Falls Church, Virginia, will soon get its first-ever roundabout. News4 set out to see if drivers there are ready for the traffic change.Construction recently started in the area of South Maple Avenue and Annandale Road, known as the Bowl America intersection.Drivers and passengers who spoke with News4 Wednesday said they were onboard with the idea of a traffic circle in the area."The roundabouts? Oh, they are very helpful. They save lives," one man told News4."I think more people need to be educated...
Falls Church, Virginia, will soon get its first-ever roundabout. News4 set out to see if drivers there are ready for the traffic change.
Construction recently started in the area of South Maple Avenue and Annandale Road, known as the Bowl America intersection.
Drivers and passengers who spoke with News4 Wednesday said they were onboard with the idea of a traffic circle in the area.
"The roundabouts? Oh, they are very helpful. They save lives," one man told News4.
"I think more people need to be educated on how to use them," a driver said.
Another driver said roundabouts aren't confusing to him, but he's noticed other people get confused.
"Some people, they stop before the car is even in the circle," he said.
Who gets the right-of-way in a roundabout?
Reporter Adam Tuss and the News4 team are covering you down on the roads and in transit.
Some Falls Church drivers who spoke to News4 weren't clear on the rules.
"First one to the circle?"
"Depends on who got there first, I guess."
Both of those drivers are wrong.
Cars already in the circle have the right-of-way, therefore, drivers are supposed to yield to them before entering the circle.
What to know about the Falls Church roundabout
Crews will transform the area of South Maple Avenue and Annandale Road into a single-lane roundabout by next spring.
Falls Church officials are hoping the roundabout will improve safety in that area while also help traffic to keep moving.
"Cars seem to go really fast through there. So what we are trying to do is make it a safer intersection for pedestrians and bicyclists, as well as motorists," said Scott Freda, the manager of the project.
The new roundabout is also expected to cut down on maintenance costs for that intersection.
Construction of the traffic circle will cost about $2 million.