"Michael Hoffman" wrote in message
news:Pine.WNT.4.58.0406010830400.2736@ZVAVZBB...
On Mon, 31 May 2004, Annabel Smyth wrote:

I would die of frustration if I had to drive in the USA, where every
single intersection, no matter how minor, has its traffic lights.....

That's not entirely true. There will generally not be a traffic signal at
an intersection between a major road and a minor road, although there are
exceptions in central business districts. Likewise, intersections between
two minor roads usually do not have traffic signals.

And of course, I have actually seen roundabouts in America (!).

(on ordinary streets, not motorways, of course - but Brooklyn or New
York.... yikes!).

Brooklyn is a part of New York City.
--
Michael Hoffman

Here in Illinois there is a specific formula for determining if/when a
traffic control is warranted, be it a stop sign, traffic signal, or simply a
yield sign. Being in a major metropolitan area - Chicago suburbs -
satisfying the requirement for X amount of traffic volume is reached fairly
quickly, it seems. Traffic signals seem to pop up like weeds, sprouting up
overnight - yes, I am exaggerating. In the northwest suburbs, there is one
traffic circle that I am aware of - been there many years. We used to go
sit and watch the fun as most people using it had not a clue what to do.
The circle is by an industrial area with many out-of-towners coming through
on a typical business day.

Interestingly enough, in a fast growing northern suburb of Indianapolis,
traffic circles are becoming quite common in new road construction. Drivers
seem a little tentative, not understanding proper traffic circle protocol,
but hopefully this will ease out and we Americans can take a lesson from our
British ancestors and keep the traffic flowing instead of sitting at a red
light wasting gasoline while absolutely no one is using the cross street.

Rich