Traffic Circles in Edmond?

[zachj7]

One thing I don't miss from living in Edmond is the horrible traffic. I have since moved to Indianapolis area and the city and metro has some remarkable similarities to Oklahoma City. The northern suburbs of Carmel is similar to Edmond in some respects. The northern suburb of Indy has a similar street pattern to Edmond. They have traffic circles at most major intersections. At first, I though it was stupid, but after driving through them many times, they are a much better option than all the street lights in Edmond. They make so much more sense than all the street lights in Edmond. Not only do they reduce speed for all the speeders, they allow traffic to move without wasting time sitting at a light, also wasting gasoline. Even during rush hour, traffic seems to flow. Has there been any studies in the OKC area about using mass traffic circles at intersections? Anybody with me on this one?

Traffic Circle and 4 lane highway exit. This would be great at Covell/I35, Danforth/I35, Waterloo/I35, etc. Did I hear waterloo was considering something like this?
https://www.google.com/maps/@39.9709.../data=!3m1!1e3

Traffic Circle Flow


Traffic circles circled in Red. Missed many, but allow traffic to flow without stopping. This is in Carmel, IN.

[tfvc.org]

I just returned to from spending three weeks in Spain, and I did 99% of the driving there. Roundabouts keep the traffic flowing. I did not get the opportunity to drive through 4-5 lane roundabouts, just the two lane ones. Most of them don't have lights, but some do, especially in the bigger cities. I don't know how well they would work here since people in Oklahoma don't seem to know what a yield sign is, and when people on the highway are yielding to people coming on the highway, I can see people stopping in the middle of the roundabout to let people in. It would take an aggressive TV campaign to educate people how to navigate through them before they even start changing the intersections, but like you said, it keeps traffic flowing.

[ctchandler]

Funny that you mention this, I was sitting at an intersection in Edmond with cars stopped in three directions and no cars in the only lanes with a green light. It was well over a minute (no cars moving in any direction) and I was thinking about the roundabouts in Great Britain and Ireland and how smooth traffic moved. I have driven almost twenty thousand miles there and have become a huge fan. Most of the time, a yield sign is not required because they are educated to understand the rules of entering a roundabout. And they do use signal lights in major areas because if they didn't, the rush hour traffic would dominate the flow. Now, in response to your question about studies, the most dangerous intersection(?) in Oklahoma City used to be Classen Circle and it failed miserably. It was in place for probably about twenty years and they finally gave up and redesigned it. It was not a true "roundabout" though, and I really don't remember the main problem but until the one near St. Anthony Hospital, I haven't seen one in the OKC area.
C. T.

[rte66man]

Having grown up just outside London in the 70's, I learned to drive there. Roundabouts work really well when traffic counts up to a certain point. I've noticed that all the roundabouts have been removed from the A40 coming into London from the west. I suspect the traffic counts became too much for the large roundabouts to handle effectively.

[tfvc.org]

Funny that you mention this, I was sitting at an intersection in Edmond with cars stopped in three directions and no cars in the only lanes with a green light. It was well over a minute (no cars moving in any direction) and I was thinking about the roundabouts in Great Britain and Ireland and how smooth traffic moved. I have driven almost twenty thousand miles there and have become a huge fan. Most of the time, a yield sign is not required because they are educated to understand the rules of entering a roundabout. And they do use signal lights in major areas because if they didn't, the rush hour traffic would dominate the flow. Now, in response to your question about studies, the most dangerous intersection(?) in Oklahoma City used to be Classen Circle and it failed miserably. It was in place for probably about twenty years and they finally gave up and redesigned it. It was not a true "roundabout" though, and I really don't remember the main problem but until the one near St. Anthony Hospital, I haven't seen one in the OKC area.
C. T.

There are a couple on N 10th St: Walker and Shartell.

[ctchandler]

There are a couple on N 10th St: Walker and Shartell.

I had forgotten about the one at Shartell, but the one at Walker is the one I was referring to when I mentioned St. Anthony.
C. T.

[ctchandler]

Having grown up just outside London in the 70's, I learned to drive there. Roundabouts work really well when traffic counts up to a certain point. I've noticed that all the roundabouts have been removed from the A40 coming into London from the west. I suspect the traffic counts became too much for the large roundabouts to handle effectively.

I don't know if it was around (pun intended) when you were there, but the "Magic Roundabout" in Swindon is one that I wouldn't drive through. It's one main roundabout surrounded by five smaller ones. Even the Brits avoid it when they can, but a friend did drive us through it. Check it out - The Magic Roundabout - Swindon's white knuckle ride! SwindonWeb guide
C. T.

[Zorba]

Traffic circles can be good, but I think they have to be widespread or people don't know how to use them. When I lived in Cincinnati they installed one down the street, it was the only one around and people come to a complete stop before entering, EVERY TIME. It was horrible. Although people in Cincinnati were way too "courteous" when driving.

Edmond just needs to delete about half the lights in the city, but they keep adding more and more for no reason. Heck they just widened a section of Danforth from 2 to 4 lanes, and then added a 4-way stop in the middle of the mile section! Whoever decided to do that should be taken out back and beaten.

