What to do about Roundabouts

[LordEggForgotHisPassword]

You would think that over time Lexingtonians would have adjusted to these things, and understand the damn point is to not stop unnecessarily and impede traffic flow. Alas, the local population has not understood the purpose or execution of roundabouts. Over by Commonwealth Stadium today, on my way to work, no less than five separate dipshits managed to come to complete stops when either there was no traffic coming, or a reasonable speed would have allowed them to continue on with the flow of traffic before the Wheels bus (with a maximum speed of 25) got there. As you could guess, if you don't actually know how these situations unfold, the traffic was backed up from the first roundabout (nearest to Nicholasville Road) all the way past (by a good deal) the prior roundabout nearest Tates Creek (over by the baseball field).

On the other hand, the roundabout out by Wellington is essentially like being airdropped into Bristol during a cup race. I certainly prefer that scenario but will admit there is good reason to have your affairs in order before trying to time up and bleed into the flash-merge of that one on a workday afternoon.

While I am interested in your thoughts on this, like everyone else on the board I came here to dispense some wisdom. These roundabouts are too small here. The radius is not big enough to give chicken shits an emotional break long enough to get on with it, or the live-dangerously crowd a real chance at lower-risk, high-speed pass through. I think if these things were half-again larger, with a clear field of view across them (where the center sits downward from the road and all angles are visible to everyone at every position), maybe it would work better. Good luck, everybody!

 

[vhcat70]

I've driven in a lot of US places and countries. I rank Lex drivers at the top of the worst because they are so slow & tentative. Easily observable as I started at UK. I cringe and lose patience when driving in Lex. The problem isn't the roundabouts' design.

 

[august-west]

 

[UKnCincy]

I think they should make it harder to get a driver’s license.

The training you get before receiving a license should be more in-depth (e.g., teach proper lane discipline, learn how to handle a skid) and the test you need to pass for a license should be harder.

That might help with your roundabout situation.

 

[cole854]

 

[berniecarbo]

Not exactly about roundabouts, but about drivers. My uncle (now departed) decided for some reason to drive to Chicago. My family is and has always been country/very rural. The cops stopped him for impeding traffic. He told the cop, "If you help me get out of here, I promise never to come back." The cop turned his sirens on and escorted him out of town. My uncle never went back.

 

[WildcatfaninOhio]

I’d like to see more local governments use televised and radio PSAs about roundabouts. And install better signage. They are the most efficient and the safest way to navigate an intersection. But people just aren’t accustomed to them yet.

 

[catlanta33]

I’d like to see more local governments use televised and radio PSAs about roundabouts. And install better signage. They are the most efficient and the safest way to navigate an intersection. But people just aren’t accustomed to them yet.

Why not just put it on social media since it seems the majority of drivers today are on their phones behind the wheel anyway?

 

[roguemocha]

Who cares? Let me wreck or be dumb or scared or honk until they go. It’s sad people can’t figure out normal shit that’s been around for centuries.

 

[DreadLox]

I've got a couple of pet peeves w/ driving.

People who don't go out into the intersection when they want to turn left. You're supposed to go into the intersection and wait for oncoming traffic to stop, but most people hang back completely.

Two lane road. Two cars are advancing and their paths would meet at a parked car. The car in the same lane as the parked car is supposed to hang back and wait for traffic to clear. But so many people just try to squeeze through.

One concern isn't really a peeve as much as it's an anxiety. Pedestrians have the right of way, sure, but I'm constantly amazed at the number of people who are so unconcerned they don't even look to make sure traffic has stopped for them. You can have the right of way and still be squarshed.

 

[LordEggForgotHisPassword]

Don't get me started on "sharing the road" with bicyclists that pass on the right. I can't believe more tour de Lexington momos aren't killed sliding up on the right side of a Chevy Suburban, failing to anticipate a right-on-red turn by a vehicle that outweighs them 400 times over. That's without mentioning my urge to assist with cosmic justice by throwing a passenger door open.

 

[funKYcat75]

I think they should make it harder to get a driver’s license.

