A roundabout is a type of road junction at which traffic enters a one-way stream around a central island. In the United States it is technically called a modern roundabout, to emphasize the distinction from the older, larger type of traffic circle. Image File history File links Zeichen_215. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Circular_Intersection_sign. ... In the field of road transport, a road junction is a place where two or more roads either meet or cross. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Columbus Circle, New York City, NY; site of the first traffic circle in the United States completed in 1905 DeSoto Fountain sits in the center of a traffic circle in the city of Coral Gables, Florida. ...

Overall, roundabouts are statistically safer than both traffic circles and traditional intersections,^{[citation needed]} with the exception that cyclists have a significantly increased crash rate at large roundabouts. Roundabouts do not cope as well with the traffic on motorways, highways, or similar fast roads. Motorway symbol in UK, France and Ireland. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Difference between roundabouts and traffic circles

Roundabouts are sometimes referred to as "traffic circles", but a technical distinction was made in some jurisdictions between roundabouts and traffic circles in the mid-1960s. Starting in that decade, research in the United Kingdom found that circular intersections with certain geometric characteristics and traffic control schemes tended to be safer than those without them. The key differences are: Columbus Circle, New York City, NY; site of the first traffic circle in the United States completed in 1905 DeSoto Fountain sits in the center of a traffic circle in the city of Coral Gables, Florida. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ...

In the United Kingdom the term 'traffic circle' is not used, and all types are known as roundabouts (but see mini-roundabouts and magic roundabouts below). In the United States, circular intersections that meet the design standards shown in the table above are termed "modern roundabouts," to distinguish them from older rotaries or traffic circles. In Massachusetts, rotaries are nearly always built to the standards of a British roundabout, and a "roundabout" refers to an especially small rotary with crosswalks, between high-traffic roads.^[1] This article is about the U.S. State. ...

History and safety

A diagram of movement within a roundabout in a country where traffic drives on the left.

The first roundabout was technically square. Constructed in Paris around the Arc de Triomphe in 1901, closely followed by Columbus Circle in New York City in 1904. The first British roundabout was five years later, in Letchworth Garden City in 1909 - originally intended partly as a traffic island for pedestrians^[2]. However, the widespread use of roundabouts began when British engineers re-engineered the traffic circle in the mid-1960s to overcome its limitations of capacity and for safety issues. Unlike traffic circles, roundabouts operate with yield control to give priority to circulating traffic and eliminate much of the driver confusion associated with traffic circles and driver wait associated with junctions that have traffic lights. Roughly the same size as signalled intersections with the same capacity, roundabouts also are significantly smaller in diameter than traffic circles, separate incoming and outgoing traffic with pedestrian islands and therefore encourage slower and safer speeds (see traffic calming). Representation of a UK roundabout (with cars giving way and indicating) - originally created by Mintguy, prettified by Fredrik. ... Representation of a UK roundabout (with cars giving way and indicating) - originally created by Mintguy, prettified by Fredrik. ...  drive on right  drive on left Traffic going in opposite directions should be separated in such a way that they do not block each others way. ... This article is about the capital of France. ... This article is about the monument in Paris. ... Year 1901 (MCMI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday [1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... View of Columbus Circle, looking east down Central Park South from inside the Time Warner Center. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Arms of Letchworth Urban District Council Letchworth, officially Letchworth Garden City, is a town in Hertfordshire, England. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... In the field of road transport, a road junction is a place where two or more roads either meet or cross. ... “Traffic Signal” redirects here. ... A refuge island, also known as a pedestrian refuge or pedestrian island, is a small section of pavement or sidewalk, completely surrounded by asphalt or other road materials, where pedestrians can stop before finishing crossing a road. ... Traffic calming is a set of strategies used by urban planners and traffic engineers which aim to slow down or reduce traffic, thereby improving safety for pedestrians and bicyclists as well as improving the amenity of the street for residents and visitors. ...

Roundabouts are safer than both traffic circles and traditional intersections—having 40% fewer vehicle collisions, 80% fewer injuries and 90% fewer serious injuries and fatalities (according to a study of a sampling of roundabouts in the United States, compared with the intersections they replaced). Roundabouts also reduce points of conflict between pedestrians and motor vehicles and are therefore considered to be safer for them. However, roundabouts, especially large fast moving ones, are unpopular with some cyclists. This problem is sometimes handled on larger roundabouts by taking foot and bicycle traffic through a series of underpasses. An underground pedestrian tunnel between buildings at MIT. Note the utility pipes running along the ceiling. ...

In addition to improved vehicle and pedestrian safety, and in spite of lower speeds, roundabouts dramatically outperform traffic circles in terms of vehicle throughput and, because a roundabout's circular traffic is always moving, they outperform ordinary junctions with traffic signals as well.

Multi-lane and large roundabouts can be hazardous for cyclists. An analysis^[3] of the national crash database [4] in New Zealand for the period 1996-2000 shows that cyclists were involved in 26% of the reported injury crashes at roundabouts, compared to 6% at traffic signals and 13% at priority controlled intersections. The most common roundabout crash type for cyclists involves a motor vehicle entering the roundabout and colliding with a cyclist who is already travelling around the roundabout (generally just over 50% of all cyclist/roundabout crashes fall into this category). The next most common crash type involves motorists leaving the roundabout, colliding with cyclists who are continuing further around the roundabout carriageway. Designs that have marked perimeter cycle lanes are found by research data to be even less safe than those without them.

