This morning’s Loudoun Times-Mirror has a story about the Board of Supervisors approving the 2010 Countywide Transportation Plan by a narrow 5-4 vote.
In the story, it mentions an interesting observation made by transportation consultant Lucinda Gibson:
The county’s traffic constraints are its intersections, not its roads, Gibson said.
Anyone who’s been stuck on Route 7 in Ashburn in the morning or afternoon knows what I’m getting at here. The elimination of the light at Loudoun County Parkway has only changed the choke point on Route 7 from there to the entrance for Strayer University near the Route 28 ramps.
Ms. Gibson suggests building roundabouts to replace intersections instead of widening roads, but unfortunately the Board failed to accept this suggestion or any of her other suggestions. They seem to be fixated on adding lanes to reduce congestion, which I believe only heightens the congestion at the choke points.
Growing up in South Jersey, I learned how to drive using roundabouts and jug-handles (for left hand turns). Unorthodox maybe, but quite effective if you think about it. Roundabouts eliminate traffic signals, and promote a free flow of vehicles through once-clogged intersections. Yes, one has to slow down considerably upon entering a roundabout, and has to be cognizant of other traffic entering and exiting, but the key is: traffic is moving. You’re not sitting at a red light, idling, watching no vehicles pass perpendicular to you. You’re always moving.
Evidence of this can be seen at the Route 50 intersection with Route 15; this intersection used to be a mis-mash, with cars backed up in all directions waiting for the signal to change. Now, no backups as traffic flows freely through the roundabout. To a lesser extent, MDOT recently opened a roundabout on Route 15 in Point of Rocks, MD, and again, you’re always moving (of course, absent a traffic incident).
Roundabouts in cities can work, if there’s comprehension of how they do. Look at DuPont circle, for example.
Beautiful view. Really gorgeous. But damned expensive.
I’ve got no problem with round-abouts in suburban areas like ours. The ones in cities are a bit fraught.
…when it’s not backed up to the Toll Road (as it usually is in the PM rush). But you do get a very good view of the area at the top of that off-ramp. It’s very high in the sky.
The other day, I tried to go from Reston to Broadlands the back way, 28 to Waxpool. Have you ever taken that left exit, 28N to Waxpool? All I can say is WHEEEEE!!!!!. It seems like we’ve hired roller coaster engineers to design our roads. The over passes have got to be hugely expensive to design, build and maintain, much more expensive than a flat roundabout. Where are the no tax hooligans? The never complain about highway costs. There must be a religious conviction there somewhere. NASCAR Jesus anybody?
I have never been able to get a good answer about the reasons for resistance to this design. Especially when we have the two examples you cite and can see how well they work. As far as I can tell, the objection is based on nothing more than cultural prejudice and pigheadedness (“that’s what they have in Europe.”)
If I’m wrong, maybe somebody can explain it to me.
If the Board of Supervisors can take anything away from Ms. Gibson’s study, it should be to implement roundabouts at perennial problem intersections in the county. Nothing frustrates drivers more than sitting in traffic, not moving. Roundabouts keep cars moving.
(Since my server is giving me problems).