Re: Navigating Roundabouts
 

The first roundabout hereabouts (West Chester, Ohio, suburb of Cincinnati) is being completed as I type, well not at five in the morning, but you know what I mean.

I am somewhat concerned about it because it is our way to leave our development and also it is in the area close to the high school and those kids and us Beckett Ridgers aren't used to roundabouts. School opens about the same time the roundabout will be finished.

Hope we survive to drive the roundabouts in TV. Hope the kids do too, to run the world in the future.

I came across this post and thought "finally a definitive answer"... But, after reading the brochure, I'm just as confused as ever. There are some traffic circles (Buena Vista at Old Camp for example) where the paint in the circle indicates that you must merge out of the inside to the outside lane. I asked a Deupty about it and he just kind of shrugged and said he finds them very confusing, too.

Hello DC:
 

My wife and I lived in Maine for almost 20 years (woked for the VA at Togus). Never ever heard the term "round a bout" till we moved here. Everyone I knew in Maine called them rotarys.
I still refer to them by that name.

Roundabouts, rotery's, or traffic circles are all the same thing and actually very simple. And IF everyone followed the rules work very well and keep traffic moving.
1. The person already in the circle always has the right of way.
2. Move to the correct lane before you enter the circle.
3. Going only 90 degrees on the circle ALWAYS enter from the right lane, stay in the right (outside) lane and take the first exit from that lane.
4. Going 270 degrees on the circle ALWAYS enter from the left lane, stay in the left lane (inside) and exit from the inside lane. Remember "everyone follows the rules" so if someone is entering from your next to last exit and only going 90 degrees, your inside lane exit works fine.
5. Going 180 degrees you may enter from either lane and exit from either lane. Just stay in the lane you chose to use. DON'T switch lanes in the circle.

Cony rotary is the #1 accident site in Maine.
 

SABRMnLgs,

The Cony roatry is the #1 accident site in Maine. The only two accidents I have had as an adult (been driving 43 years) was in the same exact place on the Cony rotary.

I refuse to use the Augusta rotaries. I go many miles out of my way to avoid them.

BTW-Cony HS has been razed and Hannaford is building a flagship store in that location. What were they thinking?

Dirigo (from Vassalboro)

I love roundabouts and find them easy to use.

The save time and fuel by not having to sit unproductively at lights or stop signs.

They reduce congestion imposed by stop lights and stop signs. Packing all the cars and trucks together, as caused by lights and stop signs, leads to both vehicle and pedestrian accidents.

They are safer in that you only have to worry about traffic coming in from your left rather than from both sides as well as coming directly at you. Also no worry about those people who like to run red lights.

Of course, you have to exercise caution in all driving conditions including roundabouts and it certainly helps to read the guidelines to know proper roundabout etiquette.

Dirigo
 

As a former Mainer,the "rotary" that I remember best is not in Maine but in New Hampshire. It is on US1 in Portsmouth. Before the NH Turnpike was opened US1 carried a lot of traffic. However, it was rather large and that meant more opportunity to maneuver. There was also a large New Hampshire state liquor store off that rotary. (For the uninitiated, liquor in NH is sold only at state owned stores at very attractive prices.)
BTW, the first time I heard the term "round about" was in England. They are used extensively there. Some are very small.

I am with you on this one. The roundabouts or Rotaries as often called are great. They had them in Japan when I was stationed there. But man you have to use them correctly. it is a yield not a stop sign for entering the rotary. i just about got ran over this weekend at the one on Odell and Morse on the south end by 466a. riding my bike into the circle, one of those salespersons in a big S.U.V decided they didnt have to stop. So as she entered without looking at me or my direction, and almost hitting me, i punched the side of her truck real hard. Think i got her attention along with the possible buyers in her vehicle. what a way to show The Villages to new people.