KY Transportation Cabinet, WKU Conducting Roundabout Survey

I'll admit that the first time I navigated a roundabout, I did it the wrong way. No, I didn't turn left when I should have turned right; my problem was not understanding exactly when I had the right of way. I'm a quick study, so I never faced that issue again with the only one in my community.

Then again, in Owensboro, there's only one that I know of and it's at the intersection of KY 81 and KY 56 on Daviess County's west side. I hardly ever use it. But when I do, I do it the right way. I have learned my lesson. Now...somebody teach THESE folks:

Hey, I get it. If you've honestly NEVER encountered a traffic roundabout, they can be a little daunting. Before we go any further, as as matter of fact, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has some quick tutelage for us on how to use roundabouts...and intersection safety in general:

In my opinion--and keep in mind, I have no degree in city and regional planning or highway management (if that's a thing)--roundabouts are the result of us moving past an outdated way of constructing roads. For example, how many old streets have you tried to drive down that are almost too narrow because they were designed for horses and buggies? There's also the need for three lanes on both sides of MOST interstate highways.

Anyway, THAT discussion is one for another day. As for roundabouts, there's a survey the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and Western Kentucky University are requesting we take. They say it takes about 15 minutes to complete, but it's really only half that. You can take the survey here.

<span lang="EN">The main objective of this survey is to </span>identify the specific concerns and difficulties encountered by Kentucky’s road users when navigating roundabouts. The survey will also highlight the main recommendations and solutions that Kentuckians perceive to help improve the safety of roundabouts in the Commonwealth. Your participation in this survey is voluntary. Note that the collected data will be stored securely and will be aggregated for academic and research purposes only.

Love 'em or hate 'em--and as helpful as they are, plenty of folks DO hate 'em--roundabouts are popping up with ever more frequency, and not just for our health.

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