If the adjacent cross-walks are not properly designed, there are increased risks for persons with visual impairments, because of the speed at which traffic exits the roundabout. This issue has led to a conflict in the United States between the visually impaired and civil engineering communities; the visually impaired have taken the position that roundabouts (rather than signal-controlled crossings) are acceptable only if there are pedestrian crossings with lights at each road connecting to a roundabout. Although such crossings would reduce the possibility that a blind pedestrian might be run over by vehicles entering or exiting the roundabout at unsafe speeds, they would also increase the cost of a roundabout and decrease its throughput. The Falkirk Wheel in Scotland. ... This article is about the visual condition. ...

A major signal-controlled roundabout in Bristol, England. The traffic drives on the left.

In addition, roundabouts do not cope well with the traffic on motorways or similar roads, leading to long queues. Britain's strategic road network has many isolated roundabouts on otherwise almost motorway-like roads (for example, A1/A421) and even on a few motorways (for example, the A601(M), A627(M), and M271 have roundabouts on the main line). Some of these roundabouts, as well as other busy roundabouts, have had traffic lights added and are termed "signal controlled roundabouts". Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1800x1246, 836 KB) A major roundabout at Old Market, Bristol, England, photographed from a tethered passenger balloon at 500 feet. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1800x1246, 836 KB) A major roundabout at Old Market, Bristol, England, photographed from a tethered passenger balloon at 500 feet. ... This article is about the English city. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... The A601(M) is a two-way spur of the M6 in Lancashire. ... The A627(M) is a motorway that runs between Rochdale and Oldham in Greater Manchester. ... The M271 is a short motorway in southern England, near the city of Southampton. ...

Roundabouts are not suitable for junctions where the exits suffer from traffic congestion. Congestion on one exit commonly blocks a roundabout and spreads to all entering directions. The roundabout of Kwai Tsing Interchange in Hong Kong was replaced by a large box junction with traffic lights after recurring area traffic congestion when numerous container trucks journeyed to Kwai Chung Container Port after a typhoon. This article needs additional references or sources to facilitate its verification. ... Kwai Tsing Interchange (葵青交匯處) is a road interchange on Kwai Fong in Hong Kong, between the southern industrial area in Kwai Fong and Kwai Chung Park. ... A box junction is a traffic control measure designed to prevent gridlock at busy road junctions. ... “Traffic Signal” redirects here. ... Kwai Tsing Container Terminals is the main port facilities in the reclamation along Rambler Channel between Kwai Chung and Tsing Yi Island, Hong Kong. ... Cyclone Catarina, a rare South Atlantic tropical cyclone viewed from the International Space Station on March 26, 2004. ...

Types of roundabout

Large roundabouts such as those used at motorway intersections typically have two to four lanes around the central hub, and frequently have traffic lights regulating flow during peak hours.

Some roundabouts have a divider between traffic turning from one road onto an adjacent one, and traffic within the roundabout, enabling those making such turns to bypass the roundabout entirely. Another type of roundabout is the through-about roundabout or "hamburger" junction. This type of roundabout enables straight-through traffic on one road to cross over the central island, whilst all other traffic must drive around the island. As a consequence this junction must always be controlled by traffic lights. Examples of this type exist in Bracknell, Nottingham and Reading, as well as on the N2/M50 intersection in Dublin, Ireland. Charles Square, Bracknell , Bracknell is a town in the Bracknell Forest borough of the English county of Berkshire. ... For other uses, see Nottingham (disambiguation). ... , Reading is a town, unitary authority (the Borough of Reading) and urban area in the English county of Berkshire. ... The N2 road is a National Primary Route in the Republic of Ireland, running from Dublin to the border with Northern Ireland at Moy Bridge near Aughnacloy, County Tyrone to connect Dublin with Derry via the A5]. // The N2 commences at a junction with the N1 along Dorset Street Upper. ... The M50 motorway is a motorway and National Primary Route in the Republic of Ireland running in a C-shaped ring around the northern, western and southern sides of the capital city, Dublin. ... Dublin city centre at night WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , Statistics Province: Leinster County: Dáil Éireann: Dublin Central, Dublin North Central, Dublin North East, Dublin North West, Dublin South Central, Dublin South East European Parliament: Dublin Dialling Code: +353 1 Postal District(s): D1-24, D6W Area: 114. ...

Gyratory system

The term "gyratory" (for example, the Hanger Lane Gyratory System) is sometimes used in England when a roundabout is large and has non-standard lane markings or priorities; in fact, they are more like traffic circles^[3]. The Hanger Lane Gyratory System is a vast complex roundabout system off the A40 road and the A406 in west London. ...

Mini roundabouts

A mini-roundabout in the United Kingdom, where a painted white circle is used for the centre. The arrows show the direction of traffic flow.

