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03-18-2010, 07:51 AM | #1 | |
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Roundabout planned for Dysfunction Junction
From the Laconia Daily Sun
Quote:
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03-18-2010, 09:21 PM | #2 |
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Roundabout
I'm surprised about the proposed roundabout. I've been coming up to the Lake for 13 summers, and I never thought that intersection was particularly dangerous. Lots of traffic sometimes, but not dangerous. I recall the rotaries down at the Cape, near the Bourne Bridge, which were actually pretty dangerous, what with people trying to change lanes very quickly to make their exit. Sometimes it was like bumper cars at an amusement park. I would go with better signs and maybe a streetlight.
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03-18-2010, 09:43 PM | #3 |
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Roundabouts are the latest aging yuppie craze, to avoid new roadways, and to pretend they are saving our planet and everyone's lives. Generally speaking, roundabouts cannot handle smoothly the traffix=c at a busy intersection that traffic lights or signs can. Yes, you'll have to stop your Prius for awhile, but at least fifteen others aren't stymied by the continual guessing game of when and where to go.
Watching traffic here at our new RB's is quite entertaining. Traffic can be backed up for longer now as people wait to see what a Yield is |
03-18-2010, 10:24 PM | #4 |
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Linger Longer...
I think it will be pretty cool with less paint and insurance card swapping!
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03-19-2010, 05:31 AM | #5 | |
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Couldn't agree more....
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If it looks like a rotary, acts like a rotary, and smells like a rotary....it's a ROTARY. BT
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03-19-2010, 06:52 AM | #6 |
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I think they work great when drivers are attentive to the road and the traffic flow, like they should be.
Considering this one will be in an area heavily traveled by tourists, I think the placement of this roundabout in The Weirs is a poor choice. Perhaps with some traffic studies and public hearings on the matter, NH DOT will change their mind. |
03-19-2010, 07:05 AM | #7 |
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I wonder, the round about will take up more space than lights or what is there now, where are they going to find the room? take some space by eminent domain? I think that the junction is fine, and stupid people do stupid things. I honestly think that a blinking red light for corssing frrom route 11 to the wiers and the exact other way, and a blinking yellow for continuation both ways on Rt 3. will help those stupid people figure out what is going on.
Not to mention on busy weekends and weeks they could make them cycle like regular traffic lights My solution: A lot cheaper, easier on the Eyes, faster solution. little or no disruption, no more cop details, Oh wait this solution makes sense! No wonder they did not think of it
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03-19-2010, 08:01 AM | #8 |
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DOT wanted a roundabout at the Weirs
to help people go here and there They said it would calm as they drove around Not counting that people don’t care The tourists soon came and Oh what a pain What! Which Way! Oh my Dear! Was there really disfunction at this Weir’s junction or were changes just another gosh darn way to waste money to fix a problem that weren’t really there |
03-19-2010, 08:09 AM | #9 |
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What happens with the Smokehouse? Ripped down?
Does the classic sign go away??????? |
03-19-2010, 09:07 AM | #10 |
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In Alton a roundabout was proposed and it was voted down at a DOT hearing as a COMPLETE WASTE of MONEY.
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03-24-2010, 06:58 PM | #11 |
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Both of the new roundabouts in Meredith and Plymouth, which are similar sized, are both very functional and very attractive. A Weirs Beach roundabout would be good move plus it will only need just a small slice of land from the former Karl's parking lot....actually very little....and none from any other business.
That disfunction junction that's there now is an accident waiting to happen! Maybe McDonald's will open a new restaurant on the former Karl's land....one can always dream...
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03-24-2010, 08:00 PM | #12 |
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Round about and a big mac
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Could not agree with you more. That felt weird....... |
03-29-2010, 03:05 PM | #13 | |
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I have often thought as I drove through this intersection that it is one of the better candidates for a roundabout. The existing intersection just doesn’t work. A lot of people are confused by the layout because it’s non-intuitive. The “through” movement is the northbound left and eastbound right, which is counter to pretty much every other intersection I’ve ever seen in my entire life. As a result, you get people going north on Route 3 that stop when they shouldn’t and almost get rear ended, you get people that don’t understand and try to go straight without stopping and almost cause a head on (and occasionally do just that). I have observed more near misses at that intersection than any other single intersection I can think of.
You can say that people don’t always get a traffic circle, but nobody that hasn’t been here several times before understands the existing intersection. At least a roundabout is a standard layout everywhere you go. A traffic signal here poses several challenges. You would probably want two lanes on Route 3 south so you can have a “left” turn lane to 11B, but there is no room for that lane on the bridge. As a result, it would be pretty common for that red light to back up past Lakeside Ave. Plus, a light is a helluva lot uglier than a nicely landscaped roundabout. I seem to recall a lot of people getting their feathers all ruffled about the Parade Road roundabout during the design & construction, but then grudgingly admitting that they liked it afterwards. I’ve always seen it working just fine on peak summer weekends, why would this be different? Quote:
Take a look at this old rotary being converted to a roundabout. On the outside, you've got the old, the new one is going in the middle. |
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03-29-2010, 07:44 PM | #14 |
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Why is it that these ridiculous things called "Round-abouts" or "Rotary's" are ONLY found in the Northeast?
