The Economist magazine on roundabouts

Iwannahurl

Just found this article by chance. It appeared in The Economist on 5th October 2013.

The fate of roundabouts abroad thus repeats in miniature that of another British export, parliamentary democracy—another fine idea that backfires when mixed with jiggery-pokery. Just as democracy tends not to work without a free press, an independent judiciary and other helpful institutions, so roundabouts need decent drivers, straight police and reasonable infrastructure to function. The lesson of both is that fine ideas can wind up looking naive if they take no account of context and history.

Its title, The Widening Gyre, is a quote from Yeats.

All very poetic, but it's also naive to think that roundabouts just need British-style fair play to function well for all citizens.

AFAIK Irish roundabouts were, as is usual, lazily cogged from the UK design. They are inherently hostile to cyclists and pedestrians, not because motorists don't always behave properly, but because the 'designers' knew little and cared less about anything other than moving motorised traffic. Of course, they don't even work for motor vehicles when traffic volumes reach a certain level, which is why they often end up being signalised or, as is happening in Galway, entirely replaced with traffic signals. Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold.

By way of example, I was in Adare recently, and this pedestrian-hostile arrangement caught my eye.

Here's another Economist article on the same topic, quoting Belgian research which found that cyclists are 41% more likely to die at a roundabout than at a crossroads.

ardmacha

By way of example, I was in Adare recently, and this pedestrian-hostile arrangement caught my eye.

Small roundabouts with islands are quite pedestrian friendly. All traffic has to slow approaching the roundabout, pedestrians only have to look one way, cross to the island and then look the other way. Having seen a crossroad on my route to work converted to a roundabout there was a vast improvement in convenience for motorists and pedestrians alike. Roundabouts are often used with inappropriate traffic volumes, but are a great invention.

Iwannahurl

They're not pedestrian friendly, as rightly pointed out in the new DMURS.

Irish roundabouts give continuous priority to motorised traffic, and "courtesy crossings" have no meaning in life except for motorists who are free to ignore any pedestrians wishing to cross.

In Galway, roundabouts have been criticised for decades now as being highly unconducive for cycling and walking. The Green Schools programme is completely stymied in some areas because the only routes to school are so hostile to child pedestrians in particular, because of roundabouts.

When traffic is fast-moving pedestrians cannot cross because they have no priority. When traffic is slow-moving or stationary pedestrians cannot cross because the "courtesy crossings" are obstructed. This is my child's experience every single morning on the school run.

That roundabout in Adare doesn't even have dished kerbs. It is self-evident that its primary purpose is the facilitation of motorised traffic despite being right in the middle of an urban street with very heavy footfall.

monument

Iwannahurl wrote: »

..."courtesy crossings" have no meaning in life except for motorists who are free to ignore any pedestrians wishing to cross.

Irish law does not recognise courtesy crossings -- other road users are mandated to yield to pedestrians who are crossing, there's no courtesy about it. Councils, departments and anybody else in officialdom who keeps calling them this needs a kick up the backside.

Where so-called "courtesy crossings" are placed at junctions such as roundabouts, and pedestrians start to cross, the right of way must be yielded to pedestrians.

It's a myth that pedestrians generally don't have legal priority, when they do. This fact and the cost of hitting somebody should be advertised heavily. But at this stage I guess we would need to advertise this as new, because few would believe it's the case currently.

MOH

Iwannahurl wrote: »

Irish roundabouts give continuous priority to motorised traffic, and "courtesy crossings" have no meaning in life except for motorists who are free to ignore any pedestrians wishing to cross.

Everything to do with roads in Ireland gives priority to motorised traffic. Cycle lanes shared with buses that stop and start at random, run through parking spaces and solid objects. Pedestrian crossings that remain on red unless you happen to push the button before a certain point in the cycle, and also remain on red unless a button is pushed even when no traffic could possibly be on that particular road segment at that particular point in the lights cycle.

RahenyD5

That Adare example may not be pedestrian friendly though I reckon is far safer than Galway's old Bodkin roundabout for example, as it is a mini-roundabout in an urban area with lower speed limit with fewer approach lanes.

Mini-roundabouts and smaller roundabouts work well for roads with lower volumes of traffic and I agree is safer than a crossroads which over in the US and Canada, 4-way stop crossroads are being converted into roundabouts as drivers become less willing to co-operate and make eye contact.

Roundabouts on busier roads are no longer effective with far more traffic than before so many roundabouts have had lights added or converted into traffic light crossroads as happened with some junctions on the Galway ring road and at Moneenageisha. The same is happening over in England too.

Ireland (and the UK) made a mistake by putting roundabouts on major roads, which may have worked at first but for traffic levels to get busier and busier, that the US and Canada only introduced roundabouts in the last 20 yrs and are reserved only for quieter roads so major road roundabouts are rarer over there.

So on busier roads, roundabouts are being replaced by traffic lights and zebra crossings (the ones with the flashing yellow globes) replaced by pelican crossings (traffic light controlled). Eventually roundabouts and zebra crossings may only be seen on quieter roads or in town centres with a strong traffic calming policy.

Zoney

Zebra crossings should be much simpler for a local authority to put in place, and then should be used far more prevalently - e.g. road through housing area, remove the speed bumps and stick in loads of zebra crossings!

AugustusMinimus

Zoney wrote: »

Zebra crossings should be much simpler for a local authority to put in place, and then should be used far more prevalently - e.g. road through housing area, remove the speed bumps and stick in loads of zebra crossings!

Without doubt the best solution in comparison to traffic light controlled pedestrian crossings. You get the best of both worlds. Pedestrians being able to cross without waiting. Traffic not having to stop unless there's pedestrians actually wanting to cross.

It also gets rid of kids and crusties hitting the button at crossing for a laugh which drives me mad.

Godge

Iwannahurl wrote: »

They're not pedestrian friendly, as rightly pointed out in the new DMURS.

Irish roundabouts give continuous priority to motorised traffic, and "courtesy crossings" have no meaning in life except for motorists who are free to ignore any pedestrians wishing to cross.

In Galway, roundabouts have been criticised for decades now as being highly unconducive for cycling and walking. The Green Schools programme is completely stymied in some areas because the only routes to school are so hostile to child pedestrians in particular, because of roundabouts.

When traffic is fast-moving pedestrians cannot cross because they have no priority. When traffic is slow-moving or stationary pedestrians cannot cross because the "courtesy crossings" are obstructed. This is my child's experience every single morning on the school run.

That roundabout in Adare doesn't even have dished kerbs. It is self-evident that its primary purpose is the facilitation of motorised traffic despite being right in the middle of an urban street with very heavy footfall.

The Adare roundabout is not a good example of anything as it is a small roundabout on a national primary route.