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#1
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Reduce Traffic - Turn left on a RED
Andrew P Smith wrote:
In article , Helen Deborah Vecht writes I think there's a similar one in Hemel Hempstead.... No, that's just 5 mini roundabouts in close succession similar to those outside Hatton Cross tube station. IIRC there are 6 mini roundabouts, placed around a central island. This is an exactly similar configuration to the Swindon one, except that Hemel has 6 roads entering instead of 5, and the central island is bigger. -- Richard J. (to e-mail me, swap uk and yon in address) |
#2
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Reduce Traffic - Turn left on a RED
"Richard J." wrote in message ... Andrew P Smith wrote: In article , Helen Deborah Vecht writes I think there's a similar one in Hemel Hempstead.... No, that's just 5 mini roundabouts in close succession similar to those outside Hatton Cross tube station. IIRC there are 6 mini roundabouts, placed around a central island. This is an exactly similar configuration to the Swindon one, except that Hemel has 6 roads entering instead of 5, and the central island is bigger. I thought the roundabouts at Swindon were placed randomly rather than regularly around a central roundabout. Certianly they appear fairly random when you drive around them. |
#3
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Reduce Traffic - Turn left on a RED
Martin Underwood wrote:
"Richard J." wrote in message ... Andrew P Smith wrote: In article , Helen Deborah Vecht writes I think there's a similar one in Hemel Hempstead.... No, that's just 5 mini roundabouts in close succession similar to those outside Hatton Cross tube station. IIRC there are 6 mini roundabouts, placed around a central island. This is an exactly similar configuration to the Swindon one, except that Hemel has 6 roads entering instead of 5, and the central island is bigger. I thought the roundabouts at Swindon were placed randomly rather than regularly around a central roundabout. Certianly they appear fairly random when you drive around them. If you look at the photo on the page that I referred to originally in this thread*, you'll see that there is a mini-roundabout at the point where each of the 5 roads enters the Magic Roundabout, forming a more-or-less regular pentagon. * http://www.swindonweb.com/life/lifemagi0.htm -- Richard J. (to e-mail me, swap uk and yon in address) |
#4
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Reduce Traffic - Turn left on a RED
"Richard J." wrote in message
... Martin Underwood wrote: "Richard J." wrote in message ... Andrew P Smith wrote: In article , Helen Deborah Vecht writes I think there's a similar one in Hemel Hempstead.... No, that's just 5 mini roundabouts in close succession similar to those outside Hatton Cross tube station. IIRC there are 6 mini roundabouts, placed around a central island. This is an exactly similar configuration to the Swindon one, except that Hemel has 6 roads entering instead of 5, and the central island is bigger. I thought the roundabouts at Swindon were placed randomly rather than regularly around a central roundabout. Certianly they appear fairly random when you drive around them. If you look at the photo on the page that I referred to originally in this thread*, you'll see that there is a mini-roundabout at the point where each of the 5 roads enters the Magic Roundabout, forming a more-or-less regular pentagon. * http://www.swindonweb.com/life/lifemagi0.htm You're absolutely right! I've looked at the aerial photo and I can't work out why this one appears so confusing and random when you're driving round it whereas the one in Hemel seems more organised. How many exits does the Hemel one have: is it six? I think I still prefer a nice simple arrangement with one big roundabout, they you only have to gave way ONCE, as you're entering the roundabout, rather than having to be prepared to stop at every roundabout on your route. |
#5
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Reduce Traffic - Turn left on a RED
In s.com,
Martin Underwood typed: I think I still prefer a nice simple arrangement with one big roundabout, they you only have to gave way ONCE, as you're entering the roundabout, rather than having to be prepared to stop at every roundabout on your route. I lived in Hemel before the mini-roundabouts were put there. The problem was that the big roundabout was so big that traffic already on it was able to travel at such a speed that it was impossible for other traffic to join; hence huge queues built up. After the changes were made, speed through the junction lessened considerably but so did the length of the queues. Overall the time spent getting through the whole queue/junction was much shorter. I suppose it can be likened to the variable speed limits on the M25 - reduce the traffic speed and more traffic gets through the area in a given time. Bob |
#6
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Reduce Traffic - Turn left on a RED
On Sun, 6 Jun 2004 08:22:23 +0100, "Bob Wood"
wrote: After the changes were made, speed through the junction lessened considerably but so did the length of the queues. Overall the time spent getting through the whole queue/junction was much shorter. I suppose it can be likened to the variable speed limits on the M25 - reduce the traffic speed and more traffic gets through the area in a given time. I wonder how the usual option - traffic lights on the roundabout - would perform in comparison? I can think of a couple of roundabouts in Milton Keynes (other than the one that already has lights) which could do with some slowing of the traffic, as it sometimes approaches and negotiates the roundabout at dangerous speeds (50mph is not impossible - the roundabout is so wide that if there's very little traffic it's possible to take an almost straight path across it so there is little need to slow down). If anyone's interested, the main one concerned is the V11-H8 roundabout by the Kingston Centre. I've almost come to grief a few times there - it's quite possible for traffic to approach up the H8 near the speed limit (70mph) and not be visible to someone waiting on the V11 north side (due to the layout) until it is almost on the roundabout. At that sort of speed, this is far too late and often results in emergency braking being necessary (my car hasn't got enough go to safely accelerate out of the way). Neil -- Neil Williams in Milton Keynes, UK To e-mail use neil at the above domain |
#7
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Reduce Traffic - Turn left on a RED
In article , Richard J.
writes Andrew P Smith wrote: In article , Helen Deborah Vecht writes I think there's a similar one in Hemel Hempstead.... No, that's just 5 mini roundabouts in close succession similar to those outside Hatton Cross tube station. IIRC there are 6 mini roundabouts, placed around a central island. This is an exactly similar configuration to the Swindon one, except that Hemel has 6 roads entering instead of 5, and the central island is bigger. Yes, Hemel has 6, Hatton Cross has 5, but neither are anything like the Magic Roundabout in Swindon IMO. -- Andrew Electronic communications can be altered and therefore the integrity of this communication can not be guaranteed. Views expressed in this communication are those of the author and not associations or companies I am involved with. |
#8
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Reduce Traffic - Turn left on a RED
On Sun, 6 Jun 2004 23:35:25 +0100, Andrew P Smith
wrote: Yes, Hemel has 6, Hatton Cross has 5, but neither are anything like the Magic Roundabout in Swindon IMO. But the Hemel one, at least, has the special sign as you approach it. I've not used the others but the one in Hemel certainly *is* like the Swindon one is described, only bigger and more complicated. So maybe its the Swindon one that not a real "magic roundabout" :-) |
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