How to use a roundabout

[Kapoho Joe]

quote:

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Originally posted by pahoated

It is getting strange with the number of emergency ambulances heading into Puna or out of Puna. I only go into town every other day usually, generally in the afternoon, and it is getting to be I see an ambulance or fire truck with lights and sirens going, heading into or out of Puna, every time or sometimes going in and back out of town. I have seen so many now that I notice they aren't heading out of Hilo to go north, or going on to Volcano, they are all going into Puna.

There are a lot of very old people in Puna, the hippies from the 70's are now sour old codgers. A lot of them are dying, became aware of about 3 elderly deaths in a 6 block area over the past few months, know about other neighbors in multiple stages of distress. That would account for the higher frequency of emergency vehicles but there must be a lot more happening to account for all these ambulances, fire trucks, police cars. Accidents, drugs, domestics, crime, and none of it gets reported.

The statistics show that if some life threatening condition happens, a 5 minute response results in much higher survival. Now imagine being in Kalapana, you have a stab wound, you are bleeding out, you probably only have 10 minutes, you have enough strength to make a cell phone 911. An ambulance is immediately dispatched from Hilo. The only problem is that it is 5 pm and the ambulance gets caught in the Kea'au merge. After getting past that, 50% of the people on Hwy 130 heading to Pahoa are unaware there is an ambulance behind them. After getting through that, the ambulance comes up to the Pahoa roundabout and there has been a minor fender bender, totally blocking the entire spaghetti intersection. After the 2 hours it takes to clear that out, the ambulance is on its way to Kalapana. At least they find your body and give it a ride back to Hilo with just flashing lights. Your body has an uplifting community message T-shirt "Aloha is Alive in Puna!".

"Aloha also means goodbye. Aloha!"

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I am now thinking that if one were to compile PTs various ramblings one might come away with some marketable content.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

if one were to compile PTs various ramblings one might come away with some marketable content.

How about, "Through The Roundabout."

Synopsis:
Theodore again enters a fantastical world, this time by driving through a roundabout into the world he can see beyond it.

Oscar Wilde's Last Words: "Either this wallpaper goes, or I do."

[hotinhawaii]

Yesterday's installment of "Tales of the Roundabout." Chapter 1:
Driving behind a woman driving into the roundabout from Kalapana, I saw her begin the slow to a crawl indicating that something untoward was about to take place. I interrupted my driver so we could observe. I was willing to bet she would come to a complete stop at the least. She didn't disappoint! Not only did she put on her left turn signal before entering the roundabout, she came to a complete stop then turned left into traffic. I don't know if laying on our horn made any difference, but she continued turning and exited bound toward Kalapana. I guess she will try again some other day.
Chapter 2: on the way back from Hilo after exiting the roundabout we see a clever fellow trying to make his way back toward Keaau. He was coming from the section of Kahakai BLvd. with the stores on it. You may know you can't turn left onto 130 from there, but such rules and lane markings weren't for this guy. He came out in the turn lane into Kahakai and just bolted across the double yellow to head into the roundabout. I imagine what happened immediately prior to this. He probably came out of the marketplace and could t see a way to turn left to get to Keaau. He turned right and found he couldn't then turn into the roundabout at the stop sign so continued on thinking there might be a way from Kahakai. Nope again. So he just made a way. I salute his ingenuity.
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[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

So he just made a way.

American ingenuity at it's best. And from the soon to be released movie "Blazing Car Seats - No AC Edition":
"Turn lanes! Turn lanes! We don't need no stinkin' turn lanes!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7txPU6efos

[Royall]

People sometimes overstate the obvious... Maybe it is time to paint BIG arrows on the road surface of the correct direction to travel!! May help the drivers that are mindless or don't have a clue... Just sayin....

[Punatic007]

I'm not a commuter, only go thru the round twice a week or so. Already an ambitious driver entering did not yield, darted right in front of me and we almost had the first collision in the round. And no one would have been able to get around us for what at least 1/2 hour or more waiting for cops to make their report?

Multi-generational welfare recipients and other various and dubious disabled on the dole who seem to make up the majority in Pahoa need to have *special services* traffic designs not a round. Maybe they should have their own lane all the way to Hilo.

[ScottRAB]

quote:

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Originally posted by Punatic007

I'm not a commuter, only go thru the round twice a week or so. Already an ambitious driver entering did not yield, darted right in front of me and we almost had the first collision in the round.

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'almost had' a crash, so, not, actually?
Ever stop to think the roundabout design should get some credit?

[shockwave rider]

I was off island for work during most of the preliminary stages of opening the roundabout, but after having been through the roundabout multiple times in the last two weeks, at all different times and days of the week, I do not understand what all the panic expressed here is about. Some people seem to have trouble determining if they have enough time to enter the roundabout ahead of an approaching vehicle, and enter too soon or wait too long, but other than that it seems to be working just fine.

The sign that shows you need to go right to make a left is not clear enough, and the big painted arrows is a great idea (should be glow in the dark paint) but I honestly think some people were so convinced it would be a disaster that all they see is evidence of that position.

[Tink]

More than likely once complete (have to depend on the State Department) there will be directive signs in "map format", as in a circle with arrows at each turn off with a description where that direction goes. Until then, slow down, not stop, and weave into the circle and turn where appropriate, and show how it is to be done. It takes too long to accelerate from a dead stop for a roundy to work properly.

Community begins with Aloha

[pahoated]

The flaw is a single lane roundabout. All the examples of roundabouts working are two lane which makes sense. A one lane roundabout means a bottle neck, if anything happens in it.

There is also a way to straighten the roundabout.
http://i.imgur.com/D733rT2.gif

"Aloha also means goodbye. Aloha!"