OPINION – I would like to address issues of the roundabouts in Bloomington, specifically the ones right off of Brigham Rd. exit on the freeway. I have heard many people’s concerns about the safety of our roundabouts due to people using them incorrectly.
The two main roundabouts in Bloomington right off of the freeway are constantly being used incorrectly causing others to have to swerve out of the way or slam on their brakes.
Being a user of these roundabouts myself there have been multiple times where I have seen many things that could have resulted in an accident either minor or major. Many people that live in Bloomington have voiced their concerns about the safety of these roundabouts. I understand that they were recently redone to try and help the flow of traffic go more smoothly, but it has not done much.
One of the things that causes the most issues is that people do not know which lane they need to be in. When they realize that they are in the wrong one they attempt to get into the correct lane causing those who are behind them to slam on their brakes and causing those in the other lane to have to swerve out of the way so that they are not hit by the car trying to enter their lane. This causes for both lanes to become backed up.
Another issue is that when it is super busy on the roundabout right off of the freeway it can get so backed up that the line of cars waiting to enter the roundabout can get backed up all the way to the freeway exit causing people to go even slower on the freeway as to not hit anyone that is trying to enter the roundabout.
Both of these things have are incredibly dangerous and need to be fixed.
One possible way to fix both of these problems would be to make the roundabouts two lanes all the way around rather than one. This way you can get more cars going through lessening the amount of cars waiting to enter the roundabout from any point, as well as there would be no need for people to try and merge into the other lane causing issue there.
Another possible way to solve these problems would be to create a sign that is clearer than the current one as well as making it an overhead sign so that it is clearly in view of everyone. The current sign that is there is two small for people to be able to read quickly enough as well as it is on the side so no one really even notices it.
Roundabouts are a great way to help the flow of traffic when they are easy to use and understand. The Bloomington roundabouts are hard to understand and are at times unsafe to use.
Submitted by Taya Pearson, St. George
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Letters to the Editor are not the product of St. George News, its editors, staff or news contributors. The matters stated and opinions given are the responsibility of the person submitting them. They do not reflect the product or opinion of St. George News and are given only light edit for technical style and formatting.
those are the most poorly designed roundabouts i ever encountered. needlessly complicated and failed convoluted bs design. whoever designed it should be fired or even locked up for being braindead. but they’ve sat like that for years, no ones done anything, who knows
Hey Dumbob if you don’t like it write a letter to the Governor I’m sure he cares what you think ! LOL !
Ssssssshhhhhh. Quiet down Dumpster. People with jobs are talking here.
Well in that case why you here stupid ? LOL ! Hey if you don’t like it. tell your special little buddy Dumbob to write a letter to the Governor I’m sure he cares what you two morons think LOL !
You seem a little uptight Dumpster. Maybe we should have the dosage upped.
I agree with your comment 100% up the dosage and you will feel better ! You said it stupid !
Come on RealLowlife you can do better than that !….I’ll be waiting
It also might help to ditch the open-book drivers test so that people might actually have to know, and pass with knowledge, the rules of the road.
Look, roundabouts are not rock science. All you need to know is that you get to the roundabout then yield to any vehicles coming from your left. People who say they don’t get it never will. It only takes a time or two to figure out which lane you need to be in. If you can’t do that then you’d do everyone a great service by turning in your driver’s license, thus ending the problem with roundabouts.
Paul, the problem is, you’re using ‘rock science’ when everyone else is using ‘rocket science’, and that’s what it takes for some people to figure out the Bloomington roundabouts.
They aren’t regular one-lane circles. It’s 2 lanes, then one lane splits off and another joins it. If you aren’t in the correct lane, you’re on the freeway again.
People that know the lanes, know them already. The new guys off the freeway just panic or cut you off.
Dang autocorrect.
paul, have u even been on the Bloomington roundabouts?
Paul, the problem is, you’re using ‘rock science’ when everyone else is using ‘rocket science’
LOL
Oh you mean like the rocks in your head ? LOL !
I have traveled to Europe for 15 yrs. and have. Roundabouts everywhere, very safe many are single lane, there is not room enough for 2 lanes , it would be 4 lanes , 2 going around and 2 turn to the right for the highway, not possible there, then you have the famous. Paris roundabouts which is 8-10 lanes and runs smoothly.. The other reason is people have to use their blinkers to indicate which direction they are continuing in..that would solve a lot of problems.. I do agree the exit is too short and traffic backs upon the highway which is dangerous.. ..I think the signs going north on rte 15 and signs for bluff st, are confusing,as you travel there 3 signs for salt lake and 3 roads… Why…
Some roundabouts work better than others. I feel the one at Tonaquint and 600W really increased safety at that intersection. On the other hand, putting a double roundabout adjacent to a large truck stop, also frequented by tourists and WalMart customers is very bad.
It is my belief that UDOT uses Dixie as a “testing ground.”
Roundabouts are nice RealLowlife likes to run around in circles while following his ( special ) little buddy Dumbob around. .
There is a real simple solution to the problem of roundabouts. It can be summed up in 5 simple words. Here they are:
PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR SURROUNDINGS!!
Now let me explain what happens when you apply that advice.
If you simply PAY ATTENTION to your driving, you’ll SEE STUFF that’s happening in front of and all around your car. You’ll see things like SIGNS and PEDESTRIANS and THE DIRECTION IN WHICH TRAFFIC IS FLOWING!, and you’ll have a much better chance of NOT KILLING ANYONE (or yourself) on your way to Wal-Mart.
As you are texting and driving!
Get that Manager out of there who has been sucking off the City for 40 years!
I agree that the roundabout at Bloomington is a very poor design and confusing. Its a wonder there aren’t more accidents. Not all roundabouts are created equal…
yep, been a problem from the Beginning. Just ask a Truckdriver LOL
Modern roundabouts are the safest form of intersection in the world (much more so than comparable signals). Visit http://www.iihs.org/iihs/topics/t/roundabouts/topicoverview for modern roundabout FAQs and safety facts. Modern roundabouts, and the pedestrian refuge islands approaching them, are two of nine proven safety measures identified by the FHWA, http://tinyurl.com/7qvsaem
The FHWA has a video about modern roundabouts on Youtube, or check out the IIHS video (iihs dot org).
http://priceonomics.com/the-case-for-more-traffic-roundabouts/
http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/intersection/innovative/roundabouts/