Why Can’t People Get the Hang of the Roundabout by Temple High School?

When the new roundabout was built in Temple, Texas, it was supposed to ease traffic congestion at Temple High. So, is it working? Eh...not really.

The Plan

We're all well aware of the new roundabout next to Temple High School and Wildcat Stadium. What some people are not aware of...is how to use it.

The idea behind the roundabout is to eliminate a majority of the traffic issues by keeping traffic flowing, but if you've been anywhere near it during drop-off, you know that isn't the case.

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"But School Traffic Is ALWAYS Bad!"

You're not wrong, but that's why they built the thing, right?

I'm fairly certain the City of Temple wouldn't invest all of those hard-earned tax dollars into something to make traffic worse. So then what seems to be the issue?

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You're Doing it Wrong

I'm not sure if it's new drivers (would make sense at a high school) or if it's a gathering of inexperienced drivers. Maybe it's a lot of people who have never seen or driven on a roundabout before. Or maybe it's just genuinely bad drivers who don't care.

Whatever the case, I'm going to do my best to clear this up for everyone.

How Does It Work?

Really, if you follow the signs and make sure not to hit the random fast-moving high schooler who's running late, you should be good.

To simplify it as much as possible: if you're on the circle, KEEP DRIVING! Do NOT stop to let people get on. They have yield signs.

The ONLY time you stop when going around is if there is a pedestrian in the crosswalk.

"I Wanna Get On! I'm Running Late."

Leave earlier and don't bring your dangerous rush into a school zone, please and thank you.

The people waiting to enter the circle will find the openings as people ON the circle signal and exit. Just be patient.

Slow is smooth and smooth is fast, so look around, be safe and just keep it moving.