If one more idiot blows their horn on the former Armdale Rotary, now Armdale Roundabout, I may have to go get one of my dad's old guns out of lockup and use it. I am not talking about them blowing their horn at me, just in general. It is like everyone suddenly has decided they are Italian, and now have some God given right to hit another car, rather than touch a brake pedal on their way through the thing.
I have driven in England, and in Norway, where roundabouts are more common than four way stops and traffic lights here, so listen for one second: The key is remembering to be in the correct lane on the roundabout part. On the outside lane, you exit the next chance, thereby freeing up the outside lane for vehicles to move into (while signalling that lane change) so that they can then exit at their next opportunity.
Being on the roundabout does give you the right of way over vehicles not yet on it, but not over others who are also on it. Once there are two vehciles on the circle, normal lane right of way conventions apply. You can't change lanes indiscriminantly any where else. Or turn right from the left lane at a light. And you still have to indicate your planned movements by the use of your turn signal.
Exiting from the inside lane, as many people seem to want to do when entering from the Bay Road and exiting to Quinpool, does not work that well right now, and that is one of the things that will hopefuly be addressed in the upcoming design project HRM have recently advertised for the roundabout. For now, anyway, if you want to go to Quinpool from the Bay Road, use the right hand lane on entering the circle. Traffic from the left lane can then move over to the right after you exit and take Chebucto. There should be a quick slip ramp for Herring Cove Road, but almost no one goes there anyway.
Let's get back to being Maritimers, and hit the brakes before the horn!
And finally, there are still crosswalks there, and pedestrians we'd all like you to not run over.
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