negotiating traffic circles – biking log book Day #11
Since February 21, I have been in the third phase of my virtual bike trip through central France. For Phase 3 of my trip, I am biking in 12 days from Exireuil to Magné just west of Niort.
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On March 8, I continued my virtual biking through the city of Niort to a town on the outskirts called Montamisé. Only 1 more day to go before Phase 3 of my virtual biking adventure is over.
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I will always remember this as the ‘day of the traffic circle’.
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completely understandable (%^&#$@$!) traffic circle sign (image from Street View)
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I didn’t get lost because I took some shortcuts … directly across the island in the middle of each traffic circle!
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one of a few traffic circles I negotiated – notice my red ‘path’ goes directly through the middle of the circle…I love shortcuts!!!! (image from Street View)
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The traffic was intimidating and I especially worried about the big trucks who couldn’t see me at all (because I wasn’t there)…
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truck traffic
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Log Book: March 9, 2013
Area travelled: ‘in the city of Niort’ to ‘town of Montamisé’
Distance: 30 minutes 3.0 km
Best view: white house on la Rue de la Rochelle
Notes: in real life, I vow to be more considerate to cyclists!
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Distance Travelled Feb 21 to Mar 9: 33.0 km (330 minutes of stationary biking)
Total Distance Travelled Jan 30 to Mar 9 : 64.8 km (655 minutes of stationary biking)
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Do you prefer driving through a traffic circle or a regular intersection?
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Copyright Jane Tims 2013
nichepoetryandprose 
Traffic circles (or roundabouts) give me the willies when they’re busy. Most of those I’ve encountered on bike routes direct cyclists to cut through the middle rather than go around so I was happy to do so. 🙂
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Robin
March 23, 2013 at 6:20 pm
Hi Robin. The first traffic circles I knew were when I learned to drive, in Halifax. I think their main purpose is to wake people up … if you are terrified, you tend to pay attention. Jane
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jane tims
March 24, 2013 at 8:56 am
I love driving in Europe , the UK and now down under. Traffic circles move traffic amazingly well and are quite easy to navigate. The rule is simple… whoever is in the circle has the right of way. Now there is an issue if you are driving on the UK/Aust side of the road. In Aust Jenn decided to go the wrong way on the circle. That does not work so well.
The nice thing about California , and a growing number of places is separate bike lanes. Really needed …
So Canada. We need more circles and more bike lanes…. well it might be better just to fix up our existing highways that are so narrowed they barely fit two cars …let a lone a bike… and the potholes would swallow up a bike…
Screw improving the tax system by paying informants to turn in evaders… I think we saw that in Communist countries like Hungary and during nazi Germany.… spend what we give the government more efficiently and responsibly. Oh fairness.. denying the deduction for safety deposit box rentals? Who does that hurt?.. the rich?… no the ordinary tax payers who have no deductions left…. take away a $50 deduction … maybe eliminate the Senate and their theft of taxpayers money would be fairer…..
See it is about circles. They work when people understand the rules and respect others in the circle. They don’t work when you decide to just cut across the middle. Its may be easier but makes a mess of things. Right now our governments are not flowing very well.
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stan spavold
March 23, 2013 at 1:50 pm
Hi Stan. As you know, I am a poet. I am glad you see deeper metaphorical meaning in my simple story about traffic circles. Tell Jenn I’m glad she made it backwards through the Australian traffic circle!!!!! Jane
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jane tims
March 23, 2013 at 4:51 pm
Traffic circles can be intimidating. I’ve discovered that there are minor differences among them. That doesn’t help navigating them. Going across the middle on a bike might be a good idea. And yes, cyclists need and deserve more careful treatment from vehicle traffic. I’m enjoying your blogs.
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Carol Steel
March 23, 2013 at 7:47 am
Hi Carol. Traffic circles are a new norm in Fredericton. A new one appears every month. There is a big one planned for the old Trans Canada, just behind the Uptown Mall. Jane
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jane tims
March 23, 2013 at 8:52 am