Traffic Roundabouts! Love Them or Hate Them?

We all probably have a love/hate relationship with traffic roundabouts. There is a learning curve to be certain, on how to use them. You creep up to the roundabout, watch other traffic and meekly merge into a lane. (Have you ever gotten stuck in a roundabout and just kept circling?)

Roundabouts are a relative new thing here in Grand Rapids and West Michigan, but they are popping up everywhere.

WHY ROUNDABOUTS?

According to the the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration, Roundabouts are a Proven Safety Countermeasure because they can substantially reduce crashes that result in serious injury or death. Roundabouts can:

Improve safety
Promote lower speeds and traffic-calming
Reduce conflict points
Lead to improved operational performance
Meet a wide range of traffic conditions because they are versatile in size, shape, and design

WHAT ABOUT SPEED? HOW DO YOU KNOW IF THERE IS AN ACTUAL SPEED LIMIT ON A ROUNDABOUT? 

SWIX32 wrote on Reddit.Com  that speed limits are set for segments of road ( typically not shorter in the length of 1/3 mile). Roundabouts will not have their own speed limits. They will / may have an advisory speed limit posted. Advisory speed limits are not enforceable.

ADVISORY SIGNS ARE BLACK ON YELLOW

REGULATORY SIGNS ARE BLACK ON WHITE AND ARE ENFORCEABLE!

The person who wrote this, by the way, speaks from experience. He used to set up speed zones and sign roads, including many Roundabouts for a large Michigan county.

So there you go. Roundabouts are signed with an advisory sign of 15mph or 20 mph and typically are not speed-limited, love them or hate them.

Whatever, they're here to stay!