For the Waterloo/I-35 interchange they might use a Diverging Diamond. Example: https://goo.gl/maps/rwNbVC9FAPT2 Although, I seriously doubt this district of ODOT will accept that much innovation.

[zachj7]

You know, I totally forgot Oklahoma drivers and their inability to understand what a yield sign is or simple merging. You move somewhere and people drive normally again. Perhaps this would be far too much of a challenge for drivers in OK. The only way I see it working is an agressive tv ad campaign and teaching how you approach a yield sign. In Indianapolis where the city is on a grid system, especially the northern suburbs, it just makes sense. Drivers here have no difficulty understanding the traffic circle concept. The main roads like like 2nd street would continue to have lights but intersections like Coltrane/danforth, Coltrane/15th, Bryant/Covell and anything north of Covell would be good candidates for roundabouts. Those main intersections in mostly residential areas would allow traffic to continue to flow without stopping at stop signs or lights.

Haha, I saw that stop sign when I was in town a few weeks ago on Danforth. Totally took me by surprise and I remember thinking how stupid is that?

I'm telling ya, these roundabouts here in Indy save a ton of time and changed my entire thought on them. I used to think they only worked in Europe but boy was I wrong. Surprisingly, these roundabouts work great on a grid system. No stopping at stop lights and stop signs. Just continually flowing traffic and only stopping (yielding) if needed.

[jerrywall]

I love traffic circles. I do think there is a learning curve nd ita a bit of a chicken and egg problem. We need lots of them to get people used to them.

[Just the facts]

I think the problem is 'politeness' of the average driver. I see people stop in the traffic circle and wave an entering car in ahead of them. I don't want you to be nice, I want you to drive your car like you are supposed to.

[BlackmoreRulz]

I had forgotten about the one at Shartell, but the one at Walker is the one I was referring to when I mentioned St. Anthony.
C. T.

Didn't there used to be one at 23rd & I35 also?

[Bunty]

As an Oklahoma driver, I was confused in Stillwater's new two lane roundabout. When making a left turn when in it with a car approaching, is it supposed to wait for me or can I go ahead and make the left turn?

[Just the facts]

If you are in the roundabout you have the right of way. Someone entering the roundabout is supposed to wait for you.

This should help

[Urbanized]

I think the problem is 'politeness' of the average driver. I see people stop in the traffic circle and wave an entering car in ahead of them. I don't want you to be nice, I want you to drive your car like you are supposed to.

The only thing that irritates me more than wrongly taking my right-of-way from me is not taking your own right-of-way.

[Urban Pioneer]

There are at least two nice sized roundabouts in the middle of the Chesapeake campus. There are a couple small median roundabouts in Edmond. I agree. More should be installed... particularly in Edmond.

[jerrywall]

Besides the one in the neighborhood off of rankin is a roundabout?

[Just the facts]

Remember just a few years ago when there was so much outrage with the idea of roundabouts on Lindsey in Norman, and the state opted for stop lights? Oh to have that as a do-over.

[MagzOK]

I do prefer traffic circles over stop lights. My experience with folks on highways here having trouble merging with highway traffic leads me to believe that many folks just might not be able to get through a traffic circle correctly! Maybe that's why engineers are hesitant! LOL

[Just the facts]

People have trouble mergin here because ODOT can't make a single decent on-ramp. They probably couldn't make a round-about either. Lord knows they can't make a boulevard.

If they did make a round-about they would high bank it so cars could go through it at 65mph without the driver having to move the steering wheel, and then they would put in a stoplight and unprotected sidewalk with a Florida curb and call it "pedestrian friendley"

[oklip955]

Heck, drivers here cannot even make a left turn on to another street and stay in the correct lane. A traffic circle would confuse them.

[zachj7]

The times I have driven on the roundabout at Walker and 10th St. seems to be pretty solid. Drivers seem to know how to handle that roundabout. I know its not a 2 lane roundabout, but still, people seem to know how to handle this one. Do people have other experiences with this one?

https://www.google.com/maps/@35.4785.../data=!3m1!1e3

[Just the facts]

For the most part I see people navigate this one without problem. The people I do see that have a problem are probably just as confused in all aspects of driving. The roundabout isn't the source of their poor driving ability, it is just another venue to put it on display.

[ctchandler]

Didn't there used to be one at 23rd & I35 also?

BlackmoreRulz,
Yes.
C. T.

[rezman]

The times I have driven on the roundabout at Walker and 10th St. seems to be pretty solid. Drivers seem to know how to handle that roundabout. I know its not a 2 lane roundabout, but still, people seem to know how to handle this one. Do people have other experiences with this one?

https://www.google.com/maps/@35.4785.../data=!3m1!1e3

I was in that circle on my motorcycle with my daughter, traveling from southbound Walker to eastbound 10th and was almost taken down by a northbound driver who thought he didn't have to stop and let me pass, even though we made eye to eye contact. Contrary to the belief that traffic doesn't have to stop at traffic circles, ... in the event where someone is coming around the circle as you are trying to enter, you DO have to stop.