Wanderlust World Wanderlust World Traffic circles, also known as rotaries, are circular roadways that circle around a central island that is typically anywhere from 300 to 600 feet wide. Traffic circles are generally several lanes wide, and allow vehicles to enter, merge, change lanes and exit without having to reduce speed; speeds in a traffic circle are often between 30 to 50 mph. At the time of their introduction in the early part of the 20th century, traffic circles were a safe, efficient way to control traffic at the intersection of streets.
As traffic congestion in cities increased, traffic circles became the scenes of an increasing number of accidents, and they were no longer viewed as a safe way of controlling traffic. In the 1990s, a new type of circular traffic-control system was conceived, called the roundabout. The first roundabout to be built in the U.S. was in Gainesville, Florida in 1992. Although roundabouts are circular like traffic circles, the way in which they operate is different. Roundabouts are far smaller, and are designed to force drivers to slow down significantly as they approach, limiting the vehicle's speed as it enters, circulates and exits the roundabout.
Although roundabouts are a more recent introduction, traffic circles have been in use for decades. Some traffic circles, in fact, have become landmarks. For example, New York's Columbus Circle was the first traffic circle in the U.S. when it first opened in 1905. London's Piccadilly Circus is one of the most famous traffic circles in the world. In Paris, famous traffic circles are located near the Champs-Elysees and at the Arc de Triomphe. The latter is called the Charles de Gaulle Etoile.
Traffic circles are very large, designed for vehicles to enter and circulate at high speeds. Roundabouts, on the other hand, are quite a bit smaller, typically a single lane. Roundabouts force drivers to slow to between 15 and 25 mph. Roundabouts are also statistically safer than traffic circles. According to a study done at the University of Maine, traffic circles have between 3.5 and 6.5 times more car crashes than roundabouts.