Traffic Rant Clements traffic circle

luvmygdaughters

luvmygdaughters

Well-Known Member
I drive it M - F round trip to and from work. I dont mind the circles at all, when it was a 4 way stop, the traffic coming from Leonardtown to Clements would back up past Russells stand on 234, especially in the afternoon. I dont like the one in Hughesville and will it avoid it all costs if I can. For example, when I leave work in La Plata and have to go to Calvert, instead of taking Rt. 6 to Oliver Shop Road to Burnt Store Road, I just take Rt. 6 all the way to Rt. 5 and then to Rt. 231.
 
Goldenhawk

Goldenhawk

Well-Known Member
I think the only way people will ever get used to traffic circles is to build more of them. Sooner or later, people will "get it". Sure, there will always be hold-outs; I've sat behind plenty of folks in cars with MD tags who STILL don't understand "right turn on red". That's been the law since 1978. So there will always be both hyper-cautious people and idiots. But most of the time, the circle is far better than a 4-way, if you're not stuck behind the occasional weirdo. I'll put up with them to get the benefits.
 
PeoplesElbow

PeoplesElbow

Well-Known Member
Mavis said:
Traffic circles are only a problem when people don't use them properly. The general rule is a vehicle already in the circle has the right of way. A vehicle approaching a circle yields to vehicles already in the circle. And once on the circle you do not give way to allow other vehicles to enter (unless emergency vehicles, and then only if it's safe to do so) The most frightening circle in Maryland is the one at Hughesville during rush hour. The number of times the car in front of us on the circle has stopped dead to let another car enter is unbelievable. The idea behind traffic circles is to keep the traffic flowing!
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There is a very large traffic circle in New Jersey where the traffic in the circle has to yield, very weird.
 
GWguy

GWguy

*
I wanna try one of the circles in France or Italy. Talk about a free-for-all. And going the 'wrong' way.
 
M

Mavis

Member
The 'Magic Roundabout' Swindon. Have been through it several times but always made sure someone else was driving
 
GWguy

GWguy

*
I think I mentioned this before. I was on the island of Tortola back in the '70s, and we had rented a CJ5 to get to town. There was a traffic circle. In the BVI, it's left side driving. I would be doing fine, no problem driving on the left, until I got to the circle. I'd enter on the left and ALWAYS come out on the right. No one wanted to ride with me driving..... :ohwell:
 
glhs837

glhs837

Power with Control
GWguy said:
I think I mentioned this before. I was on the island of Tortola back in the '70s, and we had rented a CJ5 to get to town. There was a traffic circle. In the BVI, it's left side driving. I would be doing fine, no problem driving on the left, until I got to the circle. I'd enter on the left and ALWAYS come out on the right. No one wanted to ride with me driving..... :ohwell:
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I drove on our aircrews first two stint in Saudi in 1992, all seven of us enlisted guys in a Mistubishi FWD van, the kind where you and your feet are forward of the engine. The Sauds, they never met a traffic circle they didn't like, yuuuuuuge ones, normally with crazy sculpture in the center. Since the "run of the mill" Sauds dove virtually all large V GM products (Ford had opened a dealership in Israel at some point and they were banned from the Kingdom, I think) we were always on the downside of the power to weight ratio, and so momentum conservation was King. So I kept speeds up, and corners tight to make sure I had enough velocity to fight for my ROW Boston style.

Next trip, there was a coup from the guys in the back, and they deposed me in favor of the radar operator. Two terror filled days later, I was reinstated due to popular demand, as his timidity behind the wheel was far scarier than my "aggressive" driving had been. Look up the PolyGlass tire commercial, it was like that with him driving :) My usual copilot rejoined me in the front seats, and he cued up the Ride of the Valkyries :) The guys in back screamed, we laughed, and a good safe time was had by all :)
 
glhs837

glhs837

Power with Control
Went through there today for the first time since the stop signs came down. I like it. Very easy in and out. Better than the Chaptico one by far.
 
