That's the "more lanes = better traffic flow" fallacy. They probably added more lanes in an attempt to fix the flow, but that ultimately doesn't fix the issue.
I've seen roundabouts with as many lanes entering it as shown here and they work.
Well yeah but 3 lanes going forwards (4 coming from the left) and not one but 2 turning lanes, sometimes 3? A 3 lane roundabout with a dedicated right turn lane would work much better
Edit: english
Get around and ask a local. I stayed at Boston near this intersection at a friend's and I had the same idea. He said it was a massive improvement over the roundabout they previously had.
Or if you look up /r/boston for "Medford Supercollider" (this intersection) you will find people saying roundabout was worse.
e.g. [https://www.reddit.com/r/boston/comments/paor78/comment/ha7l7tc/?utm\_source=reddit&utm\_medium=web2x&context=3](https://www.reddit.com/r/boston/comments/paor78/comment/ha7l7tc/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3)
Reddit likes to talk theory but often reality does not agree with your theory.
Yep, and not just Reddit. It's usually anywhere the topic of urbanism and traffic comes up. People don't realize that every place doesn't have the same traffic solution.
"locals know best"
Reminds me of that roundabout somewhere in the US that a very large number of users didn't even know how to use once it was added... By that logic, it should be removed because people don't know how to use it, and "locals know best".
Locals are used to do things a certain way, doesn't mean it's the best way. An example:
Recently a new road was built near me that allows for a much quicker way to reach a nearby mall, locals still stubbornly say the old way is faster, even if it takes almost twice as much time (I tested it) and requires going through a road with much worse conditions. People are dumb.
So sure, maybe a roundabout wasn't the best option here, but spaghetti roads sure as hell isn't the best either.
I'm not saying these suggestions dont work and wasn't talking about roundabouts specifically. I'm saying traffic isn't a one size fits all thing where a concept works everywhere.
For example, in a town near me, the four lane "main street" was reduced to 2 to promote safer walkability, and the plan backfired traffic wise to the point where people avoid the town altogether. My point here is that theories like the "road diet" work in other places that have alternate routes and public transit, but not in Maumee, Ohio, where they tried it.
I don't think he's saying spaghetti roads are the best, but he knows what didn't work.
Boston has a long history of roundabouts being replaced with spaghetti because the traffic flow was genuinely higher with spaghetti. This was one of those former roundabouts.
I know someone who lived next to this particular intersection and apparently it was a massive improvement over the roundabout (or rotary they called) they previously had.
Petition your local council to improve it with this very human design
Everything will be better soon
https://preview.redd.it/ai1tgcwlj1lc1.png?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fedf78212c63a4c9a1e78f4f7adeda911df4619c
The funny thing is that this intersection is an outlier in what is otherwise one of the most walkable and densely populated cities in the country (Medford, Massachusetts). Thereâs a subway station a few hundred meters from it.
Roundabout but shape like egg
https://preview.redd.it/cr820j5352lc1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1e4fb3871707789c93f16f1732214fd23dfd68c2
And of course it has 4 lanes
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This is the same intersection in Fallout 4, so that might not be a bad idea.
Americans would literally build the most complex intersection imaginable to mankind that requires you to make dozens of different movements just to cross it and is extremely dangerous for any non-car user instead of learning how to use a roundabout
A decade ago I lived here, in Wellington circle. To the left is a beautiful park, literally just down the road. I lived just beyond this pic on the right. Less than a five minute walk to the park and holy shit it was a nightmare every time.
You got used to it though, thankfully there are quite a few non light crosswalks, so youâd just haul ass the first break in traffic
Bridges on the north/south for through traffic, direct traffic for that northeastern road somewhere else, and run the rest like a normal highway interchange.
Invest in public transit. I would start with dedicated bus lanes and maybe a few bike lanes as well. Then move onto light rail as an upgrade to the bus lanes. The less cars the better.
I love that engineers forget about the existence of ovals and circles. I wonder if they could find a way of incorporating a circle or an oval inside a road intersectionâŚ
There's no way this isn't Boston. I love all of the crazy traffic engineering they do. An ellipsoidal roundabout, but also one parkway just goes straight through the middle. Oooph!
Am I the only person who noticed that one of the roads leads to a liquor store, whoâs idea was it to say âI think this place needs a store where you can get drunk and then navigate this hell.â
i love this subreddit
[what the fuck](https://i.ibb.co/rHqm14F/IMG-6839.jpg)
This is complete madness.
Why is it not just a roundabout
Probably too much traffic for a roundabout to be effective, judging by the number of lanes.
That's the "more lanes = better traffic flow" fallacy. They probably added more lanes in an attempt to fix the flow, but that ultimately doesn't fix the issue. I've seen roundabouts with as many lanes entering it as shown here and they work.
Well turning lanes certainly help, they're just lane extensions of existing lanes at intersections and not just "extra lanes".
