Editor, Times-Union: The old Fox Farm Road–Lake Street “curved intersection” obviously was a challenge at times and I’m really glad that it’s gone. This is one location where a roundabout really could and does works nicely. With that being said, it only works as good as the people driving in it can make decisions quickly and logically. Remember the logic portion while you keep reading.
For the “first-timer” I can understand a hesitation of where the oncoming traffic is coming from and going to and where you want to end up going, but again logic comes into play here as it did at the old intersection. This roundabout is as easy as it gets with only two options to take place. You are either going to get off at the first opening you see or the second opening you see. Well, OK, here is the logical thing coming into play. There could be a third option I suppose, that is you get off where you came in at. Reminding me of the scene in “National Lampoon’s European Vacation” where the Grizwolds kept going around and around in the roundabout in London.
The lanes are laid out nicely, letting you know that if you are getting off at the first opening to keep in the right portion or lane, and if you are getting off at the second opening to stay to the left and as you need to exit to the right you will have the “right of way” to get off cleanly. However, I have had to stop for no reason behind people yielding for oncoming (but exiting) traffic that is obviously not going around in front of the person I’m stopped behind because the logic thing just doesn’t “click” very good in their minds. This roundabout, once again, is as easy as it gets. I would hate to see these same drivers come to a five-way roundabout. So, hopefully, in time the flow of traffic will be just an after thought as everyone that uses it knows how to make the correct decision quicker. Seriously, I think it’s just too easy to get a driver’s license any more. Maybe a driving simulator at the BMV needs implemented with everyday traffic decisions included that make people think quickly and safely. If they score at the idiot level, then taxis, buses and walking will be their means of transportation, not driving a vehicle that could kill other people due to their lack of intelligence.
Speaking of making decisions, with the construction of another roundabout slated in the future, further west on Old 30, could someone make a decision to work on CR 350W before you make it the only escape route north to U.S. 30? I wrote in the first day Old 30 was closed due to the roundabout construction about the neglect of CR 350W and how dangerous it is having that much of an increase in traffic. I mentioned the patches of asphalt over more patches of asphalt and how narrow the road was to handle school buses as they are nearly side-swiping semis. Well, a month into the increased traffic on the road some gravel was poured on the shoulders to widen the road and more asphalt patches were layered again to prove my point that this road needed improved before it became the detour for the majority of traffic.
So looking forward, knowing the obvious detour era is coming once again for the second roundabout, I sure hope plans are thought out carefully on how to logically keep traffic flowing during this construction period.
