[TAG] Re: Re: England was nice

[Mike Orr]

Mike Orr wrote:

> Martin J Hooper wrote:
>
>> Rick Moen wrote:
>>
>>> Here's the roundabout at the bottom, looking at right angles to the
>>> Marin Street ascent:
>>> http://www.berkeleyheritage.com/berkeley_landmarks/images/Marin_Circle_fountain1.jpg 
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Good grief you've got roundabouts in America... ;) :)
>>
>> I always thought that roads in American cities always were parallel 
>> to each other and the corners were always at right angles to each 
>> other - Sorta like a grid...
>
>
>
> Cities built during the Industrial era (approx 1860-1960) are like 
> that, as are almost all downtowns.  But there are always a few 
> diagonal roads here and there, usually established before the grid 
> system was built.


Washington DC has two grids superimposed.  The regular grid goes 
north-south.  But the main roads are on a diagonal grid.  Wherever the 
diagonal roads cross, there's a circle.  You can call them roundabouts 
if you want.
http://mq-mapgend.websys.aol.com/?e=9&GetMapDirect=Gme5diw%2ca%3a9u12%3b%40%24x5%2dywd672%26%3dta%216bsl67%3a0%2d7nlryg%264%40xqzal1%40b2562%3a9uy2%3bu%24nu67%7c%26a7aq%40%24%3a%26%40bg%21r1su67%3a%29zt%26uaz0u6%24%3a%26ur2u%2da%7c%26yt29%40%24

Dupont Circle is one of the most interesting.  I couldn't find a picture 
of the whole thing but here are parts of it.  There's a fountain statue 
in the middle, a circle of benches around it, a ring of roads around it, 
an underground bypass road, and a metro station.
http://www.dupontcircleanc.net/
http://www.stationmasters.com/System_Map/DUPONTCI/dupontci.html
http://www.kestan.com/travel/dc/dup_cir/snow/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dupont_Circle