Mini-roundabouts exist at smaller intersections to avoid the use of signals, stop signs or the necessity to yield in favor of one road of traffic. Mini-roundabouts can be a painted circle, a low dome, or often are small garden beds. Painted roundabouts and low domes can easily be driven over by most vehicles, which many motorists will do when there is no other traffic, but the practice is dangerous if other cars are present. Mini-roundabouts work in the same way as larger roundabouts in term of right of way. They can often come in "chains", making navigation of otherwise awkward junctions easier. There are usually different road signs used to distinguish mini roundabouts from larger ones. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... See also: street sign theft External links http://homepages. ...

Mini-roundabouts are also common in Irapuato, Mexico, usually marked with a tiny grassy circle enclosed with sidewalk edges, and in Calgary, Canada's inner-city Mount Royal and Rosedale neighbourhoods, where mini-roundabouts recently replaced intersections formerly controlled by stop signs to combat increasing cut-through traffic. Main Plaza of Irapuato Irapuato is a city in the Mexican state of Guanajuato, lying on the Irapuato River, a tributary of the Lerma River. ... Motto: Heart of the new west Area: 712. ... Mount Royal is an area of Calgary, Alberta and is home to the neighbourhoods of Upper Mount Royal and Lower Mount Royal. ...

A slightly larger version of a mini-roundabout, sometimes called a "small roundabout", is designed with a raised center surrounded by a sloped "overrun area" of a different color from the roadway and up to a meter in thickness called a "truck apron". The truck apron's design discourages small vehicles from shortcutting over it while at the same time allowing the mini-roundabout to more easily accommodate the turning radius of larger vehicles.

In the UK the maximum diameter permissible of a mini-roundabout is 4 m. Whilst it may be physically possible, it is illegal for vehicles like cars, which can turn around the mini-roundabout, to go over the painted island, or around the wrong way- vehicles should treat it like a solid island and proceed around it. Certain local authorities have installed double while lines around the island to indicate this, but these are not permissible. The centre island also must be able to be over-run by larger vehicles. If this is not possible, perhaps due to plants, or street furniture it is considered a small roundabout not a mini roundabout and as such must adhere to the stricter roundabout guidelines.

Raindrop or peanut shaped roundabouts

The examples and perspective in this section may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please improve this article or discuss the issue on the talk page.

Raindrop roundabout at an Interstate interchange in North Carolina.

These roundabouts do not form a complete circle and are in a "raindrop" shape. They are appearing at Interstate interchanges to provide a free-flowing left turn to the on-ramps and eliminating the need for turn signals and lanes. Since the on and off-ramps are one-way, the need for a complete circle is not necessary. This means that drivers entering the roundabout from the bridge do not need to yield and prevents queuing on narrow, two-lane bridges. These roundabouts have been used at new interchanges so that a two-lane bridge can be built for less cost than a three-lane, as well as replacing traffic signals that are inefficient without a turning lane. Image File history File links Gnome-globe. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution (1908 × 1272 pixel, file size: 967 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) A raindrop roundabout on N.C. 108 at the Exit 67 interchange of I-26 in Columbus, Polk County, North Carolina. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution (1908 × 1272 pixel, file size: 967 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) A raindrop roundabout on N.C. 108 at the Exit 67 interchange of I-26 in Columbus, Polk County, North Carolina. ... A typical rural stretch of Interstate highway, with two lanes in each direction separated by a large grassy median, and with cross-traffic limited to overpasses and underpasses. ... Official language(s) English Capital Raleigh Largest city Charlotte Area  Ranked 28th  - Total 53,865 sq mi (139,509 km²)  - Width 150 miles (240 km)  - Length 560[1] miles (901 km)  - % water 9. ...

Roundabouts on motorways

See also: Roundabout interchange

While roundabouts do not usually interrupt motorways in the UK or Ireland, a common type of motorway intersection (suited only for lower volumes of traffic) consists of a grade separated roundabout above or below the main motorway, accessed via sliproads. Most intersections on Dublin's M50 motorway ring-road use this configuration — although several junctions have a greater volume of traffic than the capacity such roundabouts can accommodate. A roundabout interchange is an interchange between a freeway and a minor road. ... An example of a four-level stack interchange in the Netherlands. ... Dublin city centre at night WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , Statistics Province: Leinster County: Dáil Éireann: Dublin Central, Dublin North Central, Dublin North East, Dublin North West, Dublin South Central, Dublin South East European Parliament: Dublin Dialling Code: +353 1 Postal District(s): D1-24, D6W Area: 114. ... The M50 motorway is a motorway and National Primary Route in the Republic of Ireland running in a C-shaped ring around the northern, western and southern sides of the capital city, Dublin. ...

