If you think roundabouts are neat you should try the hook turns they use in
at least one part of Australia. I ran in to these in downtown Melbourne -
they have very wide streets and a light rail/tram system running down the
middle.
They use these at traffic light controlled intersections to (I assume)
prevent cars turning across traffic from holding up the trams. Instead of
waiting in the right lane of the left side of the road you pull forward in
the left lane and cut in front of the opposing traffic waiting for the
light to change. They normally get 3-4 cars (up to 5-6 taxis) squeezed
diagonally/horizontally in the available space. When the light changes and
they straighten up and go drive across the intersection.
It sounds weird but works pretty well when you get the hang of it.
OK, pretty crummy explanation, maybe there's an aussie on the list who can
explain it better.
Mark Sinclair
kiwi in San Francisco -
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