the travel lanes, a 21-foot-wide circular apron will be installed to ease the transit of trailers and 18-wheelers.

http://theadvocate.c...1-roundabout-to

Edited by richyb83
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  • 3 weeks later...

A study?? 4 possible roundabouts on Hwy 30 in that short a distance seems to be too much.....I can see 2 of the (west) roundabouts working (Cabela's/Tanger Mall entrance & Lamar-Dixon expo road); but the other 2 roundabouts (on-off ramps) on each side of I-10?? They say 2 stop-lights w/ 2 roundabouts would not work as well....

Gonzales eyes roundabouts

People driving to Tanger Outlet Center or the Cabela’s sporting goods store in Gonzales could be going in circles if a proposed plan by city officials and the state Department of Transportation and Development moves forward.

City and DOTD officials are conducting a corridor study on La. 30 at Interstate 10 that could lead to the placement of four roundabouts — at both Interstate 10 interchanges, at the intersection of La. 30 with Tanger Boulevard and Cabela’s Parkway and the La. 30 intersection with St. Landry Road and South Robert Wilson Road.

Currently, there are three traffic signals at the interstate and Tanger entrance, as well as stop signs on St. Landry and South Robert Wilson roads. All of the signals and stop signs would be removed and replaced by roundabouts, which are circular intersections designed to calm traffic and keep it moving.

Jody Colvin, an engineer with DOTD’s Traffic Engineering Division, said roundabouts “have been extremely successful around the country and across the state.”

http://theadvocate.com/home/3985693-125/gonzales-eyes-roundabouts

Looks like some are aginst it...some for it

http://www.nbc33tv.com/news/your-stories/gonzales-drivers-dont-wan

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I like that officials are thinking ahead of time, normally this type of thinking comes 15 years after the project is needed. I've never seen a roundabout as an interstate ramp, however, interesting to see how that would work. Many of the opposers likely are ignorant to their use and advantages or are people who are stuck in the present and don't like change in their community.

I do wonder, how they can afford to study this and Hwy 42 and 73 have yet to start construction, a much much more dire project than anything on Hwy 30.

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