# ‘Roundabouts in Keene \[NH\] Help Cut Emissions and Air Pollution’ **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [October 23, 2025, 1:19am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/roundabouts-in-keene-nh-help-cut-emissions-and-air-pollution/204300 "2025-10-23T01:19:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RandomTroll](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/randomtroll/32/12184_2.png) [@RandomTroll](https://community.cartalk.com/u/RandomTroll)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2025, 1:19am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/roundabouts-in-keene-nh-help-cut-emissions-and-air-pollution/204300/1 "2025-10-23T01:19:19Z")
> Josh Wooten used to spend his evenings driving in circles. During his two years as a pizza delivery driver in Keene, N.H., he would loop around the town’s recently installed roundabout intersections some 30 to 40 times a night. > He didn’t know it at the time, but this meant each delivery likely caused less planet-warming pollution. > “All of a sudden I'm like, oh man, I'm getting through these deliveries a lot faster,” Mr. Wooten said. “Slowly moving is better than waiting at a light any day.” > > In 2023, Keene, a small college town with about 23,000 residents, installed its seventh and newest roundabout. These circular intersections are easily confused with rotaries or traffic circles, but are distinctly free of traffic lights. Instead they require drivers to yield to traffic before entering and are constructed to be slower-moving while minimizing stopping. I read they make the streets safer too. Albuquerque has installed a bunch. [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/21/climate/roundabout-auto-emissions-new-hampshire.html](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/21/climate/roundabout-auto-emissions-new-hampshire.html) This is all you can get for free. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2025, 1:11pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/roundabouts-in-keene-nh-help-cut-emissions-and-air-pollution/204300/2 "2025-10-23T13:11:12Z")
I’ve driven through Keene many times and very familiar with the new Rotary’s (That’s what we call them here in New England). I’ve stated this before in this forum - Rotary’s work great in low traffic areas (which Keene NH is). We have a famous Rotary in Concord MA called the Rt 2 Rotary. It’s a NIGHTMARE to drive through. I used to work in Concord for about a year and had to traverse that Rotary every day. During that period, I personally witnessed several accidents. ---
**Author:** ![davesmopar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/davesmopar/32/41750_2.png) [@davesmopar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davesmopar)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2025, 4:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/roundabouts-in-keene-nh-help-cut-emissions-and-air-pollution/204300/3 "2025-10-23T16:30:35Z")
I have said this in the other roundabout thread, I hate them… lol ---
**Author:** ![wolyrobb](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/wolyrobb/32/45497_2.png) [@wolyrobb](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wolyrobb)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2025, 7:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/roundabouts-in-keene-nh-help-cut-emissions-and-air-pollution/204300/4 "2025-10-23T19:30:06Z")
The newest one near my folks place works well for the traffic that road is now getting. Used to play bet your life to make a left turn. ---
**Author:** ![asemaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@asemaster](https://community.cartalk.com/u/asemaster)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2025, 7:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/roundabouts-in-keene-nh-help-cut-emissions-and-air-pollution/204300/5 "2025-10-23T19:36:32Z")
Turning off the engine while waiting at a stoplight will also help cut emissions and air pollution. Many cars nowadays have this feature built in. ---
**Author:** ![davesmopar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/davesmopar/32/41750_2.png) [@davesmopar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davesmopar)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2025, 7:53pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/roundabouts-in-keene-nh-help-cut-emissions-and-air-pollution/204300/6 "2025-10-23T19:53:42Z")
> [@asemaster](#): > > Turning off the engine while waiting at a stoplight will also help cut emissions and air pollution. I do that on my fun car, but it’s not to help save the planet, it is to save on gas and or keep it from overheating… lol ---
**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2025, 1:03pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/roundabouts-in-keene-nh-help-cut-emissions-and-air-pollution/204300/7 "2025-10-24T13:03:28Z")
Ugg, traffic circles. Attended a town hall meeting, our city is trying to get a train station. If all goes through as planned, one intersection will be changed to a circle. Was talking to my mail carrier, she does not look forward to that either, she will need to navigate the circle twice on a daily basis. ---
