LETTERS

Going around with rotaries

Posted 8/17/17

To the Editor: In this very brief letter, I would like to comment on the concerns of Richard Russell voiced in his letter of August 10. First of all, traffic circles in this country are and have always been called, until very recently, rotaries. (Perhaps

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LETTERS

Going around with rotaries

Posted

To the Editor:

In this very brief letter, I would like to comment on the concerns of Richard Russell voiced in his letter of August 10.

First of all, traffic circles in this country are and have always been called, until very recently, rotaries. (Perhaps having the engineers call them roundabouts makes them sound more sophisticated.) Mr. Russell asserts that the rotaries should be called roundabouts because he thinks that roundabouts by definition call for slower speeds due to the circumferences being smaller than a rotary. What nonsense! Where, Mr. Russell, did you come up with that one? I have lived in England and France and roundabouts (les ronds-points in French) can be huge.

The major problems with the traffic circles in Apponaug are two: timidity and aggression. I think both are self-explanatory. If drivers could understand that these rotaries exist solely to provide fluidity and ease in the movement of traffic, then driving through Apponaug would be much smoother and much more pleasant.

I think that I speak for most of us when I say we’re all very tired of this chatter about rotaries versus roundabouts, so let's just learn to use them intelligently and courteously as they were intended to be used. They’re not going away.

Jim Morgan

Warwick

Comments

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  • Kammy

    You are absolutely correct in your observation! Timidity and aggression are the problem. Both can cause accidents in equal measure. Drivers need to follow the law regarding traffic as well as use common sense. Yield signs are either invisible or miraculously turn into Stop signs. These rotaries are not going to go away. They will not be replaced with one way roads magically overnight because you don't like them. Please, read up on who has the right of way and learn how to navigate them so that we can all peacefully coexist with Apponaug again!

    Tuesday, August 22, 2017 Report this