To motorists like Wally Lucas, roundabouts or traffic circles are organized chaos. There’s nothing wrong with a roundabout that a couple stop signs wouldn’t cure.

Lucas is so frustrated he wants voters to abolish roundabouts in Colorado Springs.

Not so fast, says Dave Krauth, principal traffic engineer for Colorado Springs. He and other traffic engineers absolutely love roundabouts.

They are a thing of beauty. Check out these views from GoogleEarth.com:

Traffic engineers praise roundabouts for reducing the number of wrecks at intersections as well as the severity of injuries and damage due to wrecks. You don’t get those nasty T-bone crashes at roundabouts because there are no right-angle turns and speeds are lower.

Here are a few of the roundabouts scattered across Colorado Springs. First, the hotly debated and fiercely opposed roundabout on Lake Avenue.

Here is a look at one on Mesa Road at the entrance to Kissing Camels.

The new Wolf Ranch subdivision on Research Parkway, east of Powers Boulevard, is an example of traffic engineer utopia. It is littered with roundabouts. Take a look.

Then there is the “green” factor of roundabouts. Since you don’t stop, your fuel efficiency is enhanced.

But Lucas said too many motorists are unfamiliar with the concept of continuous flowing traffic. The South Carefree Circle roundabout is especially treacherous because it has two lanes of traffic going in every direction.

Krause and traffic engineers say roundabouts are simple, if people take the time to educate themselves. Study the signs. read the pamphlet and watch the video the city produced. It might help.

You can find even more information on the city’s Traffic Roundabouts Web page at SpringsGov.com.

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