An additional improvement is the 3-level stacked roundabout — this is a roundabout interchange where both roads are grade separated. In the United Kingdom, the M25/A3 and A1(M)/M18 interchanges are examples of this type. These junctions however have less capacity than a full free-flow interchange. A similar design to this is the three-level diamond interchange. The M25 motorway looking south between junctions 14 and 15, near Heathrow Airport. ... The A3 is a trunk road in Southern England, connecting London to Portsmouth. ... Sign at Junction 1 of the A1(M) at South Mimms in Hertfordshire The A1 is the longest numbered road in the UK at 409 miles (658 km) long. ... The M18 northdown during the Winter 2005-2006 roadworks The M18 is a motorway in Yorkshire, England. ... A free-flow interchange is an interchange in which all roads are grade-separated, and where no movement from one road to another requires the driver to stop for traffic (for example, the interchange may not include traffic lights or roundabouts). ... Three-level diamond diagram A three-level diamond is a type of highway interchange where through traffic on both main roads is grade-separated from intersections which handle transferring traffic. ...

The A52 motorway in Switzerland links with three sections of road near Hinwil heading toward Hinwil, Forch and Rapperswil. The intersection takes shape in the form of a massive roundabout on the motorway. However, the sign for a roundabout is not used and a speed limit of 80 km/h (50 mph) applies. The size of the roundabout conceals the fact that it is a roundabout at all. The A52 at the Zumikon starting point The A52 motorroad The A52 is a motorroad (German: Autostrasse) connecting Zumikon in the canton of Zürich with Hinwil and Rapperswil in the canton of St. ... Hinwil is a municipality in the district of Hinwil, in the canton of Zürich, Switzerland. ... For the village in the canton of Bern, see Rapperswil, Berne. ...

The A7 motorway, also in Switzerland, also has a motorway roundabout (at its terminus in Kreuzlingen), but it is smaller in size. Massachusetts Route 128, a motorway/freeway in the United States, also has two large at-grade roundabouts (or rotaries as they are called in that state) in the city of Gloucester. They are signed as Exits 10 and 11. Roundabouts in Massachusetts follow the same general rule as in the UK, with circling traffic receiving right of way. The A7 motorway between Kreuzlingen and Grüneck (August 2004 image) The A7 is a motorway which runs from Winterthur in northeastern Switzerland through to Kreuzlingen, a border town with Konstanz (Germany). ... Kreuzlingen is a city in Switzerland bordering with Constance in Germany. ... Route 128, also known as the Yankee Division Highway (for the U.S. 26th Infantry Division), and originally the Circumferential Highway, is a partial beltway around Boston, Massachusetts, United States. ... Interstate 80 (Eastshore Freeway) in Berkeley, California: a typical American freeway (MUTCD definition) A freeway, also known as a highway, superhighway, autoroute, autobahn, autostrada, dual carriageway, expressway, Autosnelweg or motorway, depending on the country of discussion, is a type of road designed for safer high-speed operation of motor vehicles... An at-grade intersection is a junction at which two or more transport axes cross at the same level (or grade). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ...

There also was a former roundabout at the southern terminus of Route 3, a motorway linking Cape Cod to Boston; directly opposite is another motorway, the start of the Mid-Cape Highway section of US 6 heading over the Sagamore Bridge. Due to the small size of the roundabout, and the fact that Routes 3 and 6 make up the shortest way to get between the Cape and Boston, traffic tie-ups and accidents were common, especially in the summer months, when drivers from other states were often confused at how to navigate the roundabout. This roundabout was replaced with a standard motorway interchange during a three-year conversion project which concluded in 2007. Massachusetts Route 3 is a southward continuation of U.S. Highway 3, connecting Boston, Massachusetts with Cape Cod. ... Cape Cod (or simply the Cape) is an hook-shaped peninsula nearly coextensive with Barnstable County, Massachusetts and forming the easternmost portion of the state of Massachusetts, in the Northeastern United States. ... “Boston” redirects here. ... Route 6 is the portion of the cross-country U.S. Route 6 in the state of Massachusetts. ... U.S. Highway 6 is a largely east-west United States Highway that connects Bishop, California with Provincetown, Massachusetts on Cape Cod. ... The Sagamore Bridge carries U.S. Highway 6 across the Cape Cod Canal, connecting Cape Cod with the rest of Massachusetts, USA. Most traffic approaching from the north follows Massachusetts Route 3, which ends at US 6, just north of the bridge, and provides freeway connections from Boston and Interstate... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ...

In the city of Malmö, Sweden, there is a roundabout connecting two motorways, "Autostradan" from Lund, and the "Inner ring road". It is signposted as a motorway through this roundabout. Today these two motorways are considered local, but before year 2000 they were part of the European roads E6, E20 and E22. Motto: FrÃ¥n arbetarstad till kunskapsstad (eng: From industrial city to knowledge city) Location of Malmö in northern Europe Coordinates: , Country  Sweden Municipality Malmö Municipality County SkÃ¥ne County Province Scania (SkÃ¥ne) Charter 13th century Government  - Mayor Illmar Reepalu Area  - City 335. ...   IPA: is a city in SkÃ¥ne in southern Sweden. ... E-6 OR E6 can mean: European route E6 – a European highway route E6 (mathematics) – a is the name of a Lie group in mathematics E-6 process – a common photographic process for developing transparency film London E6 – the postcode for East Ham in London. ... It has been suggested that this article might be improved by explaining why the subject is significant or notable. ... E22 is the number of a European route (E-road) through the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Lithuania and Russia, from the harbour of Dublin, Ireland to Moscow passing Amsterdam, Hamburg, Sassnitz, Malmö, Kalmar, Norrköping, Ventpils and Riga. ...

