Naked Streets

[Njaco]

One of my pet peeves is driving. Since I do so much, I get ticked off at a few things - goofy drivers and government goof -ups. Things like turn signals turned on WHILE doing the turn. Traffic lights every 10 feet! ETC!

Just heard about something in Europe thats called "Naked Strets" where the use of signs and signals are reduced so as to make more drivers alert instead of depending upon them. An example was an intersection in the Netherlands that averaged 4 to 5 traffic deaths a year. In 2004 they removed all the signs and converted the intersection into a roundabout. People are now not so distracted when using this intersection and actually are courteous. There has not been a single death since 2004.

So, should the US try this and those members who have knowledge of this, whats your opinion?

[vikingBerserker]

I have to admit, that's a novel concept and it would be intersting to see it put into place.

BTW, happy 10,000th post!

[B-17engineer]

Holy crap, this summer, my dad was driving me to North Carolina instead of taking I-90 we went down lesser known highways, and through Deleware and Maryland (a bit of Virginia too) there were lights every 50 feet. Instead of 9 hours it took around 12. I wouldn't mind if the US did that, at all.

Yeah Happy 10,000th!

[javlin]

Are you tring to tell me Chris that people here obey those signs and lights

[GrauGeist]

In Southern California, we had traffic circles and they were pretty much the circus of death.

In order for a Traffic Circle to work, the motorists have to use driver courtesy. If you have a population of people who decide that they are more important then others, and routinely blow through a red light, how do you suppose they would react when called upon to yeild and merge with other motorists in a confined space? And a pedestrian has no chance at all getting across at the crossing and it almost seems as though they put gardens & fountains in the middle to lure unsuspecting pedestrians into the "gallery" so the motorists have fresh targets...

The city of Redding here is deciding to go with the European "roundabout" idea at an extremely busy (and deadly) intersection, and there's a number of people here in town that are very skeptical that it'll improve on the situation. The reason why the intersection is deadly, is because people will cruise through the red light...sometimes two and even three vehicles at a time.

They already put a couple "roundabouts" into my neighborhood (idiotic idea for a small residential intersection), and in the evenings, you have to come to a complete stop to allow a string of cars through, as they won't (or perhaps aren't mentally capable) allow any cross traffic to merge through. So replacing the stop signs with these clever circles hasn't improved the flow of traffic at all, it's actually made it worse.

[pbfoot]

I don't think I'd care for that , just teach folks how to drive

[KMeyrick]

we have a few here in las Vegas, and it's funny to sit there and watch drivers try to stay in their lane as they go around the circle.

Most can't.

Pretty sad really that grown adults can't drive on a street that isn't a straight line; but when confronted with a circle, they can't stay in the lines- it's like centrificial force is pulling them out!!!!

Not good for those of us trying to merge in or traveling in the outside lane. I avoid those streets whenever possible.

[vikingBerserker]

My first hardcore experience with a roundabout was in Scotland. It was actually interesting.

[Bernhart]

kitchener waterloo area in Canada they have built several in the past few years, seem to be working well here, occasionally you get some idiot that instead of merging with traffic stops...

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Originally Posted by GrauGeist

In Southern California, we had traffic circles and they were pretty much the circus of death.

In order for a Traffic Circle to work, the motorists have to use driver courtesy. If you have a population of people who decide that they are more important then others, and routinely blow through a red light, how do you suppose they would react when called upon to yeild and merge with other motorists in a confined space? And a pedestrian has no chance at all getting across at the crossing and it almost seems as though they put gardens & fountains in the middle to lure unsuspecting pedestrians into the "gallery" so the motorists have fresh targets...

The city of Redding here is deciding to go with the European "roundabout" idea at an extremely busy (and deadly) intersection, and there's a number of people here in town that are very skeptical that it'll improve on the situation. The reason why the intersection is deadly, is because people will cruise through the red light...sometimes two and even three vehicles at a time.

They already put a couple "roundabouts" into my neighborhood (idiotic idea for a small residential intersection), and in the evenings, you have to come to a complete stop to allow a string of cars through, as they won't (or perhaps aren't mentally capable) allow any cross traffic to merge through. So replacing the stop signs with these clever circles hasn't improved the flow of traffic at all, it's actually made it worse.

That is because Americans do not know how to drive on traffic circles. Which is very very sad, because they are so easy and really great. As an American I hate to say it, but it is true. Over here in Europe traffic circles are great. They keep traffic congestion down to a minimum, are easy to use and everything goes smoothly.

However once you see an American pull up to one, everything falls apart. You have to turn right no matter what on them, I even saw an American pull up to one stop, look both ways to see if traffic was coming and then turn left because he wanted to get out on the turn to the left of him (instead of turning right onto the circle and following it until he got to his exit). Needless to say, he ended up driving his Ford Escort into a shiny new Mercedes coming the opposite way...

They just put the first traffic circle onto our base here, and it is like Russian roulette driving on it because us Americans can not figure out how to drive on it! Maybe it is just because I lived over here for so long that the concept seems so easy to me...

[jamierd]

here in glenrothes they have taken the roundabout (traffic circle )idea to extremes we have them every 50 metres or so.where i used to live was 5 minutes drive from the shops i went away to Northern Ireland for 6 months came back and they had added 6 roundabouts to the journey now it is quicker to walk than drive .the town i live in is quite large in area but a small population and we must have at least 200 roundabouts .they are a good thing but overuse does dish out its own set of problems .
On funny note my grandmother learned to drive late in her life and as soon as she passed her test she came to see us she had never seen a roundabout before .As we are driving to the town centre she asks which way do i go at this roundabout .straight over says I .so she did just that mounted the roundabout drove straight over the grass in the middle and carried on quite happily

[Colin1]

Originally Posted by Njaco

In 2004 they removed all the signs and converted the intersection into a roundabout. So, should the US try this and those members who have knowledge of this, whats your opinion?

We had US people over when I was at Lucent Technologies and we've had Canadian people over with the company I'm at now; it was hilarious or scary (depending on your disposition) being in a car with them in their first couple of weeks and watching them wrestle with the concept of roundabouts.

[B-17engineer]

There is a traffic circle that is not far from me, its busy, by has not had an accident since 2000. Like there are 4 different roads merging onto the circle.
So some people can drive in traffic circles, I guess.

[RabidAlien]

Originally Posted by pbfoot

I don't think I'd care for that , just teach folks how to drive

Agreed. Traffic circles aren't that hard....you turn right, and then right again on the street you want. I think we've got too many "Cracker Jack" drivers out there (found their drivers' license in a box of Cracker Jacks, instead of learning how to drive and getting tested at the DMV), if we could somehow get them taken off the roads until they learned how to drive....

[Matt308]

Here in the Pacific Northwest we have a large Asian population. I don't know if its a cultural thing, but Asian women really stand out. They drive in a very timid fashion that I assume comes from their culture. Being overly polite is all I can figure. So aside from the racist remarks, it is interesting how Americans and Roundabouts don't mix. But then again, driving on the east coast and driving on the west coast is two completely different experiences too. People on the west coast are MUCH less agressive than on the east coast. And we don't drive with one hand on the horn.

Now jump in a cab in Washington DC with a Pakistani or Indian. 7 times out of 10, get ready for a ride.