Roundabouts in Arizona (Payson, Sedona, Cottonwood: insurance, living in, shops)

[dmlandissf]

We were in Sedona Arizona last week and noted the presence of dozens of roundabouts on hwy 89. Same thing in Cottonwood. Is this a new development and do most roads in the state have roundabouts in lieu of traffic lights and stop signs. I became dizzy driving the 12 or so roundabouts between Sedona and Oak Creek.

[azdr0710]

they are an ingenious traffic engineering device and need to be used even more.....fairly new to the US, they've been in use for many decades in Europe and promote safety, air quality, and save time for drivers......admittedly, they are confusing to a driver who encounters them for the first time, but there is only ONE RULE to know about them: always yield to a driver who is already in the circle and coming around toward you - wait until they pass you and, if nobody else is coming around, enter the circle.....you can roll right into the circle without stopping if you see nobody in the circle coming around toward you at all......


the Sedona/Cottonwood/Verde Valley traffic circles are all on newly widened/improved highways (260, 89, and 79).....yes, they require you to slow down and curve a bit when, previously, you may've been able to just speed straight thru the intersection, but, remember, you're not the only traffic out there!......this is all about safety and reducing accidents

[Bummer]

Sure beats an accident thanks to some IDIOT running a Red Light and/or Stop Sign.

[wit-nit]

Originally Posted by Bummer

Sure beats an accident thanks to some IDIOT running a Red Light and/or Stop Sign.

This^^^ plus keeps traffic moving.

[KurtAZ]

I think someone is getting paid off to put those in. The drive to Cottonwood is crazy with roundabouts that don't do anything.

[Valley Native]

Roundabouts seem to work better in outlying areas and smaller towns. If places like Cottonwood, Sedona, or Payson want roundabouts, more power to them. Generally, congested intersections and freeway entrances are not ideal for roundabouts. Case in point: when Happy Valley Road was widened, ADOT removed the roundabouts to the I17 on/off ramps, and replaced them with stoplights. Roundabouts didn't work very well there, and they also wouldn't be effective in downtown areas of large cities.

[Cloudy Dayz]

Originally Posted by Bummer

Sure beats an accident thanks to some IDIOT running a Red Light and/or Stop Sign.

You realize that roundabouts statistically have way more crashes than intersections right? The only benefit to them is that the crashes tend to be less severe. If you love dealing with insurance companies, body shops and getting your car repaired all the time, then roundabouts are for you.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIftWO56PZQ

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by Valley Native

Roundabouts seem to work better in outlying areas and smaller towns. If places like Cottonwood, Sedona, or Payson want roundabouts, more power to them. Generally, congested intersections and freeway entrances are not ideal for roundabouts. Case in point: when Happy Valley Road was widened, ADOT removed the roundabouts to the I17 on/off ramps, and replaced them with stoplights. Roundabouts didn't work very well there, and they also wouldn't be effective in downtown areas of large cities.

They are prominent features in the downtown areas of large cities all over Europe. Wisconsin is not Europe but they have them everywhere and are actively putting in more. It seems that Arizonans are maybe too dumb to figure out how they work. They do require that you look up from your cell phone and that is a problem around here.

The intersection at I17 is not "stoplights". It is a traffic control called a diverging diamond intersection aka double crossover. It is the latest design innovation. We will probably see many more.

In any case, anyone who went to Sedona before the roundabouts will testify as to what an absolute traffic nightmare it was and how the roundabouts made things so much better.

[April Twine]

Regarding the route from the freeway to Cottonwood, these devices thwart speeding as make it safer for those living in the area, using the side roads, to enter the updated roadway.

[KurtAZ]

Naw we got this....