Controlled roundabouts

Some bridges on Beijing's 2nd Ring Road are controlled by traffic lights. While it may appear to defy the roundabout system at first, it works well to control the flow of traffic on the bridges, which themselves are two viaducts creating a roundabout suspended over the ring road itself. “Peking” redirects here. ... 2nd Ring Road (Eastern segment, taken in July of 2004) Yonghegong Lamasery from the 2nd Ring Road (Northern segment, taken in July of 2004) Central to Beijing, the 2nd Ring Road (pinyin: Er Huan Lu) lies just a few kilometres away from the city centre and is an extremely convenient...

Signal controlled roundabouts are common in Great Britain and Ireland, where they have been introduced in an attempt to alleviate traffic problems at over-capacity roundabout intersections or to prevent some flows of traffic dominating others (around the M50 in Dublin for example). The M50 motorway is a motorway and National Primary Route in the Republic of Ireland running in a C-shaped ring around the northern, western and southern sides of the capital city, Dublin. ... Dublin city centre at night WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , Statistics Province: Leinster County: Dáil Éireann: Dublin Central, Dublin North Central, Dublin North East, Dublin North West, Dublin South Central, Dublin South East European Parliament: Dublin Dialling Code: +353 1 Postal District(s): D1-24, D6W Area: 114. ...

"Magic" roundabouts

Swindon's "Magic roundabout" _{Map in GoogleMaps}

The town of Swindon in Wiltshire, England is known for its "Magic Roundabout". This roundabout is at an intersection of five roads and consists of a two-way road around the central island with five mini-roundabouts where it meets the incoming roads. Traffic may proceed around the main roundabout either clockwise via the outer lanes, or anti-clockwise using the inner lanes next to the central island. At each mini-roundabout the usual clockwise flow applies. Image File history File links Swindon_Magic_Roundabout_eng. ... Image File history File links Swindon_Magic_Roundabout_eng. ... , For other places with the same name, see Swindon (disambiguation). ... Wiltshire (abbreviated Wilts) is a large southern English county. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... The large roundabout and two mini roundabouts The Magic Roundabout in Swindon, England, was constructed in 1972 and consists of one large roundabout containing 5 mini-roundabouts. ...

Similar systems are found in various places in England, most famously the Moor End roundabout in Hemel Hempstead (Hertfordshire), which has six intersections; but also one in High Wycombe (Buckinghamshire)[5] and the Denham Roundabout in Denham (Buckinghamshire), the Greenstead Roundabout in Colchester (Essex) and the Sadler's Farm Roundabout in Benfleet (Essex); "The Egg" in Tamworth, (Staffordshire); and the Hatton Cross Roundabout in London [6]. Magic roundabouts are also known as "Ring Junctions". The Magic Roundabout or Funny Roundabout in Hemel Hempstead is the familiar name given to a complex road junction also known as the Moor End roundabout. ... Hemel Hempstead is a town in Hertfordshire, England with a population of 81,143 at the 2001 Census. ... For the similarly named county in the West Midlands region, see Herefordshire. ... // The world renound retard, jack milner, has been said to be living in the retarded town just west of high wycombe known as down syndromly. ... Buckinghamshire (abbreviated Bucks) is one of the home counties in South East England. ... The Denham Roundabout is a large road intersection to the west of London. ... Denham is a village in Buckinghamshire, England. ... Buckinghamshire (abbreviated Bucks) is one of the home counties in South East England. ... The Magic Roundabout in Colchester, Essex, England, is similar to the roundabouts in Swindon and Hemel Hempstead with the same name. ... The town of Colchester is the main settlement in the East of England borough of Colchester, Essex. ... Essex is a county in the East of England. ... Statistics Population: Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: TQ782860 Administration District: Castle Point Shire county: Essex Region: East of England Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: Essex Historic county: Essex Services Police force: Essex Police Ambulance service: East of England Post office and telephone Post town: BENFLEET... Essex is a county in the East of England. ... The Egg is a magic roundabout in Tamworth, Staffordshire. ... Tamworth town centre Tamworth is a historic town and local government district in Staffordshire, England, located 27 km (17 miles) north-east of Birmingham city centre and 198 km (123 miles) north-west of London. ... Staffordshire (abbreviated Staffs) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ...

Roundabouts with trams

Most notably found in inner Melbourne, particularly in the inner suburban area of South Melbourne, where the tram network is extensive. Tram tracks always pass through the central island of these roundabouts. They can be worrying for inexperienced drivers, as they must give way, not only to vehicles coming towards them from their right, but also to trams coming at them from right-angles. This article is about the Australian city; the name may also refer to City of Melbourne or Melbourne city centre. ... South Melbourne is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. ... A C class tram An A1 class tram The city of Melbourne, the second-largest city in Australia, has one of the worlds most extensive networks of tramways. ...

