Another serendipitous find that I'm simply jotting down in my journal.

[randomness]

I was looking around for an image of well-marked roundabouts/rotaries for _H* when I found this article on the "Hanger Lane Gyratory System" in the H2G2, which is mapped here by Google Maps.

They also have a satellite photo.

In this enlargement you can see the the road surface markings for what lane goes to which road.

Wikipedia's page isn't nearly as entertaining.

Conceptually that particular intersection is simpler than the one at Exit 17 off the Mass Pike in Newton: (satellite view).

Having driven through them both I think the Hanger Lane/Western Avenue one is better laid out than the Washington Street/Centre Street one, and certainly better marked.

Comments

[happyfunpaul.livejournal.com]

Having driven through them both I think the Hanger Lane/Western Avenue one is better laid out than the Washington Street/Centre Street one, and certainly better marked.

But then, what isn't better laid out than the "Centrifuge of Doom"?

[marmota.livejournal.com]

Or the Swindon Magic Roundabout;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Roundabout_(Swindon)

I can only imagine the utter chaos of such a thing in Boston.

http://www.strum.co.uk/pix/mr.jpg

[r-ness.livejournal.com]

Oh, but there are so many candidates!

Offhand, of ones I've driven through, this bit of chaos in Union City, NJ, where NJ Route 495 crosses under Kennedy Boulevard comes to mind. It's a much smaller scale, but a little gem all the same. The "circle" is actually a square, and if you enter it from Kennedy Blvd. you do so from ramps off the fast lane, and then come to a stop in darkness under the overpass, watching for "circle" traffic.

Fortunately, most of the time traffic is congested, as 495 is the major approach to the Lincoln Tunnel. Still, great fun!

There is also that weird circle over 16 where 99 circles around over it in Everett, but you can't get to from 16 east unless you go through the other circle first, that I find just perverse whenever I drive through it. (The Santilli Circle Connector. That's what it's called. Who knew!)

At least that one doesn't have much traffic going through it.

(Not actually trying to contradict you, but taking the opportunity to highlight some other fine examples. Thanks for "Centrifuge of Doom"!)

[r-ness.livejournal.com]

I really like the Magic Roundabout, and planned to drive through it the last time I was in the UK, but ran out of time. There are quite a few now, so I needn't drive to Swindon to do it anymore.

Next time!

If you liked this…

[progscholar.livejournal.com]

…you are sure to love Perils for Pedestrians, a weekly half hour show devoted to the problems that discuss the problems that pedestrians face in a automobile dominated world. You can find their home page here and the some video excerpts here. I thought about you when I saw this, R-ness, and your post gave me the perfect oppertunity to tell you about it. The segment I saw on a roundabout in Malmo was fascinating. Those Scandinavians really know how to protect pedestrians. Enjoy!