ginwoman

ginwoman

Well-Known Member
Dupontster said:
You would be shocked at the amount of traffic that comes through there each day.. Loads of people from Va going to the base. 234 is one of the main arteries out of the county. OH and we (the 25 people that live there) use it too.. Some of us have cars now.. If people knew how to drive in a round-a-bout, there wouldn't be a problem.. I see people coming down 234 toward Leonardtown and they don't even slow down that much. Just keep on bookin.. You need to at least look to see if there is a vehicle in the round-a-bout. If there is you yield.. Always look to your left.. Simple common sense. OH and BTW, they had to downsize the one in Clements so it would not interfere with Andersons Bar. That is a national landmark and could not be touched.
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lol, a national landmark? Definitely a SOMD landmark :) Remember when we used to need a passport to get into the 7th? lol
 
B

BernieP

Resident PIA
all I have to say is get use to them. SHA has it in their head they are the cure all to anything that is a "traffic problem".
I think they are still considering one on St. Andrews Church Rd - they slow traffic down.
Their logic in that regards is good, if you have a collision in the circle it's more than likely to be a simple fender bender as the velocity of the two vehicles will be a lot slower than someone running a stop sign or stop light.
 
glhs837

glhs837

Power with Control
BernieP said:
all I have to say is get use to them. SHA has it in their head they are the cure all to anything that is a "traffic problem".
I think they are still considering one on St. Andrews Church Rd - they slow traffic down.
Their logic in that regards is good, if you have a collision in the circle it's more than likely to be a simple fender bender as the velocity of the two vehicles will be a lot slower than someone running a stop sign or stop light.
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I dont thing it's a cure-all, but there are lots of places where they help. That intersection between Best Buy and the PetSmart section could use one. Where on St Andrews would one be needed?
 
P

Potomac

Member
glhs837 said:
I dont thing it's a cure-all, but there are lots of places where they help. That intersection between Best Buy and the PetSmart section could use one. Where on St Andrews would one be needed?
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I agree, that is a mess between the Best Buy/Panera shopping center & Hobby Lobby/Weiss

Don't beat up on me too badly, but I think a traffic circle at the intersection of Rt 5 w/ St. Andrews would have perhaps been more effective than the light that is there.
 
kom526

kom526

They call me ... Sarcasmo
Potomac said:
I agree, that is a mess between the Best Buy/Panera shopping center & Hobby Lobby/Weiss

Don't beat up on me too badly, but I think a traffic circle at the intersection of Rt 5 w/ St. Andrews would have perhaps been more effective than the light that is there.
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State and federal laws would have prevented a circle from going in there. Besides, that intersection was built before BRAC and the relocation of NAVAIR etc.
 
glhs837

glhs837

Power with Control
Potomac said:
I agree, that is a mess between the Best Buy/Panera shopping center & Hobby Lobby/Weiss

Don't beat up on me too badly, but I think a traffic circle at the intersection of Rt 5 w/ St. Andrews would have perhaps been more effective than the light that is there.
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So, one of those rotaries that allows bypass for going around for straight through. Similar to this.

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3

3CATSAILOR

Well-Known Member
Tom38 said:
I know this has probably been discussed before, but I have been inactive on here for a couple years, so haven't seen it.

I drive 234 both to and from work every day and have for almost 20 years. I know traffic could get pretty backed up in Clements at the 4-way stop, but that was an inconvenience. I'm my opinion the fairly new traffic circle was vey poorly designed, and has now made that intersection dangerous.

Just want to know, what are other people's opinions on it?
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No documented traffic accidents after the new intersection was put in place. It sounds like you have an opinion, which you are entitled to but nothing to back it up. You simply don't like the traffic circles you have to go through. If my memory serves me correctly, you have to go through two or three of them on this road. I don't blame you about the traffic circles. Not many people I know of prefer them over stop signs. But, the 4 way stop idea wasn't working out. The alternative counts on drivers to take some responsibility with entering and exiting intersections in a reasonable manner. This probably puts too much on the shoulders of some people in this County since it might require them take their eyes off their cell phones for a second or two.
 
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