Mt. Vernon to add "stripping" to help with roundabout confusion

[85clone]

For those of you unfamiliar with the area, this is the intersection of US Highway 30 and Iowa Highway 1. Plenty of east-west traffic on 30, and north-south traffic on 1 (in and out of Iowa City).

The DOT would have preferred building a bypass/interchange further south, but the property owners and businesses in Mt. Vernon pitched a fit. Hence, a roundabout.

Not entirely the case. The bypass has been on and off the DOT 5-year plan for since the 80's. It is now back on the plan and the area residents and businesses are warming to the idea. Unfortunately, when the bypass is eventually built (funded), the town will have a very expensive roundabout(s). Many here are upset with the cost of the project however there was some grant money available (maybe the tail wagging the dog here). Combine that with lack of experience and you can generate a pretty good controversy in town. Traffic is flowing much more smoothly since it opened. I have not witnessed any stippers yet, however they would be welcome...maybe not in the center of the roundabout though as that might cause even more issues.
"Keep Calm and Drive On"

 

[00clone]

Make sure you check with your boss first. Sometimes it is frowned upon.

George Costanza - Was that wrong? - YouTube

Oh...I think getting in trouble with the boss would be the least of the complications involved in that transaction.

:no:

While she don't look too bad on a Thursday, on Monday she comes in with eyes dang near swollen shut from the bags under them.

 

[jdoggivjc]

It blows my mind that Iowans seem to be the only people in the world that can't manage a roundabout.

We have them all over the place in Michigan - even freeway interchanges are managed by them in places. They're awesome. Obviously they don't work for every intersection, but for the intersections that you would otherwise be waiting 5 minutes to allow the lights to cycle when you could have easily proceeded through the intersection on several occasions due to gaps in traffic, it's a much better solution.

 

[cyfan4St8]

We have one in Gilbert now and most people don't like it and it was a huge waste of money. It cost like 3/4 million dollars. All they needed to do was maybe put two right hand lanes in . Now its a crap shoot if you can go through it with ease or wait longer then you waited when it was a 4 way stop sign. And they claim its safer for people to use the cross walks in it but I will never let my kids go through it . Its crazy and way too uncontrolled.

 

[SoapyCy]

We have one in Gilbert now and most people don't like it and it was a huge waste of money. It cost like 3/4 million dollars. All they needed to do was maybe put two right hand lanes in . Now its a crap shoot if you can go through it with ease or wait longer then you waited when it was a 4 way stop sign. And they claim its safer for people to use the cross walks in it but I will never let my kids go through it . Its crazy and way too uncontrolled.

Is it a waste of money because are unfamiliar with it or a waste of money because quantitative data shows a four way stop would allow faster access to the intersection? My money is one people just don't know how to use it.

Edit - people who cannot manage to merge at low speed into a counter-clockwise circle and find the correct exit shouldn't be holding licenses that enable them to operate heavy machinery in the first place

Edit 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y05qGz5B1Wg looks pretty normal to me.

 

[mj4cy]

I can't believe the people that say roundabouts are stupid....they reduce crashes by 75%, they save money with not needing power for lights. The only thing that sucks about them is educating the drivers.

 

[ruxCYtable]

I can't believe the people that say roundabouts are stupid....they reduce crashes by 75%, they save money with not needing power for lights. The only thing that sucks about them is educating the drivers.

I live near a new one in Marion (Tower Terrace) and I don't really have a strong opinion for or against their function.

I question, however, whether it was a savings. They built a paved road around the intersection while they built the roundabout. Then when it was done they tore the brand new road out! And while there are no traffic lights at the intersection, they lit it up like a Christmas tree with street lamps.

 

[SplitIdentity]

Circles are one of the first shapes that you learn as a child. If these things are too confusing for you, you should be more concerned about that than the round-about itself.

Who knew circles could be so divisive?

 

[VTXCyRyD]

I suspect the people that don't understand/don't like round-a-bouts had ancestors that didn't like/think the round wheel would work.

 

[ISpyCy]

I've never understood why people have such a hard time with roundabouts. Follow the signs, wait your turn (or gun it if you feel confident) and go. Lincoln had a three-lane "roundie" reduced to two lanes due to an increase in accidents...and if anybody thinks that's bad, check out the "double roundie" by Memorial Stadium, if you ever choose to traverse into the bowels of that toxic waste dump.

 

[CEcyclone]

I suspect the people that don't understand/don't like round-a-bouts had ancestors that didn't like/think the round wheel would work.

Or that the world was round...

 

[VTXCyRyD]

Or that the world was round...

technically it's a sphere

 

[iahawkhunter]

technically it's a geoid

fify

 

[jdoggivjc]

technically it's a sphere

Actually this is incorrect as well - a sphere has the same diameter in all directions. The Earth is a spheroid - it bulges at the equator. In other words, Earth has a beer belly.

 

[SoapyCy]

Actually this is incorrect as well - a sphere has the same diameter in all directions. The Earth is a spheroid - it bulges at the equator. In other words, Earth has a beer belly.

a side effect of Americanization of the entire world. even that magma down deep is getting fat.

 

[The_Architect]

Those roundabouts confuse the hell out of me. Hate them, dont know why they couldnt put in stop lights, or just leave it the way it ways.

What are you, 90 years old? Roundabouts are the greatest thing since sliced bread. You almost never, ever have to stop. I wish they were everywhere.

 

[Cyclones_R_GR8]

I suspect the people that don't understand/don't like round-a-bouts had ancestors that didn't like/think the round wheel would work.

I'm still mixed on the whole wheel fad.

But getting back on topic, I'm all for roundabouts if they have strippers. Especially if they put a brass pole in the center isle.

 

[klamath632]

Most of the time when I hear someone complain about a roundabout, it's because "roundabouts are European."

 

[VTXCyRyD]

Actually this is incorrect as well - a sphere has the same diameter in all directions. The Earth is a spheroid - it bulges at the equator. In other words, Earth has a beer belly.

I suspect that if the Earth stopped spinning it would be a sphere

 

[cyfan4St8]

"Originally Posted by mtowncyclone13- Is it a waste of money because are unfamiliar with it or a waste of money because quantitative data shows a four way stop would allow faster access to the intersection? My money is one people just don't know how to use it.Edit - people who cannot manage to merge at low speed into a counter-clockwise circle and find the correct exit shouldn't be holding licenses that enable them to operate heavy machinery in the first placeEdit 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y05qGz5B1Wg looks pretty normal to me."


well one would think it is but when you run into ours and the highschoolers are coming from the opposite direction and just fly into it and they are right on each others bumpers you have no way to get in there and you end up watching 8-10 cars fly by you before you have a chance to get in there. As far as challenging my abilities if you want to do that ever again how about you do that to my face and not on here.