Roundabout

Yeah.

Roundabouts.

R-

Yeah

I'm Jeff Cranston.

You may not know it, but the Federal Highway Administration has designated this week, September 21st through the 25th, as National Roundabouts Week.

The Federal Highway Administration has actually been doing that since 2018.

So I thought that was a good reason to talk to Garrett Daw, who is MDOT's engineer of traffic safety.

He's dealing every day with requests around the state for speed limit changes, adjustments for school zones.

things like intersections, traffic lights, and this is where Garrett will tell you that a traffic light is not a safety device, it's a traffic control device.

And then, of course, when it comes to intersections, roundabouts, which is what I wanted to talk about this week, as I mentioned in the introduction, the Federal Highway Administration has designated September 21st through 25th in 2026 as National Roundabouts Week.

They've actually been doing that since 2018.

Today's topic is what we call a hot topic.

It's roundabouts.

Did you know that roundabouts don't have to make your head spin?

Aha.

[laughs]

Our job is to help you get the answers that you need.

And for this episode, we very specifically asked you, the public, to submit your roundabout questions on social media.

And so we've invited a couple of our DOT experts here to tackle some of the misconceptions and mysteries of roundabouts.

And they have, obviously, a lot of power.

They are very instrumental in trying to get projects, trying to get money for our area that MDOT controls.

Roundabouts on state highways, asphalt for state highways, expansion of state highways.

Those are all done through MDOT, and the commissioners have a big say in that.

And so, you know, we've gotten a lot of projects up here.

The planned 21,000 square foot center is expected to include a slightly larger fitness room, a gymnasium, new folding wall, multi-purpose classrooms, outdoor pickleball courts, and an outdoor gathering space.

Board officially throws support behind Roundabout project.

by Chris Graham, Sun Editor.

The Hamburg Village Board has officially announced its support for the New York State Department of Transportation project that would change the signalized intersection at Main Street, Pierce Avenue, Lake Street, and South Lake Street to a roundabout.

This is a beat that journalists cover.

And every time a small town announces plans to replace a stop sign with a traffic circle, somewhere, a neighbor relationship that survived 30 years of minor grievances simply ends.

I find this so deeply human that I almost can't stand it.

Let's back up.

Suffize leaving a circular junction at a particular exit of a roundabout.

Exit at the roundabout.

Aussteigen am Kreisverkehr.

Advises to pay attention to directional signage while traveling.

Follow the signs.

Yeah, it's a fair comment.

You know, one thing I will say is that, yeah, Roundabouts, which is the second song, is better than The Drums a little bit.

The thing with The Drums, and it took me a couple of listens or three listens to really appreciate that song, because, yeah, it's a 24-minute composition, but the last seven minutes segue into an oddly Pink Floyd-ish...

Sort of digital raindrops kind of thing and gets a little low, gets a little quiet, and gets a little bit meditative.