Transportation
Why Does America Hate Roundabouts?
Maps and data visualizations show the U.S. trailing much of the world when it comes to traffic circles.
Intersections in America are boring: Grind to a halt, go left, right, or straight. Why can’t we be more like countries that forgo 90-degree angles for welcoming roundabouts, where drivers can ease into their exits or just circle repeatedly in automotive bliss?
Damien Saunder, a geospatial designer at Esri, recently found himself pondering this question. “I’m an Australian, and in Australia we have gone roundabout crazy!” he says. “Where I live now in California there are literally no roundabouts, so I set out to find if this was just a California thing or was it more widespread in the U.S.?”