The Seldom Seen Roundabouts

Traffic flow in Tucson is horrendous, particularly in and out of the university during term time. Parking permits are limited to a first come-first serve basis, and those who don't have permits have no chance of getting to classes on time if they are even thirty seconds late. You simply cannot expect to drive any faster than a cyclist on the inside channel. Gladly, therefore, I am without a car here in Arizona. I zip around on my bike, taking advantage of the cycle lanes seldom seen in Europe. Tucson was built after the invention of the motorcar, and it shows. Everything is wide, angled, and organised, but it is without one important aspect: flow. It brought me great joy to hear of Kansas building nearly 1000 roundabouts in the past two years. Obviously, traffic-flow has improved tenfold. Not to mention the exhaust-emissions that have been reduced by 60%. Roundabouts are glorious things; something that you only notice when you're without them (there is not a single roundabout in Tucson, nor much of the States). Everyone knows what they're doing at a roundabout - you give way to the right, you expect people to yield on your right, they always do, safety and the human spirit work in total harmony at roundabouts. When the system breaks down on rare occasions, because someone is being careless, you feel no qualms in giving them a piece of your mind, and onlookers would most certainly take your side. It is a travesty that most of the south-west has no roundabouts. One concern is that Tucson's drivers will not be able to deal with the many aspects of a roundabout: the concentration required and the various codes of practice and etiquette. The abysmal testing system is to blame for this, but so too is the over-simplification of the roads. Well done, Kansas, set the rest of America a precedent.