I’ve heard there are roundabouts somewhere in the city. Is this true? If so, where are they located? —Sandra Brawley, Scarborough

Some say traffic circles are the way of the future. When properly designed, they reduce accidents by up to 70 per cent over stoplights, and fatalities by up to 90 per cent (in part by eliminating the dreaded T-bone collision). They’re cheap to maintain, move more cars per hour than normal intersections and reduce pollution (less idling at stoplights). Alas, they’re not at their best in the inner city. They often confound pedestrians and drivers, take up tons of space and, by their very efficiency, disrupt the rhythm established by nearby traffic lights. There’s a small roundabout in Rosedale, at the tricky five-way intersection of Roxborough, Highland and Scholfield, and another on Windermere in the west end. A couple more lurk in North York subdivisions. But the real roundabout revolution is happening in such towns as Kitchener- Waterloo and Ancaster.

• Categories: Roads