They are also called heroes. I think I can explain that one. The Greek version is a gyro, and it’s pronounced like hero with an hy at the front.
Many years ago I went to a local mall food court with a Greek food stall. I ordered a gyro pronounced correctly and the counter guy didn’t understand me. I caught on and pronounced it like ‘gyroscope’ and he understood that. I shook my head after he turned away.
Folk in CT are having problems…
If I want to drive around in a circle, I want it to at least be on dirt at WOT mostly…
This is the only example shown in the New Hampshire Driver’s Manual, no mention of Rotary’s or rotaries:
Carmel, IN has replaced almost all of it’s signalized intersections with roundabouts. Trippy to see it on maps.
Do they have things that look like the intersection of Silver and Cornell, a 20’ diameter obstruction in the middle of the road? When you’re on Chevy Chase Circle you’re on a different street than any that connect with it. You can even have an address on the circle. When you’re at the intersection of Silver and Cornell you’re on Silver or Cornell.
They’re 2 different things. I’d never seen what we call roundabouts in Albuquerque. They’re very different from traffic circles.
That surprises me. I think of them as artifacts of roads before cars. In DC they’re places to celebrate heroes, probably looked great on a horse, when there was so little traffic and no one could move fast.
I hope my state government spends highway funds on something useful, like filling potholes.
Their 2 different things in Albuquerque. Nothing around here is called traffic circle. And what’s called a traffic circle in places like NY are called rotary’s here in New England.
You may think there’s a difference. But it’s really a regional thing. I’ve driven all over this country and many call them traffic circles, others rotary’s and some roundabouts for the EXACT same thing.
Diverging diamonds work quite well. I think DOTs choose them in that the diamonds take up less space than cloverleafs, but require more signal lights. There is a diamond I use 3-4 times a week. The only problem is the lanes get backed up during rush hour, primarily by through traffic in the same lane as cars using the interstate entrance lane, but that is true of other types of interstate entrances. The diamond I use is slightly different, traffic exiting the interstate has to wait for a green light, and being Florida, there are golf cart lanes on the surface street.
Perhaps DOTs like traffic circles because they eliminate the need for traffic lights, I don’t know. I still avoid them if possible.
Here’s a good summary of the differences between roundabouts and traffic circles-
There is a big difference, as @TwinTurbo’s link shows. We have no traffic circles in Albuquerque, just roundabouts. When I lived in DC (60 years ago) they had traffic circles and no roundabouts. Roundabouts are new in Albuquerque and the city made a point of distinguishing them from traffic circles, which was a good thing to do because they’re different and people used to traffic circles were suspicious of them. I suspect New England may have only traffic circles, whatever they call them, and no roundabouts - though they have have been added recently.
Thanks.
That’s in Albuquerque and DC. All we’re talking about is the NAME. We have the same structures of what you call roundabouts that we call Rotaries. In fact, we have do have large scale structures that Officially is a Traffic Circle, but locals still call them Rotaries. The state calls them officially traffic circles, but the signs say Rotary. Get over it.
I call them all traffic circles and I’m over it.
Potaytoes, potahtoes. Tomaytoes, tomahtoes.
Can you show me picture of one?
Have you seen a roundabout in Maryland? Potaytoes and potahtoes are different names for the same thing. There are 2 different things, even if you use the same name for both. Having separate names helps to think about them clearly. It was an education for me. Albuquerque didn’t introduce roundabouts until after I moved here, had no traffic circles. The government made the point of explaining the difference, which I saw the point of. I didn’t care for traffic circles. Maybe these roundabouts make the roads safer and faster - I don’t know - but they aren’t traffic circles.
Thanks. The one on top is a traffic circle, the 3 on the bottom are roundabouts, though a lot bigger than those in Albuquerque. Here the circle is plopped in the center of the intersection; the road isn’t widened. I know you call them all rotaries; what does the NH DOT call them?
Connecticut - southwestern specifcally: “Wedges”. There’s even a small spot immediately north of downtown Stamford “Wedge Inn” that sells them, along with burgers, hotdogs, and other comforts. It’s a 20 second walk to the Dairy Queen for a sundae afterwards!