**Author:** ![RandomTroll](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/randomtroll/32/12184_2.png) [@RandomTroll](https://community.cartalk.com/u/RandomTroll)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2025, 12:45am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/roundabouts-in-keene-nh-help-cut-emissions-and-air-pollution/204300/8 "2025-10-25T00:45:14Z")
> [@MikeInNH](#): > > I’ve driven through Keene many times and very familiar with the new Rotary’s When you write rotary do you mean roundabout or traffic circle? I learned to drive in DC and to dread the traffic circles, which had multiple lanes and often lights. Roundabouts have no lights or stop signs, are single lane, and they’re just obstructions in the middle of the intersection that make one go around them. > [@Purebred](#): > > Ugg, traffic circles. See above. ---
**Author:** ![glasspilot](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/glasspilot/32/27886_2.png) [@glasspilot](https://community.cartalk.com/u/glasspilot)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2025, 12:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/roundabouts-in-keene-nh-help-cut-emissions-and-air-pollution/204300/9 "2025-10-26T12:23:20Z")
> [@RandomTroll](#): > > When you write rotary do you mean roundabout or traffic circle? I learned to drive in DC and to dread the traffic circles, which had multiple lanes and often lights. Roundabouts have no lights or stop signs, are single lane, and they’re just obstructions in the middle of the intersection that make one go around them. Different places call them different things. I happen to like “traffic circles”. Much more efficient than sitting at a light. They do tend to slow people down, which is the whole point. But for the most part you keep moving, which I like! ---
**Author:** ![TwinTurbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@TwinTurbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TwinTurbo)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2025, 1:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/roundabouts-in-keene-nh-help-cut-emissions-and-air-pollution/204300/10 "2025-10-26T13:17:07Z")
> [@glasspilot](#): > > Much more efficient than sitting at a light. They do tend to slow people down, which is the whole point. But for the most part you keep moving, which I like! This is generally true until a point like Mike mentioned- when the traffic volume exceeds a critical point, they become worse than a traffic light. We have a few around here that are exceptionally difficult to navigate during heavy traffic- which happens multiple times a day. Couple the volume with people that are clueless about how to navigate them and sit paralyzed even when there is sufficient room to merge. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2025, 2:11pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/roundabouts-in-keene-nh-help-cut-emissions-and-air-pollution/204300/11 "2025-10-26T14:11:56Z")
There’s a heavily traveled road into DC from Chevy Chase, MD that has a traffic circle. It’s where Connecticut Avenue intersects Western Avenue at the District line. There are 3 lanes around the circle plus. Turn lane at Western Avenue. It has traffic lights. I recall that traffic flowed reasonably well, though I never used it during rush hour. I’m describing it in detail for @RandomTroll or anyone curious about it. As you may know, DC has lots of traffic squares and traffic circles. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2025, 3:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/roundabouts-in-keene-nh-help-cut-emissions-and-air-pollution/204300/12 "2025-10-26T15:27:52Z")
+1 There is a traffic circle in my county that I avoid during high traffic periods, due to both congestion and clueless/reckless drivers. ---
**Author:** ![RandomTroll](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/randomtroll/32/12184_2.png) [@RandomTroll](https://community.cartalk.com/u/RandomTroll)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2025, 1:34am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/roundabouts-in-keene-nh-help-cut-emissions-and-air-pollution/204300/13 "2025-10-27T01:34:04Z")
> [@glasspilot](#): > > Different places call them different things. There are 2 different things: 1 is a small circle, about 20’ diameter, in the middle of the road, that makes everybody go around it (left-turners must go 270°), usually with yield signs, but not stop signs or traffic lights; the other can, often does, have multiple lanes, traffic lights, and its own traffic. I remember riding with my mother who got trapped in a big one (she had never driven 1 before), stuck in the center lane going round and round. It was the only time I heard her curse. You can’t get stuck in the first kind, go around it more than once. We have only the first kind in Albuquerque, and only recently. The traffic people call them roundabouts to distinguish them from the second kind, which they call traffic circles. > [@jtsanders](#): > > There’s a heavily traveled road into DC from Chevy Chase, MD that has a traffic circle. It’s where Connecticut Avenue intersects Western Avenue at the District line. That’s Chevy Chase Circle, right? I remember when someone sued the city because they drove into one of its trees. It’s always been okay when I’ve been there, but that was past downtown back then, and not rush hour. > [@VDCdriver](#): > > There is a traffic circle in my county that I avoid during high traffic periods, due to both congestion and clueless/reckless drivers. They got a lot of hate in Albuquerque when they first went in, and some deliberately drove over them. But we seem to have adjusted. Whether they’ve made the streets safer or faster I don’t know. A Dutch traffic engineer claims that he’s studied them and they do. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2025, 1:54am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/roundabouts-in-keene-nh-help-cut-emissions-and-air-pollution/204300/14 "2025-10-27T01:54:31Z")
Most European traffic circles are large without lights or stop signs. Grow up using them, no problem. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2025, 2:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/roundabouts-in-keene-nh-help-cut-emissions-and-air-pollution/204300/15 "2025-10-27T14:44:40Z")
> [@RandomTroll](#): > > That’s Chevy Chase Circle, right? Yes, that’s it. There has been no change to it since I’ve been driving, almost 50 years ago. > [@RandomTroll](#): > > I remember when someone sued the city because they drove into one of its trees. I hadn’t heard about that. What a ■■■■■. > [@texases](#): > > Grow up using them, no problem. We went into DC at least every Sunday, often entering or leaving past Chevy Chase Circle. Traffic circles have never bothered me. BTW, I did all the driving. ---
**Author:** ![RandomTroll](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/randomtroll/32/12184_2.png) [@RandomTroll](https://community.cartalk.com/u/RandomTroll)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2025, 2:51am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/roundabouts-in-keene-nh-help-cut-emissions-and-air-pollution/204300/16 "2025-10-28T02:51:26Z")
> [@MikeInNH](#): > > I’ve driven through Keene many times and very familiar with the new Rotary’s (That’s what we call them here in New England). ![ChevyChaseCircle](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/8/5/8544b8fba5e89d5817514492cfd414170b12e744.png) ![SilverAndCornell](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/1/f/1f7a94970ea8efb500efc33797dea4261f68bbb6.png) Which of these 2 is a ‘rotary’? The top one is Chevy Chase Circle, which @jtsanders described, the bottom the intersection of Silver and Cornell in Albuquerque. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2025, 1:42pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/roundabouts-in-keene-nh-help-cut-emissions-and-air-pollution/204300/17 "2025-10-28T13:42:43Z")
> [@RandomTroll](#): > > Which of these 2 is a ‘rotary’? The top one is Chevy Chase Circle, which @jtsanders described, the bottom the intersection of Silver and Cornell in Albuquerque. In New England they’d both be called Rotarys. [Here’s the Concord Rotary](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/02/06/opinion/concord-worst-rotary-route-2/). That building in the backtround is the Concord Prison. ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2025, 1:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/roundabouts-in-keene-nh-help-cut-emissions-and-air-pollution/204300/18 "2025-10-28T13:45:48Z")
> [@RandomTroll](#): > > Which of these 2 is a ‘rotary’? Why does it matter what they are called ? ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2025, 2:03pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/roundabouts-in-keene-nh-help-cut-emissions-and-air-pollution/204300/19 "2025-10-28T14:03:31Z")
> [@VOLVO-V70](#): > > Why does it matter what they are called ? It doesn’t. Just a regional thing. I grew up in NY, and they were called traffic circles. NH calls them Rotaries or sometimes Roundabouts. Here in NH, we call Subs (submarine sandwiches) - Grinders. I still don’t understand that one. Other parts of the country call them Hoagies. ---
**Author:** ![lion9car](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/59ef9b/32.png) [@lion9car](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lion9car)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2025, 3:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/roundabouts-in-keene-nh-help-cut-emissions-and-air-pollution/204300/20 "2025-10-28T15:37:00Z")
> [@MikeInNH](#): > > I’ve stated this before in this forum - Rotary’s work great in low traffic areas (which Keene NH is). I like traffic circles when they’re clearly marked. I can’t stand the abomination at the north end of Main Street in Keene. Unless something has changed since my last time through there, it’s around three lanes wide without any pavement markings or signs. It’s not obvious how to navigate it safely (if that’s even possible). [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/roundabouts-in-keene-nh-help-cut-emissions-and-air-pollution/204300.md?page=2)