Having trams pass through a small roundabouts is not a problem; through larger roundabouts it can be difficult, particularly when there is a tram junction (i.e. the tram may do more than simply pass straight through the intersection). In these cases, the roundabouts are very large, and often have tram stops in the middle. Flemington Junction is the most notorious intersection of this nature, containing a tram-stop, pedestrian crossings, three entering tram lines, traffic signals to stop vehicular traffic at each crossing point when a tram is due, service roads and pedestrian crossing. This article refers to public transport vehicles running on rails. ... A pedestrian crossing or crosswalk is a designated point on a road at which some means are employed to assist pedestrians wishing to cross. ...

There are a few larger roundabouts in Brussels where several tram routes converge from different directions, and the tram lines are laid around the roundabout allowing the trams to follow the same path as other traffic. For other places with the same name, see Brussels (disambiguation). ...

In Dublin, Ireland, the Red Cow ("Mad Cow") roundabout at the N7/M50 intersection is particularly infamous. It is a grade-separated motorway junction, and is signal-controlled with secondary lanes (separate from the main roundabout) for those making left hand turns. The junction, the busiest in Ireland, had tram lines added to it with the opening of the LUAS system in 2004. The tracks pass across one carriageway of the N7, and across the southern M50 sliproads. Trams pass at a frequency of every 5 minutes at rush hour. Dublin city centre at night WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , Statistics Province: Leinster County: Dáil Éireann: Dublin Central, Dublin North Central, Dublin North East, Dublin North West, Dublin South Central, Dublin South East European Parliament: Dublin Dialling Code: +353 1 Postal District(s): D1-24, D6W Area: 114. ... The red cow roundabout is the junction where the N7 crosses the M50. ... The N7 road is a National Primary Route in the Republic of Ireland, connecting Dublin and Limerick. ... The M50 motorway is a motorway and National Primary Route in the Republic of Ireland running in a C-shaped ring around the northern, western and southern sides of the capital city, Dublin. ... Luas [l̪ˠuː(ə)s̪ˠ] (Irish for speed), also promoted in the development stage as the Dublin Light Rail System, currently encompasses two unconnected on-street light rail lines in Dublin, Ireland. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In Gothenburg, Sweden the roundabout and Korsvägen tram stop (the Crossroad) at the Trade fair is of this type, and is rather infamous in the city. It is heavily trafficked by cars, and about one tram or bus per minute passes. Location of Gothenburg in northern Europe Coordinates: Country Sweden County Västra Götaland County Province Västergötland Charter 1621 Government  - Mayor Göran Johansson Area  - City 450 km²  (174 sq mi)  - Water 14. ... Gothenburg tram line 4 (left) and 14 (right) meet at Centralstationen tram station. ... The 2006 LinuxWorld trade show at the Boston Convention and Exposition Center. ...

In Wrocław, Poland tram passes through Powstańców Śląskich Roundabout, having a stop in the roundabout (north-headed track). Motto: Miasto spotkaÅ„ (the meeting place) Coordinates: , Country Poland Voivodeship Lower Silesian Powiat city county Gmina WrocÅ‚aw Established 10th century City Rights 1262 Government  - Mayor RafaÅ‚ Dutkiewicz Area  - City 292. ...

In Kiev, Ukraine an interchange of two "fast tram" lines is done below a roundabout. Map of Ukraine with Kiev highlighted Coordinates: , Country Ukraine Oblast Kiev City Municipality Raion Municipality Government  - Mayor Leonid Chernovetskyi Elevation 179 m (587 ft) Population (2006)  - City 4,450,968  - Density 3,299/km² (8,544. ... A 1913 map of the Kiev tram system (outlined in red) The Kiev Tram (Ukrainian: ) was the first electric tramway in the former Russian Empire, and the third one in Europe after the Berlin Straßenbahn (tram) and the Budapest tramway, is located in Kiev, Ukraine. ...

Oslo, Norway also has many roundabouts with tram tracks passing through; for example at Bislett, Frogner plass, Sinsen, Solli plass and Storo. County District Østlandet Municipality NO-0301 Administrative centre Oslo Mayor (2004) Per Ditlev-Simonsen (H) Official language form BokmÃ¥l Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 224 454 km² 426 km² 0. ... Oslotrikken, which in English translates to The Oslo tram, is the tram division of Oslo Sporveier. ... The district Helsfyr-Sinsen was a district of the city of Oslo, Norway up to January 1 2004, when it became part of the Alna and Gamle Oslo districts. ...

In Wolverhampton, UK, the Midland Metro tram passes through the centre of a roundabout on approach to its terminus at St Georges. This also happens in New Addington on the Croydon Tramlink on Old Lodge Lane at the junction to King Henry's Drive. // Wolverhampton is a City in the historical county of Staffordshire and metropolian county of the West Midlands. ... Midland Metro tram 05 approaching West Bromwich tram stop The Midland Metro is a light-rail tram system in the West Midlands of England. ... , New Addington is a place in the London Borough of Croydon. ... For other uses, see Croydon (disambiguation). ... Tramlink (initially known as Croydon Tramlink) is a public transport tramway in south London, operated by FirstGroup on behalf of Transport for London. ...

