The REAL problem with our roundabouts...
 

...and a big contributor to the confusion by some people (I know, I know...no one will actually admit to it :D) is the lack of consistency in signage AND striping. :oops:


Note the following photos (numbered from left to right).

1. 2 lanes entering from all 4 sides, 2 lanes all the way around the roundabout...but sign only shows one lane.

2. Same as sign in #1, but it actually narrows to 1 lane within the roundabout...but only for part of it.

3 & 4. Showing roundabout in photo #2.

5. Sign accurately showing two lanes around entire roundabout.

Great Job CNM
I think there are 2 threads going on this subject. Fast forward to 4:30. The creator does a pretty good job too.

Totally agree.
Also the overall strategy assumes everyone knows exactly where they are going heading into the circle. Not around here. Ever pay attention to how many people you see in golf carts pulled over looking at the map. I don't believe that would be isolated to only golf carts. I believe a reasonable solution would be to make them all one lane (wait before you jump) with the highest traveled street of each circle having auxiliary bypass lanes.

....and there's more! :D

Photos numbered L to R.

1. Another 2 lane sign.

2. Solid white line between outside and inside lane in roundabout in photo 1, meaning you shouldn't cross it...to continue around the roundabout.

3. Other side of roundabout in photo 1 & 2, that doesn't have solid white line and allows outside line to cut across inside line...even if the person is taking the exit.

4. Rainey Trail roundabout, with solid white line northbound and then narrows to one lane...on north side of roundabout.

5. The west exit to Rainy Trail, with solid white line indicating you have to be in right lane to exit.


To summarize, The Villages little schematic on what should be done in roundabouts doesn't match what they've actually done with the striping and signage. :oops:


As I've said many times however, I think narrowing ALL roundabouts to one lane in the locations shown in some of the photos...would go a long way to making things simpler. :shrug:

DANG!


You mean I wasted a couple of hours taking photos and editing them...and someone has already YouTubed it? :oops:


Thanks for the heads up on the video though, because listening to someone talk about it, instead of me just posting photos and referencing them...is probably easier for some folks to understand. :thumbup:

We all appreciate you doing the work. I posted what I youtubed in the other thread while you were working and you missed it.

I do look at the signs every-time and I missed it. The fact that the sign shows 1 lane and there are 2 is hard to believe it's been overlooked.

And, another weakness of the signs is that they are placed too close to the roundabouts. There isn't time to change lanes in traffic after reading a sign. The safest thing to do is to know where you are going before you start driving.

Nice job with photos and narrative. Maybe you should send to Sumter County Public Works.

Signage is definitely a problem but the second issue is the painted lane markings are also inconsistent. Why do some have the center lane striped to move all traffic the the outside lane (i.e. by Palmer CC)? There are numerous other examples.

I lived for six years in Europe, four years in the far East and went through a round-a-bout at least twice every workday for 20+ years in Virginia. They don't have a clue here about how properly marked round-a-bouts and properly educated drivers could make them very efficient for traffic flow.

According to the video there is 1 accident a week. It wouldn't hurt to have 2 sets of signs or just correct them and move them up. If I'm in the inside lane and someone is in the outside lane I go around again.

They would likely say that the first two signs are in Marion County.

I agree with the need for good markings, signage and driver education. But the roundabouts here are already pretty efficient...much more so than the alternatives.

I believe the only way to cure the problem is to merge to one lane before entering the round about

AND that would make traffic back up everywhere.

It isn't that hard.

Sorry, the real issue is people don't take the time to learn how to navigate.....the roadways are clearly marked for what lane goes in what direction.....and the dotted lines tell you where to change lanes. The signs are great if you are looking for a road name but should not be used on how to drive. We still have people making left turns from the right lanes and no signage will fix that. JMO