Davenport Public Works Has To Remind Drivers How To Use A Roundabout

Roundabouts. People either hate them or love them. They are almost as controversial as traffic cameras (no, we aren't opening that can of worms here). As the City of Davenport gets prepared for constructions on E 53rd St later this year, Davenport Public Works is encouraging residents to use the roundabout on Veterans Memorial Parkway while reminding drives how to use it.

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There are two basic principles to using any roundabout. Look left and don't stop in the roundabout. Sounds simple, right? Apparently not.

The roundabout on Veteran Memorial Parkway opened for traffic in December of 2018. For the past three years, motorists have been attempting to navigate the circle in the road. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says that roundabouts are beneficial for the following reasons:

• Roundabouts are a safer alternative to traffic signals and stop signs.
  • The tight circle of a roundabout forces drivers to slow down, and the most severe types of intersection crashes — right-angle, left-turn, and head-on collisions — are unlikely.
• Roundabouts improve traffic flow and are better for the environment.
  • Research shows that traffic flow improves after traditional intersections are converted to roundabouts. Less idling reduces vehicle emissions and fuel consumption.
• Roundabouts generally are safer for pedestrians.
  • Pedestrians walk on sidewalks around the perimeter and cross only one direction of traffic at a time. Crossing distances are relatively short, and traffic speeds are lower than at traditional intersections.

Some people see roundabouts as a benefit and others as a tool of Satan. Regardless, the roundabout on Veteran Memorial in Davenport isn't going away anytime soon (that's a lot of concrete to remove).

Ahead of a new project beginning later this year on E 53rd St in Davenport, officials from the Davenport Public Works department put out a social media post encouraging motorists to get acclimated to using the roundabout on Veterans. Officials said in the post,

"You might find Veterans Memorial Parkway to be a great alternative route to take as work begins on a new project on E 53rd St later this year."

With the post came instructions on how to use the roundabout because, after more than three years, people still can't figure it out.

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Of course, the social media post garnered a bunch of comments. People have their opinions about the roundabouts and they let those opinions known.

Some of the comments supported the roundabout

Other comments showing dislike towards those devil circles

And some comments were flat out hilarious

In the social media post, Davenport Public Works officials put out a nice map showing how traffic should flow in a roundabout, when to yield, what lanes to use for where you're going, and how the roundabout works.

Back in January of 2019, the City of Davenport even put out a nice video showing traffic properly using the roundabout on Veterans.

But if the video isn't good enough and you need us to type out instructions as Davenport Public Works did, we will do our public service and reiterate those instructions:

• Lower your speed when you approach the roundabout
• Look left to see if traffic is in/entering the roundabout
• Yield to traffic that's already in the roundabout
• Yield to pedestrians in crosswalks
• Use the left lane if you will be turning left or going straight
• Use the right lane if you will be turning right or going straight
• Proceed into the roundabout when it is safe and traffic isn't coming at you
• For the love of all that is good, Do not stop in the roundabout

If we can all follow these rules of the roundabout, we can all live in peace and harmony. If we don't, we could end up looking like the people in this video:

And if you still can't figure out the roundabout on Veterans, remember one thing, there are always other roads you can take.

Stay safe, Davenport!