The Northland Shouldn’t Turn Their Nose Up At Roundabouts
A couple of years ago, a roundabout was put in at the foot of the Bong Bridge in Superior. People lost their mind. What is this new confusing circle intersection? People drove the wrong way on it, failed to yield, and in at least one case drove right over the top of the darn thing.
As with anything, there is some learning adjustments to a new concept. But really, once everyone gets the hang of it and gets on board, they are very efficient. The roundabout in Superior wasn't the first I've ever used, however it has been the one I've perfected my roundabout skills in.
There's more roundabouts on the way too. According to the DNT, there will be one in Hermantown, another in Rice Lake, and a couple more on the range.
It's pretty simple. Yield to oncoming traffic from the left. If there is no oncoming traffic you can just slow down to navigate the turn, but there's no stopping. I don't think people that object to the roundabout realize how much faster this is than waiting for a light.
When it comes to driving, sometime the more experienced drivers are very resistant to change. Take example the arguing that occurs during the 'Zipper Merge.' The DOT spends money each year on an ad campaign that focuses on educating people to USE BOTH LANES DURING A BACKUP, AND ONLY MERGE WHEN THE SIGN SAY SO. Yet, you follow this and angry drivers will try to block you out. I'm getting off point here, but it's the same mentality we have when we try to introduce new traffic ideas.
How do you use a roundabout? Brush up with this YouTube video: