Safer Urban Driving Through Confusion?

Experiments with traffic circles in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury neighborhood has slowed traffic, but only because drivers are confused.

1 minute read

September 9, 2003, 7:00 AM PDT

By Chris Steins @planetizen

In an effort to encourage bicycling, improve air quality and slow speeders, San Francisco's Department of Parking and Traffic took out the stop signs in mid-August and installed temporary traffic circles... The result, for many drivers, is confusion. As motorists approach the 15- foot-wide circles -- smack in the middle of the intersections -- they slow, sometimes stop and proceed cautiously. When two or more drivers arrive at the same time, they often stop, look at each other quizzically, wave their arms at each other, then continue... In the end, democracy will decide whether the traffic circles become permanent."

Thanks to Chris Steins

FULL STORY: Traffic circle experiment draws mixed reviews

Monday, September 8, 2003 in The San Francisco Chronicle

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