No Left Turns?

An article in the January edition of Smithsonian Magazine presents a new study from North Carolina State University stating that superstreets, which require drivers who wish to turn left to instead make a right turn followed by a U-turn, are actually more efficient than traditional intersections. Researchers collected data from three superstreets in North Carolina that had traffic lights and looked at travel time for both right and left turns as well as passing straight through. They also examined collision data from 13 superstreet intersections in that state that didn’t have traffic lights. According to the article, the study shows a 20% overall reduction in travel time compared to similar intersections that use conventional traffic designs.  The study also found superstreet intersections experience an average of 46% fewer reported automobile collisions and 63% percent fewer injury collisions.