I haven't seen the latest roundabout, but I have found the one south of there, at Thompson and county TT, to be somewhat scary for bicyclists going southbound, because the cars coming west on TT are going at high speed. I don't know what the speed limit is, but I'm sure they are exceeding it. It's a downhill and cars definitely don't slow down entering it if they are going left onto Thompson.
"It is dangerous to be right in matters on which the established authorities are wrong."--Voltaire (1694-1778) Direct Cost of U.S. War and Occupation of Iraq $501,352,598,039 >>> "Matt Logan" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 3/12/2008 9:06 AM >>> It sounds like one of those studies was on roundabouts with speeds greater than 30mph (I assume that the speed limit in the Zier/Lien/Thompson area is 30 or less). It is unclear from the abstract if that is the speed within the roundabout, or prior to the roundabout. One of the other studies indicated that education of bicyclists could significantly reduce the risks. The WisDOT site ( http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/safety/motorist/roaddesign/roundabout.htm ) suggests that there is a 10% reduction in bicycle crashes provided by roundabouts. WisDOT seems to have obtained this data from an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study of 24 roundabout intersections in eight states, and other studies. The WSJ article lacks much in the way of specifics, so it is hard to say if this particular roundabout would pose an increased risk to bicyclists until we get more details. It is certainly something to keep in mind. Since it seems bicyclist education can improve roundabout safety, I decided to copy the information from the state*s roundabout brochure: http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/safety/motorist/docs/roundabout-brochure.pd f Note to bicyclists: If you are riding on the shoulder or bike lane, merge into the traffic lane before the shoulder ends. Prepare for this move early, look over your shoulder, and signal your intent to move into traffic. Don*t be intimidated; assert your position upon entering the roundabout. Once in the roundabout, don*t hug the curb. Ride close to the middle of the lane to prevent cars from passing and cutting you off. Watch for cars waiting to enter the roundabout, as they may not see you. If you do not want to ride your bike in the roundabout, you may enter the sidewalk using the ramps, and proceed as a pedestrian. -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, March 12, 2008 12:01 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [Bikies] New East Side roundabout: Depending on design etc. bikeaccidents & deaths may increase. The Wisconsin State Journal has an article about a new roundabout at Lien, Thompson and Zeier roads near East Towne Mall HERE. Several recent European studies indicate that depending upon roundabout design details, placement, and other factors, roundabouts can increase cyclist injuries and fatalities. _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [email protected] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [email protected] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies
