A Roundabout Solution to Road Problems

The illustration on the left is of a plan to replace existing intersections in Northern Virginia that currently have traffic signals with roundabouts (or traffic circles as some people call them). The idea being that if used correctly, they will eliminate the need for traffic lights and will allow traffic to continue moving thus cutting down on commuting time. Now what Virginia Department of Transportation Project Manager Ken Robinson states would be true but he caveats it with the one phrase which in my mind ensures that the plan won't work. That phrase is, "if used correctly". And that to me is the biggest problem because a growing number of drivers out there are making themselves menaces rather than driving courteously and that's making things far more dangerous for the rest of us rather than safer.

Now when approaching a roundabout, you generally get into the lane that will allow you to quickly enter the intersection and then move off quickly onto the turning lane that you wish to go. There are big examples of them in DC at places like Dupont Circle and the like. They can be huge like that one or smaller like the one's proposed for Gilbert's Corner. What I usually do is slow down as I approach the roundabout (and please note I said slow down and not come to a complete stop unless there is no safe way to enter the circle) and then I keep any eye out for other cars as well as my intended exit and then I signal my intentions by giving my indicator and then I slowly move off. The way most people enter a roundabout is as if they have to complete a lap of it (like a NASCAR driver) in the shortest time possible and head out as quickly as they can. A key concept that many drivers these days seems to lack is understanding of the term 'yield'.

Yielding is a necessity when driving around here and unfortunately many drivers just don't understand that. Take for example an incident I experienced on my way to work yesterday morning. I was on a two lane road in the right lane and farther ahead I knew that the two lanes merge into one. I continued on in the right lane and as the lane started to come to an end I gave my indicator to show I wanted to move to the left and merge with traffic. At this point the traffic was already slowed down and I was attempting to merge well before the lane ended (not like some drivers who will continue on the shoulder if it means getting ahead of even one more car) when suddenly a car ahead of me cut in front of me effectively blocking both lanes of traffic by driving in the middle of the two lanes. I looked up after braking thinking that the driver was trying to avoid hitting something when I looked over to see her murmurring at me and giving me the stink eye. I guess she didn't want me to get ahead of her.

There are many drivers who behave in this manner these days. When you're attempting to enter traffic patterns they'll speed up rather than slow down so that the distance you have in the acceleration lane will be cut off to a minimum. Rather than moving out of the right lane where cars are attempting to enter or exit the highway they will stake their claim on their spot on the road with more steadfast resolve than Sarah Palin and her stance on seeing Russia from Alaska being enough foreign policy experience to run a nation. What's the deal with being so stubborn and defensive? Is it because we firmly believe that life is a race and we have to translate that into our daily commutes as well or is it just a case of ego? I tend to believe that it's ego.

Many of the road improvements around the Washington area are being done to clear up existing bottlenecks. These planned roundabouts in Gilbert's Corner are just one example but in many cases, all of these improvements are nothing more than exercises in moving bottlenecks from one spot to another. Don't believe me? If you've driven in the area then you know that the point on the Dulles Toll Road where the road goes from the Toll Road to the two loops of the Beltway is a notorious bottleneck. A few years ago they expanded the lanes leading to the Inner Loop from one to two lanes. This fix helped for about fifty feet because that's about how long the lane lasts before it again becomes one lane. So the bottleneck moved about that far. Backups still occur on a daily basis. What about in Tysons Corner itself? The traffic nightmare that has come to define Northern Virginia could probably clear up a lot better if VDOT simply synchronized the lights on Route 7 and Route 123 a little better. What sense does it make if you're racing from one traffic light to the next? Until we drivers improve our driving styles I doubt that any amount of money or road improvement scheme is going to be enough to ease traffic problems.