The training you get before receiving a license should be more in-depth (e.g., teach proper lane discipline, learn how to handle a skid) and the test you need to pass for a license should be harder.

That might help with your roundabout situation.

I could be wrong but I don’t think it’s young/new drivers having the issues with roundabouts. They’ve at least had to learn a little bit about them for the written test and most decent parents would take their kids to one to prepare them.

It’s, anecdotally for me at least, older drivers or people from other countries that seem to have the issue. If you’ve driven in the US for years and suddenly there’s a four way circle where there used to be a stop sign, it can be confusing. And it’s not like drivers who have been on the road for years are out there searching for continuing driver’s education. And unless you’re from a major city with a plaza to drive around, I’d say most folks from other countries have a hard time picking up what the purpose is or how to navigate.

Can you imagine coming from a different place, have to deal with the Reynolds road roundabout and then a few minutes later the Harrodsburg double diamond?

 

[cricket3]

I think it's mostly a product of out of towners going to UK for various reasons.

During the Summer I take Limestone/Nicholasville Road home after work because it's actually pretty quick when school isn't in session because of the lanes switching. EXCEPT when someone from out of town is sitting in the leftmost outbound lane trying to turn into one of the hospitals instead of actually being in the turning lane.

I lay on my horn every single time they do it.

 

[vhcat70]

I could be wrong but I don’t think it’s young/new drivers having the issues with roundabouts. They’ve at least had to learn a little bit about them for the written test and most decent parents would take their kids to one to prepare them.

It’s, anecdotally for me at least, older drivers or people from other countries that seem to have the issue. If you’ve driven in the US for years and suddenly there’s a four way circle where there used to be a stop sign, it can be confusing. And it’s not like drivers who have been on the road for years are out there searching for continuing driver’s education. And unless you’re from a major city with a plaza to drive around, I’d say most folks from other countries have a hard time picking up what the purpose is or how to navigate.

Can you imagine coming from a different place, have to deal with the Reynolds road roundabout and then a few minutes later the Harrodsburg double diamond?

Don't know how many other countries in Americas have rab's, but Europe, particularly England & France, are just loaded with them. Worked in England for 6 months in '98 & liked to never saw a stop sign. All intersections were rab's. At small side streets entering major roads they just painted a white 5' diameter circle on the road & people knew it was a rab. So side street driver had equal right to enter main road as those already there. Never saw a problem - except me having to remember to travel clockwise.

BTW, Massachusetts had them already in early '70's when I lived there. Not a lot, but on major highways.

State put a couple in Newport around 5-7 years ago. Soon after I was in one and a guy started in heading towards me. Stopped & backed up. LOL. NKU has 3-4 on their campus. Some subdivisions have started on them.

 

[Rebelfreedomeagle]

I think Kentucky needs to install more, particularly in rural areas. Yee Yee!

On a serious note, I admit that the one at LCA is great when everyone is doing it right. I think we just don’t have enough for people to get used to them.

 

[K86]

I've driven in a lot of US places and countries. I rank Lex drivers at the top of the worst because they are so slow & tentative. Easily observable as I started at UK. I cringe and lose patience when driving in Lex. The problem isn't the roundabouts' design.

Lexington CANNOT drive anywhere…not just the round about. Saw a girl one morning come off of Tate’s Creek on to New Circle ramp pass a car in the grass. The car that was passed had stopped at a yield sign because the ramp was full from traffic coming from the other direction.

 

[K86]

I think it's mostly a product of out of towners going to UK for various reasons.

During the Summer I take Limestone/Nicholasville Road home after work because it's actually pretty quick when school isn't in session because of the lanes switching. EXCEPT when someone from out of town is sitting in the leftmost outbound lane trying to turn into one of the hospitals instead of actually being in the turning lane.

I lay on my horn every single time they do it.

Has nothing to with out of towners. Most of the idiot drivers I see have Fayette county tags.

 

[jameslee32]

I know what to do. Get in, drive around them and get out.

 

[kywildcatsfannumber1]

They are putting them up all over E'town now. It's amazing how many people don't know how to drive in them.

