Chronology Current Month Current Thread Current Date
[Year List] [Month List (current year)] [Date Index] [Thread Index] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Date Prev] [Date Next]

Re: [Phys-l] Historical trivium



On 11/20/2010 3:15 PM, Marty Weiss wrote:

This reminds me of a newspaper piece on the adoption of traffic
roundabouts in the US.
Traffic engineers like them because they are relatively low maintenance,
reduce serious T bone collisions in favor of minor sideswipes and
improve flow rates. When polled however, intended users show a 1/3
approval rate, and mention that America is different, or similar.
After adoption, user polls improve to about 2/3 approval rates.
/snip/
Those 2/3 don't live in New Jersey, where we call them *circles* and they lead to more accidents
/snip/
Marty

The piece in question distinguished roundabouts both from traffic circles (which apparently can incorporate traffic lights *IN* the circle) and another US road junction species, whose name I forget. (was it 'rotary'?)

Brian W