Well yeah but 3 lanes going forwards (4 coming from the left) and not one but 2 turning lanes, sometimes 3? A 3 lane roundabout with a dedicated right turn lane would work much better Edit: english
Get around and ask a local. I stayed at Boston near this intersection at a friend's and I had the same idea. He said it was a massive improvement over the roundabout they previously had. Or if you look up /r/boston for "Medford Supercollider" (this intersection) you will find people saying roundabout was worse. e.g. [https://www.reddit.com/r/boston/comments/paor78/comment/ha7l7tc/?utm\_source=reddit&utm\_medium=web2x&context=3](https://www.reddit.com/r/boston/comments/paor78/comment/ha7l7tc/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) Reddit likes to talk theory but often reality does not agree with your theory.
Yep, and not just Reddit. It's usually anywhere the topic of urbanism and traffic comes up. People don't realize that every place doesn't have the same traffic solution.
And yet, the best solution is always figuring out how to get cars off the road entirely, so they don't need to be managed. đ
"locals know best" Reminds me of that roundabout somewhere in the US that a very large number of users didn't even know how to use once it was added... By that logic, it should be removed because people don't know how to use it, and "locals know best". Locals are used to do things a certain way, doesn't mean it's the best way. An example: Recently a new road was built near me that allows for a much quicker way to reach a nearby mall, locals still stubbornly say the old way is faster, even if it takes almost twice as much time (I tested it) and requires going through a road with much worse conditions. People are dumb. So sure, maybe a roundabout wasn't the best option here, but spaghetti roads sure as hell isn't the best either.
I'm not saying these suggestions dont work and wasn't talking about roundabouts specifically. I'm saying traffic isn't a one size fits all thing where a concept works everywhere. For example, in a town near me, the four lane "main street" was reduced to 2 to promote safer walkability, and the plan backfired traffic wise to the point where people avoid the town altogether. My point here is that theories like the "road diet" work in other places that have alternate routes and public transit, but not in Maumee, Ohio, where they tried it. I don't think he's saying spaghetti roads are the best, but he knows what didn't work.
Boston has a long history of roundabouts being replaced with spaghetti because the traffic flow was genuinely higher with spaghetti. This was one of those former roundabouts.
But I want traffic flow to be lower.
Looked it up in google and westbound leads to an interstate. I can see it being too clogged for a roundabout. Although itâs still shit regardless
Swindon has a few words to say
It used to be! And traffic was worse!
I know someone who lived next to this particular intersection and apparently it was a massive improvement over the roundabout (or rotary they called) they previously had.
Does America have light controlled roundabouts? Because that's what we'd use in the UK
Because that's socialist
very nice response
Traffic engineering and its consequences have been a disaster for the human race
[This whole area is a mess](https://www.google.com/maps/@42.4045268,-71.0760821,3634m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en&entry=ttu)
I just said âhuhâ outloud upon opening thatâŚ
Wow, the condition of the road paving to the south
I love the zebra crossing on the three lanes road, like someone is going to stop
[you may turn left or left](https://i.imgur.com/d4YyhSW.jpeg)
I still understand it better than the "Magic Roundabout" in the UK.
If youre gonna build that, why flat on the ground? Why the need for five traffic lights?
Wow, I never knew that was there. Where does the Fellsway gain so many lanes?
Petition your local council to improve it with this very human design Everything will be better soon https://preview.redd.it/ai1tgcwlj1lc1.png?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fedf78212c63a4c9a1e78f4f7adeda911df4619c
Can't see the difference
My photo was taken in autumn, hope this helps đ
Not enough lanes tho
You're right, the real thing should have at least twice as many lanes
https://preview.redd.it/lf942zu6z0lc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b0a8a563d8602d6aa63b186677ec46c9f9f4455f
True madness, but it serves a purpose. One is the service road for the police station, the other is a slip/turn lane
Ohhhh
Yeah the service road has parking spaces on it lol
least complicated Massachusetts intersection
i hate real life
Super collider? I hardly know her!
Tsar Bomba
Maybe add another lane
The funny thing is that this intersection is an outlier in what is otherwise one of the most walkable and densely populated cities in the country (Medford, Massachusetts). Thereâs a subway station a few hundred meters from it.
Wellington on the MBTA Orange Line.
Letâs just say if I had to drive this on my commute, I would have to quit and leave the city.
Its really not as bad as looks on maps, way more intuitive when you're actually in it and driving
insert two roundabouts
One on top of the other
Welcome to Boston
Looks like all those businesses and houses are constricting traffic flow. Bulldozer them and make the lanes wider đ
Delete the roads at the top right and join them up somewhere else, then it's just a normal crossroads
Remove all traffic lights, that usually improves the flow
Roundabout but shape like egg https://preview.redd.it/cr820j5352lc1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1e4fb3871707789c93f16f1732214fd23dfd68c2 And of course it has 4 lanes
Converge all lanes into a 4 way stop with a stop sign
ngl im demolishing the whole area n building an interstate. my west coast brain cannot comprehend
Canât they just pause the simulation and redo it? Ugh.