 

[funKYcat75]

 

[drawing_dead]

let me get this straight; the solution is worse than the problem???

where have i seen that before? right, anything government says will make it better, will make it worse.

add these to the feeder lane theory, and no-turn intersections.

 

[chroix]

Round abouts are a gateway drug that lead to men wearing capri pants and liking soccer and eating woke cheese. Hard pass.

 

[LineSkiCat14]

A dream of mine has been to grab 5 or 6 friends, each get in a seperate car, and we all go into a super busy roundabout, yet never exit out.. just going in a circle for hours, round and round, so no one else can get in, causing a massive traffic standstill from all directions.

 

[BigTyrone]

There are a lot in Louisville now too. People in general, and old people in particular, have no idea how to handle them. It's almost comical.

 

[HymanKaplan]

To make a roundabout "work" in Lexington, all you have to do is throw in some random stop signs in them. That way, they are sure to be ignored, and will insure a smooth flow of traffic.

Ambiguity and common sense are the enemy of poor drivers.

Never underestimate the motivating factor of; I was there first...

 

[thabigbluenation]

We will all be in self driving cars soon anyway.

 

[roguemocha]

We all know we think we’re the best driver you’re all terrible,right.

 

[LineSkiCat14]

We all know we think we’re the best driver you’re all terrible,right.

Please. This is where being a NYer works in my favor. 0% of this place could handle driving on the Cross Bronx or the LIE.

 

[BBBLazing]

I’d like to see more local governments use televised and radio PSAs about roundabouts. And install better signage. They are the most efficient and the safest way to navigate an intersection. But people just aren’t accustomed to them yet.

My granddaughter got her engineering degree from UK. I went to DC with her when she won an award for her Master's Thesis explaining why roundabouts were so much more efficient and safe than common intersections. She actually designed several of them in Lexington, including the (not roundabout) intersection of Harrodsburg Road and Circle 4. Everywhere except Kentucky seems to understand these efficient traffic patterns and utilize them for what they were meant to do.

 

[SosaUK1987]

I've driven in a lot of US places and countries. I rank Lex drivers at the top of the worst because they are so slow & tentative. Easily observable as I started at UK. I cringe and lose patience when driving in Lex. The problem isn't the roundabouts' design.

Ohio drivers are awful. If it rains in Lexington, everyone is screwed. Crazy.

 

[MidseasonTweak]

let me get this straight; the solution is worse than the problem???

where have i seen that before? right, anything government says will make it better, will make it worse.

add these to the feeder lane theory, and no-turn intersections.

Huh? Rabs are great.

 

[the nail at the foul line]

We all know we think we’re the best driver you’re all terrible,right.

I have Petty Ancestry.

Don't think, I know.

 

[ukalum01]

Lex drivers are no better or no worse than drivers anywhere else.

 

[drawing_dead]

Huh? Rabs are great.

the infinitesimal amount of time saved with one is wasted by one person. if you are towing anything, most roundabouts are too small. when i am towing, i drive straight through them like a 4-way stop. a properly operating 4-way stop is very efficient.

 

[MidseasonTweak]

4 way stops with red lights are about as inefficient as it gets. A proper roundabout works better, always. They're safer too

 

[Jeff Drummond]

Over by Commonwealth Stadium today, on my way to work, no less than five separate dipshits managed to come to complete stops when either there was no traffic coming

I drive that one 4 days a week (5 on game weeks). I'm glad to report it's usually pretty good. People have caught on. I think you've run into some really bad luck.

 

[rick64]

 

[roguemocha]

This question may as wel be “what to do about the internet?”

Because plenty people can’t figure it out either but either deal with it and figure it out or just listen on the radio.

 

[Rebelfreedomeagle]

I used to have an uncle that grew up in Masasachewsutses. He always complained about Kentucky drivers and “rotaries”. He explained that you gotta treat it like the big revolving doors in front of office buildings - when it’s clear, you f&@$in’ go or you’re f$@$in’ it up for everybody. Cranky old bastard should have made a PSA commercial about it because I have driven in Massesachusteses and he was right.

 

[JDHoss]

Taken far too soon...