An underpass in Sheffield, UK allows the tram to travel below a major roundabout, avoiding what would otherwise be a serious hindrance to traffic. Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough in South Yorkshire, England. ...

In Salt Lake City, Utah a light rail line on the south side of the University of Utah crosses a roundabout where Guardsman Way meets South Campus Drive. Like virtually all rail crossings in the United States, both crossings in the circle are equipped with boom barriers. The Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Salt Lake Citys top tourist draw. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... This article is about light rail systems in general. ... The University of Utah (also The U or the U of U or the UU), located in Salt Lake City, is the flagship public research university in the state of Utah, and one of 10 institutions that make up the Utah System of Higher Education. ... A boom barrier is a bar, or pole pivoted in such a way as to allow the boom to block vehicular access through a controlled point. ...

Hamburger roundabout/throughabout/cut-through roundabout

These resemble a normal roundabout but are signalised and have a straight-through section of carriageway for one of the major routes. The hamburger name derives from the fact that the plan view resembles the cross-section through a hamburger. There are two such examples on the A580 East Lancashire Road in St Helens, England, one at Haydock Island in Merseyside (which also features the M6 passing overhead), the second is on the Astley/Boothstown border near to Manchester. More examples are the A6003 at Kettering and the A538 near Manchester Airport [7]. Yet another can be seen at the junction of Morley Drive and Alexander Drive in Perth, WA, Australia. An example of such an intersection in the United States can be found on the Revere Beach Parkway in Everett, Massachusetts. This article is about the food item. ... For the larger local government district, see Metropolitan Borough of St Helens. ... This article is about Kettering in England. ... Everett is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts near Boston. ...

Roundabouts and Cyclists

Cycle facilities at roundabouts

Research has shown that even in large circular intersections that lack modern roundabout design features, a high rate of bicycle/motor vehicle crashes occurs when bicyclists are riding around the outside. Design guidance^[8] for modern roundabouts recommends terminating cycle lanes well before the entrances, so bicyclists merge into the stream of motor traffic.

A 1992 study^[9] from the German Transport Ministry's research institute has cast particular light on this issue. The study found that bicyclists' risk is high in all such intersections, but it is much higher when the intersection has a marked bicycle lane or sidepath around its outside (see "Marked perimeter cycle lanes" below). The results of this study concerning circular intersections are summarized on a web site (in German, but partially translated below)^[10]. A report about accidents at four-arm roundabouts was published^[11] by the UK Transport and Road Research Laboratory (TRRL) (now TRL) in 1984. A website, Web site or WWW site (often shortened to just site) is a collection of webpages, that is, HTML/XHTML documents accessible via HTTP on the Internet; all publicly accessible websites in existence comprise the World Wide Web. ... Originally established by the British Government in 1933, since privatisation in 1996 the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) in Crowthorne Berkshire is a private laboratory involved in all areas of road transport and environmental impact research, including vehicle crash tests. ...

Collisions typically occur when a motorist is entering or leaving the circular roadway. A motorist entering the circular roadway must yield to traffic in it, but such traffic will generally keep away from the outside of the circular roadway (as with a vehicle in the photo) if passing an entrance. A bicyclist close to the edge of the roadway is not in the usual position where an entering motorist expects to look for circulating traffic.

When exiting the circular roadway, a motorist must look ahead to steer, and to avoid colliding with another vehicle ahead or with pedestrians in a crosswalk. As the circular roadway curves away from the exit, the path of a vehicle exiting the circular roadway is relatively straight, and so the exiting motorist may often not need to slow substantially. However, if it is necessary to yield to a bicyclist riding around the outside, the exiting motorist must look toward the rear, to the outside of the intersection. With many vehicles, such as vans, the driver's view in this direction is obstructed. The task burden of the motorist is therefore substantially increased if bicyclists ride around the outside. The resulting conflicts, and more frequent requirements for motorists to slow or stop, also reduce the efficiency of traffic flow which is one of the major advantages of the circular intersections. Cycle lanes around the outside of circular intersections are therefore falling out of favor. Look up Pedestrian in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This crossing in London was famously featured on the cover of The Beatles album Abbey Road. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Marked perimeter cycle lanes

Cycle lanes on St John's roundabout in Newbury, Berkshire, England. This example is from a country where traffic keeps to the left, and traffic in the circular roadway of the roundabout travels clockwise.

An early attempt to deal with the problem was to mark preferential lanes for cyclists, as in the picture (right). With cycle lanes, bicyclists do not merge into the flow of motor traffic in the roundabout, but rather, they travel around the outside, relieving them of the requirement to merge. The colored road surface and edge lines of the cycle lanes indicate that motorists are required to yield to bicyclists at all locations where their paths may cross. Download high resolution version (2272x1704, 1106 KB) This photo shows a roundabout with cycle lanes around the outside. ... Download high resolution version (2272x1704, 1106 KB) This photo shows a roundabout with cycle lanes around the outside. ... This article or section should include material from Cycle path debate Segregated cycle facilities may consist of a separate road, track, path or lane that is designated for use by cyclists and from which motorised traffic is generally excluded. ... Newbury is a civil parish and the principal town in the west of the county of Berkshire in England. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... This page is related to transport; you may be looking for the 2002 Bollywood movie Road. ... The Clockwise direction A clockwise motion is one that proceeds like the clocks hands: from the top to the right, then down and then to the left, and back to the top. ... For other uses, see Bicycle (disambiguation). ... Driving is the controlled operation of a vehicle, usually a motor vehicle such as a truck, bus, motorcycle, or car (for bicycles and mounted animals and—at least in the U.K. and U.S.—motorcycles, the corresponding activity is called riding). ...