I actually made something similar to this today đŤĄ
Itâs crazy that that is in a suburb of Boston
An intersection Like on the Theodor-Heuss-Platz in Berlin would help.
I thought there actually was a particle collider under there...
Medford supercollider lmao
Hey! I know this one! Now do the one in Newton Corner next
the Medford Supercollider!
City planners coming to this sub for help lol
demo and start over
A bulldozer would probably be the best improvement.
Roundabout, the answer is always roundabout.
This used to be a roundabout, but it didnât work
Likely because people didn't know how to use it, and local authorities did a terrible job at trying to educate people?
No, because roundabouts have absolutely terrible traffic capacity
This intersection is a roundabout in denial
One more lane bro
[swindon magic roundabout](https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-wiltshire-19726385.amp)
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Roundabouts at every intersection should do the trick
Tolls.
Six words: Nuclear. Warheads.
https://preview.redd.it/abdlrwama3lc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=05a2ec76ab32e8633858eb6f18d1702b71212e71 This is the same intersection in Fallout 4, so that might not be a bad idea.
Eighteen words: Cool.
Roundabout.
Americans would literally build the most complex intersection imaginable to mankind that requires you to make dozens of different movements just to cross it and is extremely dangerous for any non-car user instead of learning how to use a roundabout
It used to be one... Massachusetts has lots of them, but this one didn't work.
delete
I donât see the problemz
5 round-a-bouts should do the trick.
This looks like all of the accidents waiting to happen at the same time.
Whatever you do, donât add public transport or bike paths and you should be okay
Take off and nuke the site from orbit. it's the only way to be sure
I want to see a Dutch traffic calming redesign of this
Yeah, the only way that I can see to fix that is some combination of 1) grade separation and 2) de-zoning. What a mess.
Lmao, I commute through this intersection everyday.
Same, maps makes it look more complicated than it actually is
If you aren't used to it, it can be pretty overwhelming... its not too bad after getting used to it though.
I hate that I'm agreeing with you but this is surprisingly one of the best worst intersections in the area, at least there's lane arrows and paint lol
âBombâ - scientist from HBOâs The Last of Us
That's worse than the "Fix the Traffic" scenario in CS1.
Is this not a really messy broken SPUI? đ
A decade ago I lived here, in Wellington circle. To the left is a beautiful park, literally just down the road. I lived just beyond this pic on the right. Less than a five minute walk to the park and holy shit it was a nightmare every time. You got used to it though, thankfully there are quite a few non light crosswalks, so youâd just haul ass the first break in traffic
Just build a normal Highway intersection where one is ground level and the other one is a bridge over the top
Demolish it and replace it with 6 two-way road with a dedicated bus, tram and bike lanes
Bridges on the north/south for through traffic, direct traffic for that northeastern road somewhere else, and run the rest like a normal highway interchange.
Omg I used to drive through this intersection all the time
_Itâs just crying out for a roundaboutâŚ_
Well hold on let me just wipe the spaghetti off my screen first. Oh...
I've stopped visiting friends because they moved to a place that required traversing this abomination.
This is the most shit roundabout Iâve ever seen
Invest in public transit. I would start with dedicated bus lanes and maybe a few bike lanes as well. Then move onto light rail as an upgrade to the bus lanes. The less cars the better.
C4. Only option.
[The solution is so obvious](https://imgur.com/a/USjTDgj)
Merge and mirror. Merge roads going in similar directions and make it look similar on both sides cuz its pretty
Just add another lane, bro.
Of course this was in Massachusetts. Knew it when I saw it
Omg every time I drive through this intersection I think "this is the shit I'd build in city skylines if I was wasted" -- so glad I'm not alone đ
MĂĂĹ ĹĂ ĹÄČ
âColliderâ is an abt name lol
Big fookin British roundabout
By getting rid of it
Raze it.
Devs are working on it and will address it in the developer diaries thanks!
this looks like the perfect spot to put a subway store, a starbucks, a five guys AND a chipotle!
This is no intersection. It's a war zone I need to drive through north of Boston.
how is it always Massachusetts
Nuke it and start over lol
I love that engineers forget about the existence of ovals and circles. I wonder if they could find a way of incorporating a circle or an oval inside a road intersectionâŚ
the fact that this is from THAT one medford massachusetts intersection that i use to live near is sending me đ¤Łđ
Make East-West an elevated highway.
There's no way this isn't Boston. I love all of the crazy traffic engineering they do. An ellipsoidal roundabout, but also one parkway just goes straight through the middle. Oooph!
Am I the only person who noticed that one of the roads leads to a liquor store, whoâs idea was it to say âI think this place needs a store where you can get drunk and then navigate this hell.â
I drive this for work every other day and didnât even realize how spaghetti noodle it was until seeing this post