Everyehere else in the Country utilizes 4-Way Stops (in this case it would only be a 3-way) .... which is a laugh to experiance cuz THAT screws up New Englanders to no end (who goes first, who has the legal right of way, lmao)!! . . .
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03-29-2010, 08:31 PM | #15 | |
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Quote:
http://roundabout.kittelson.com/Roundabouts/List/US Note that I am referring only to roundabouts, not old style rotaries. Roundabouts like Parade Road in Meredith, the two in Keene, etc. NOT anything like what you see at some interchanges off of Route 1 and I-93 north of Boston, the old Bourne Rotary, etc. |
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03-30-2010, 08:32 AM | #16 | |
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03-30-2010, 09:55 AM | #17 | |
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You see them all over Europe and especially in England. By the way, there is no such thing as a dangerous intersection, only dangerous drivers. |
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03-30-2010, 10:57 AM | #18 |
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Actually, the center of a roundabout is an excellent place to erect a Statue of the person who sent the money from Washington. NB
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03-30-2010, 08:46 PM | #19 |
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Anyone know of the energy savings that a round about offers. I would certainly rather face a string of 10 round abouts than 10 traffic lights.
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03-31-2010, 09:47 AM | #20 |
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...watering the roundabout!
Running a waterline for watering the roundabout with one of those spritzers that goes around in a circle would be good for keeping the roundabout green and growing.
As far as I can tell, neither the Plymouth or Meredith roundabouts, both built in 2008, included any water-garden hose outlets in their design. Water would be good for growing a decorative garden spot in the middle of the roundabout. A LaDaSun article quoted a DOT person who said only a small slice of land off the front of the former Karl's parking lot would be needed, and no other businesses would be touched. It would be a good improvement for the Weirs. Just go take a look at the Plymouth and Meredith roundabouts.
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03-31-2010, 06:33 PM | #21 |
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Roundabout
I hope they're not building this thing when we're up there in August. And by the way, has the boardwalk been fixed up yet?
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03-31-2010, 07:52 PM | #22 | |
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Quote:
There are a few benefits, the primary being more steady traffic flow and less fuel used, and typically wasted time. The trouble now is they have become trendy, and are being used in areas of high two-way traffic volume that are not great candidates for roundabouts. The Weirs junction is going to be interesting. The majority of the time, the traffic volume from Laconia towards Meredith should be much higher. But roundabouts depend on alternation AND rules of entering. These are two things that people have trouble with in ski lift lines, let alone on the roadways. Should be interesting. |
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04-01-2010, 08:19 AM | #23 |
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The Epson circle seems to be working very well and it has high traffic. So does the Portsmouth rotary next to I-95. And so does the Alton circle.
Some people don't like them because they actually have to drive responsibly and yield to traffic. I would rather see a round-about instead of waiting at traffic lights, most of which are usually not actuated by traffic flow. |
04-01-2010, 07:54 PM | #24 |
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I like round about / circles but am not a fan of the Alton implementation due to the inconsistent yielding rules. 20 percent of the drivers seem confused. Half of the merge yield inside and half outside???
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04-01-2010, 09:26 PM | #25 |
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Alton is a very poor example. One of the more important aspects of traffic engineering is consistency, and that is completely illogical.
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04-01-2010, 09:34 PM | #26 |
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Keene has a roundabout that you could believe was designed by the Three Stooges: Curly, Moe & Larry. Unlike the Meredith and Plymouth roundabouts, the one in Keene has two lanes of traffic going around in a circle and it has had many fender-benders.
As home to Laconia Motorcycle Week and the famous Weirs Beach boardwalk, building a similar two lane roundabout could help make the Weirs famous plus wipe out a few marginal businesses at the same time!
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04-13-2010, 04:55 PM | #27 |
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roundabouts
roundabouts are very common in Europe, and many still exist in the US-take DC for example. Arc de Triumphe in Paris has as many as 5 lanes of traffic trying to merge. So bad, it eliminates all but the bravest drivers, but it gets the job done!
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04-13-2010, 05:06 PM | #28 |
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The Alton circle will undergo some changes at the entry points making it a consistent "vehicle in the circle has the right-of-way" all the way around. The overall size of the circle will stay about the same.
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04-13-2010, 10:04 PM | #29 | |
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every once in a while FLL does come across in away that is hard to dispute.
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