NZTA: doing it wrong again

[Scuba_Steve]

Carmel Indiana, since the late 1990's has removed traffic lights in favour of roundabouts. This was to remove congestion, which it did, but also had the side effect of reducing roading costs by significant amount (both install & maintenance), reducing accidents by 40% & reducing accidents with injuries by 80%

So it's improved commuting times, reduced costs, reduced congestion, reduced accidents & injury's & made drivers happier

... Meanwhile in NZ NZTA are removing giveways & roundabouts to piss money away on traffic lights, increasing congestion, increasing cost, increasing commute times, & potentially increasing accidents & injuries.

[Gadget1]

Carmel Indiana, since the late 1990's has removed traffic lights in favour of roundabouts. This was to remove congestion, which it did, but also had the side effect of reducing roading costs by significant amount (both install & maintenance), reducing accidents by 40% & reducing accidents with injuries by 80%

So it's improved commuting times, reduced costs, reduced congestion, reduced accidents & injury's & made drivers happier

... Meanwhile in NZ NZTA are removing giveways & roundabouts to piss money away on traffic lights, increasing congestion, increasing cost, increasing commute times, & potentially increasing accidents & injuries.

Yeah, but without traffic lights ya can't have traffic cameras ka ching ka ching.

[rustic101]

Without wanting the facts to get in the way of a good story, I'd love to see the research.

Kiwi drivers and their behaviours may also differ than those of drivers in Carmel Indiana, and I could be wrong on that...

I personally have seen more crashes at roundabouts than I have at signalised intersections, not to mention inverse vehicles and other behaviours that would leave you scratching your head.. But hey I could be compltley wrong.

[Oakie]

Without wanting the facts to get in the way of a good story, I'd love to see the research.

Kiwi drivers and their behaviours may also differ than those of drivers in Carmel Indiana, and I could be wrong on that...

I personally have seen more crashes at roundabouts than I have at signalised intersections, not to mention inverse vehicles and other behaviours that would leave you scratching your head.. But hey I could be compltley wrong.

There was a thing on Mythbusters on Sunday ... 4 way intersections vs roundabouts. Showed that roundabouts were about 20% more effective at moving traffic.

[ducatilover]

Every time I go in to Hastings (which is a lot...) I see another round about, so dunno wtf you're on about.
They are awesome though, good for skids and knee downs.

[rustic101]

There was a thing on Mythbusters on Sunday ... 4 way intersections vs roundabouts. Showed that roundabouts were about 20% more effective at moving traffic.

Yeah I streamed it a bit back and was interesting with respect to efficiency,and I'd not dispute throughput, from memory they never addressed safety???

Whats interesting is all of the other behaviours like approach speed, SRT, human reaction and response and a raft of other factors associated with roundabouts that make them unsafe in some situation.

Not advocating one over the other, however the biggest difference is kiwi drivers are unlike any I've seen around the world - we are awesome, or so most would have us believe 😳

[Scuba_Steve]

Without wanting the facts to get in the way of a good story, I'd love to see the research.

Kiwi drivers and their behaviours may also differ than those of drivers in Carmel Indiana, and I could be wrong on that...

I personally have seen more crashes at roundabouts than I have at signalised intersections, not to mention inverse vehicles and other behaviours that would leave you scratching your head.. But hey I could be compltley wrong.

Research is out there, these guys have been studying the results since it was started in 1996 (I think it was).
I think there are places for traffic lights but 95% of them in NZ are unneeded & just serve to cause congestion & increase roading problems; Red light runners are a result of the excessive use of traffic lights & it's only getting worse

[Erelyes]

Roundabouts are shit for filtering.

[jim.cox]

Roundabouts are NOT pedestrian friendly

and only work well when traffic flows are well balanced on all the approaches

[Mike.Gayner]

95% of them in NZ are unneeded & just serve to cause congestion & increase roading problems

Yep you sure know better than road engineers who do this stuff for a living. Congrats on your Google U degree.

[Scuba_Steve]

Yep you sure know better than road engineers who do this stuff for a living. Congrats on your Google U degree.

I don't know better, they know exactly the same, it's the reason those 95% get put in.

[Berries]

You should come down and see the queues caused by the new roundabout abortion at Glenda Drive outside Queenstown. You would soon change your mind.

[Scuba_Steve]

You should come down and see the queues caused by the new roundabout abortion at Glenda Drive outside Queenstown. You would soon change your mind.

What did it replace?
I'm not saying roundabouts are a perfect answer for all intersections, we still need give ways & the occasional traffic light; but I am saying we have FAR too many unneeded & unwarranted traffic lights.

[unstuck]

Whats a traffic light? We don't have those, but we do have some new traffic islands, which are proving to be costly to replace when the trucks drive over them.

[Berries]

What did it replace?

A T intersection on an 80 km/h road that some people had trouble with. Only temporary but causing horrendous queues on the main road. Luckily nobody will get killed at walking pace so it will look like it was a good idea.