From Harford County government:
The Harford County Department of Public Works has announced that Trimble Road at Fort Hoyle Road in Joppa will be closed to all thru traffic for a period of 34 days beginning July 23, 2012. The road closure is necessary to allow for the construction of a “Round-a-bout” at the intersection.
Detour signs and routes have been established and should be followed during the course of the road closure. Trimble Road at Fort Hoyle Road will be re-opened to traffic no later than August 25, 2012.
For further information regarding this road project, contact the Department of Public Works, Bureau of Construction Inspections, at 410-638-3217, Monday through Friday during normal business hours.
Roundabouts seem to make sense at 4-way intersections where traffic volume is pretty even all around; I don’t believe this is a sensible spot for a roundabout. I think a light that defaults to green for Trimble with a sensor for Fort Hoyle would make much more sense; why permanently impede traffic on Trimble when Fort Hoyle only needs the help around school day rush hours?
I had the very same thought.
Agreed. 100% This intersection needs no improvement at all…It is sufficient as is.
I can almost see the thinking behind the construction of this roundabout. (1) There are now a large number of multi-family dwellings (townhouses) just across from Magnolia Middle School, on Fort Hoyle Road, generating more traffic coming out onto Trimble Road. (2) Joppa Farm Road is being cut through from where it currently ends at Haverhill to join Fort Hoyle. Meaning increased traffic up JF Road continuing onto turning left on Fort Hoyle, then right onto Trimble.
If there were only a light at that intersection, both residential traffic as well as school traffic could back up on Fort Hoyle, creating jams and slowing down the busses, which are apparently on very tight schedules. Have I missed anything here? Having said all that, I am really sorry to see JF Road being cut through, with the increase in traffic it will bring. I also wonder how much of the church and residential property at the intersection will be taken up for this project.
I believe the property on the corner belongs to the church, the easment of the town house development and the BOE. I also believe there are two approved developments behind the church which will make it a four way intersection.
About 12 or 14 years ago, not long after the Internet became a pop phenomenon, I tripped over a report where the state of New Jersey was plowing under its traffic circles and replacing them with, in their words, “safer controlled intersections.” This was just about the time that roadstools were beginning to pop up all over Maryland, just like their fungal contaminant relatives. Now here’s my question: What does New Jersey know that Maryland does not? Safer controlled intersections; yet Maryland, mired in debt and taxing the crap out of the populace, still finds money to waste on roadstools. Ridiculous.
New Jersey is removing traffic circles. Harford County has roundabouts, which have been effective in reducing the number and severity of accidents.
Many people confuse older styles of circular intersections with modern roundabouts. East coast rotaries are not modern roundabouts. Large multi-lane traffic circles (Arc D’Triumph) are not modern roundabouts. European Vacation was not a modern roundabout. New Jersey/Europe are not removing modern roundabouts. Visit http://www.k-state.edu to see the differences. http://www.fhwa.dot.gov has a video about modern roundabouts that is mostly accurate (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhHzly_6lWM ).
One N.J. drivers are too dumb to understand a roundabout. Second, I’ll take a roundabout over N.J.’s stupid turn right, loop around, then cross over 2 lanes of traffic to make a left turn turns
One: Dagger posters are too stupid to understand grammar.
Two: when making a list you should be internally consistent with the numbering designation you choose. first, second, third, or 1,2,3.
Three: if you don’t like N.J. traffic laws then don’t drive there.
I have driven in Europe on many occasions. They have plenty of roundabouts and they work great.
I am European, and, once the owner of a business involved in transport, drove millions of miles throughout Europe.
I absolutely agree that traffic circles are a great improvement on lights, but I have yet to see a traffic circle in Maryland that has been properly designed. Generally, the diameter is too small, and on busy intersections, there is only one lane within the circle, where there should be two.
The transit authorities could well use the media at their disposal to educate drivers in the use of traffic circles, or “roundabouts”, but first they need to study how to construct and use a successful roundabout.
There are many places in Maryland where a roundabout, properly constructed and correctly used would save vast quantities of gasoline, resulting in cleaner air quality. Good examples are the junctions at both ends of the Hatem bridge, and the many intersections on Route 24.
In America, traffic circles have multiple lanes and roundabouts have one lane. Roundabouts are used in three-way and four-way intersections and have been proven to greatly reduce the number and severity of accidents where they are installed. Traffic circles have not shown the same degree of improvement in handling traffic where they have been constructed on US roads.
Modern roundabouts come in many flavors. It’s not the number of lanes that causes different circular intersections to be differently named.
If you want to see the difference between a traffic circle, a rotary (UK roundabout) and a modern roundabout, search http://www.k-state.edu to see pictures. The FHWA has a video about modern roundabouts that is mostly accurate (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhHzly_6lWM ).
By all means let’s put in tons of roundabouts that way the rule limiting development due to congestion and stops can be completely ignored. Onward ho and pack em in like sardines!! Also gotta love the new landscaping being done – filling the lovely little islands with mini-butterfly bushes. Super! Lets attract butterflies and bees to the middle of a bunch of cars zooming around so they can end up cooked on the grills of SUVs.
I believe the developments have been approved for over 5 years!
Modern roundabouts are the safest form of intersection in the world. Search http://www.iihs.org for FAQs and safety facts. The safety comes from the ‘slow and go’ operation instead of the ‘stop or go fast’ way a stop light works (or the ‘keep going fast’ large traffic circle fantasy). The smaller size of the modern roundabout is what makes them safer and keeps speeds in the 20 mph range. This makes it much easier to avoid a crash or stop for pedestrians. It also means that if a crash happens the likelihood of injury is very low. Safety is the #1 reason there are over 2,400 modern roundabouts in the US today and many more on the way.
Slow and go also means less delay than a stop light, especially the other 20 hours a day people aren’t driving to or from work. Average daily delay at a signal is around 12 seconds per car. At a modern roundabout average delay is less than five seconds. Signals take an hour of demand and restrict it to a half hour, at best only half the traffic gets to go at any one time. At a modern roundabout four drivers entering from four directions can all enter at the same time. Don’t try that with a signalized intersection.
I called the County about the closure as I was driving Trimble daily at the time the signs went up announcing it. They’re concerned about the speed of traffic on Trimble being consistantly higher than the speed limit (45+ average in a 30), even while kids are playing on MES’s lawn at recess. The traffic circle will slow the traffic and allow busses to access/depart MMS safely, while a light would not slow traffic if the driver hits a green and would not protect them without a left turn lane and dedicated turn light.
One of “Neon” Dion Guthrie’s pet projects, no doubt. It is almost time to declare his intent to run for re-election, you know.
What a joke.
Dion has been talking about running for County Executive. He wouldn’t have a chance so he won’t follow through. He will either run for the same seat or retire, hopefully the ladder.