My workplace is located at the busiest intersection in the city. And for years and years and years there has been a stoplight at said intersection. The city though, in all it's brilliance decided that this stoplight was no longer the best option. With shocking speed, the city decided, got approval, and started construction on a rotary. Or for those of you who live in the mid-west "roundabout". The research the city did showed that this intersection has the most accidents in the city; and that rotaries are statistically safer than traditional stoplights.
The thing is though, we are not a city of rotaries, I'm pretty sure we are not a state of rotaries. They are pretty darn rare out here. I grew up in New England, and they are much more common out there, so I understand how they work. Apparently drivers out here are pretty clueless, and it is frightening.
And the city, oh the city, they decided to make the rotary a 3 lane rotary. 3 LANES! What were they thinking?! The outermost lane has to make the first right after they enter the rotary, while the middle lane can go around the whole thing. I'm afraid of what will happen when they open the inner most lane, because once you get into it you are going around in a circle several times before someone let's you merge into the middle lane. Currently the construction is not finished yet, but they opened one lane of the rotary on Monday. Surprise surprise, there was an accident the very first day.
Drivers here just don't understand how to drive around a rotary. Our city is not terribly large, and it has been a big topic of conversation around here (especially at work). A rotary is a large circle with several spokes at which you enter and exit. Cars trying to enter the rotary must yield to those already in the rotary (as evidenced by the GIANT yield sign at every entrance). This fact has been lost on a large amount of drivers, because as I have heard and frighteningly experienced this evening, many drivers are stopping in the middle of the rotary to let people trying to enter the rotary in. OMG people, NO! Please please please stop doing this. I can only imagine how many more accidents are going to take place. I would avoid the rotary if I could, but the back entrance to work is closed and I can't turn left onto the main road, so I am forced to go around the entire rotary every day when I leave. I am not a happy camper about the whole thing. Construction has been a mess, it's hurt our business, and people don't know how to drive in a rotary. Ugh! I really really hope that with time people will start to understand how the rotary works and there will be less accidents.
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