I don’t purport to be an expert on traffic solutions, but I believe that roundabouts are a much needed means to keep traffic flowing. I have been all over Europe on many occasions and find roundabouts to be much better solution than signals. Many roundabouts are a half mile or less apart and pose no problem.
We Americans are just beginning to see roundabouts sprout up in American cities. Take Lake Tahoe for example. They already have several roundabouts around the lake. Take the wye at Tahoe City, which has a terrible backup problem due to the signals. We are talking miles of backup at peak times. They plan to put in a roundabout to keep traffic flowing.
I believe once people get used to them, they will like them. Highway 227 would be a good start. Another location that badly needs one is the intersection of Orcutt Road and Tank Farm Road. They work!
Gene Kruger
San Luis Obispo
This article appears in May 9-19, 2019.
