The city I grew up in had no roundabouts back then. Today it does have some, some were even made and removed again since. People there hate roundabouts.
The city I live nearby now has so many roundabouts that I can drive for over an hour without seeing a traffic light. It always had those, people are used to using them.
Guess what works better and barely has any traffic issues at all.
As a bicyclist I hate them, at least the smaller ones. Because they slow me down, can't take them with 40 to 50 kph, need to slow down to 30. But that was the intent, yes?
However, crossings with traffic lights I can take at any speed I'm able to, when they are green for me, and I don't need to turn. Or if I can oversee them from afar, and they are empty, and I can give a shit about 'lights'.
The think I don’t like about not being able to “speed” at 50kph(!) through a city is that, at least in Australia with it’s excessive compliment of bureaucratic Karens, is the 30 > 50 > 70 > 60 > 40 > 30 > SCHOOL ZONE > 80 > 40 > 50 > 30 nightmare.
Which does two things, raises state revenue and causes drivers to spend way to much time concentrating on how fast they are going rather than driving to suit the conditions and paying focusing to what’s going on in front of them.
That's just traditional design failure. A well-designed road network has higher-speed through roads and lower-speed local roads - and a school (serving the local neighbourhood) has zero business being near a through road.
And to make it a two-for-one special: roads shouldn't need speed signs to begin with. The road should be designed for a certain speed, so that driving any faster feels uncomfortable and unsafe. If it is physically possible to drive 80 in a 30, something has gone terribly wrong already. Roundabouts are a great addition to this: you can't exactly speed through them, so you are forced to slow down.
herbst · · focus · HN ↗
The city I live nearby now has so many roundabouts that I can drive for over an hour without seeing a traffic light. It always had those, people are used to using them.
Guess what works better and barely has any traffic issues at all.
LargoLasskhyfv · · focus · HN ↗
However, crossings with traffic lights I can take at any speed I'm able to, when they are green for me, and I don't need to turn. Or if I can oversee them from afar, and they are empty, and I can give a shit about 'lights'.
herbst · · focus · HN ↗
Other than that it's obviously by design. There is no reason to speed at constant 50kph in a city. Nether for a car, motorbike or e-bike.
rightnutwingjob · · focus · HN ↗
Which does two things, raises state revenue and causes drivers to spend way to much time concentrating on how fast they are going rather than driving to suit the conditions and paying focusing to what’s going on in front of them.
And don’t get me started on the pot holes.
crote · · focus · HN ↗
And to make it a two-for-one special: roads shouldn't need speed signs to begin with. The road should be designed for a certain speed, so that driving any faster feels uncomfortable and unsafe. If it is physically possible to drive 80 in a 30, something has gone terribly wrong already. Roundabouts are a great addition to this: you can't exactly speed through them, so you are forced to slow down.