Modern design guidance

The special features of modern roundabouts, including splitter/diverter islands and small diameter of the circular roadway, decrease the speed of motor traffic and so reduce the risk of collisions for bicyclists as well as motorists below that of conventional intersections. Design guidance^[12] for modern roundabouts recommends terminating cycle lanes well before the entrances, so bicyclists merge into the stream of motor traffic. Bicyclists who lack the skill and confidence to do this may use the crosswalks as pedestrians. Modern design guidance also recommends placing the crosswalks far enough from the roundabout so that at least one exiting vehicle can wait without blocking the circular roadway.

See the New York State DOT Interim Requirements and Guidance or the United States DOT Informational Guide. The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) is reponsible for the development and operation of highways, railroads, mass transit systems, ports, waterways and aviation facilities in the U.S. state of New York. ... The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) is a federal Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with transportation. ...

Examples of roundabouts

• Elephant and Castle, London
• The Plain, Oxford
• St George's Circus, London
• Place Charles de Gaulle (Place de l'Étoile), Paris — 12 roads regularly spaced at 30° intervals around the Arc de Triomphe
• Los Alamitos Traffic Circle, Long Beach, California
• Glorieta de Bilbao, Madrid — a star shaped roundabout
• Columna de la Independencia Rondabout in Paseo de la Reforma, Mexico City

The Elephant and Castle, commonly shortened to the Elephant, is a major road intersection in inner south London, and is also used as a name for the surrounding district. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... The Plain is an important junction, now a roundabout constructed in 1950, just east of Magdalen Bridge in Oxford, England. ... Obelisk at St Georges Circus. ... The Place de lÉtoile is a large Place in Paris, France, the meeting point of twelve avenues (hence the name Star Square) including the Champs-Élysées which continues to the east. ... This article is about the capital of France. ... This article is about the monument in Paris. ... The Long Beach Traffic Circle and surrounding area in 1948. ... Nickname: Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates: , Country State County Los Angeles County Government  - Mayor Bob Foster Area  - City  65. ... Glorieta de Bilbao Glorieta de Bilbao is a star shaped roundabout located in Madrid, Spain; named after the city of Bilbao. ... Motto: (Spanish for From Madrid to Heaven) Location Coordinates: , Country Spain Autonomous Community Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid Province Madrid Administrative Divisions 21 Neighborhoods 127 Founded 9th century Government  - Mayor Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón Jimémez (PP) Area  - Land 607 km² (234. ... El Ángel de la Independencia (The Angel of Independence), most commonly known by the shortened name El Ángel, is a monument located on a roundabout over Paseo de la Reforma in downtown Mexico City. ... Paseo de la Reforma (Reform Avenue) is a 12 km long grand avenue in Mexico City. ... Nickname: Motto: Ciudad en movimiento Location of Mexico City in central Mexico Coordinates: , Country Federal entity Boroughs The 16 delegaciones Founded c. ...

Miscellany

An IMAX cinema built in a roundabout

• The Lambeth Bridge Roundabout in London was featured in the film National Lampoon's European Vacation.
• The first UK roundabout was built in Letchworth Garden City, in 1909.^[4]
• The Brunel Bridge Roundabout in Slough was made famous by its appearance in the opening titles of the Ricky Gervais sitcom The Office.
• The Kinsale Road Roundabout in Cork, Ireland is a very large and irregularly shaped, three lane, signal controlled roundabout. The roundabout is situated on the N25 southern ring road dual carriageway, at the intersection with a dual-carriageway to the city centre, a road to Bishopstown, and the airport or Kinsale road. With the huge traffic volumes at the intersection, the dangerous and difficult navigation of the roundabout had given rise to the "Magic Roundabout" nickname and at times traffic jams of a kilometer in length were not uncommon, especially during peak periods. However this roundabout has been upgraded to a grade-separated junction where the N25 now passes over it.
• East Longmeadow, MA contains a central rotary where 7 roads come together into a roundabout. The town has talked about changing its design to the dismay of some residents who would like it kept. It is listed in Ripley's Believe It or Not.
• The roundabout at the junction of Tyndall Street and Ocean Way in Cardiff has cubes and other geometric shapes constructed from road signs. ^{(Google Map)}
• Crawley, West Sussex has a large rectangular roundabout which contains a hotel in the centre, giving rise to the address, "The Squareabout, Crawley".
• Mooroolbark, Melbourne contains a triple-roundabout [13], that is, three consecutive roundabouts, on Hull Rd. They were built to replace a dangerous area where three secondary roads joined Hull Rd at separate places within 200 m. Each roundabout allows drivers to turn onto or off from one of the three