Compelling points on possible problems

Mar 30, 2026 1 min read

To the editor:

Mr. Brooks made a lot of compelling points about possible problems with a roundabout in his letter in the March 18, 2026, issue of the Island Reporter.

I grew up near Boston, where traffic circles were (in the ’50s), and still are, in use. Boston area drivers are known for being aggressive, but the key fact was that everyone understood the rules, legal or otherwise, in a circle.

The state of Maine built a traffic circle in Bath, Maine, a few years ago. Mainers aren’t really used to them, and the results were not pretty: there was no education about which car has the right-of-way at a traffic circle.

Now imagine a roundabout/traffic circle on Sanibel, where you have drivers from across the country, many of whom may never have met a roundabout, and all of whom may have different ideas about right-of-way in one (let alone at four-way stops).

I think Mr. Brooks’ points are technically compelling and I hope the review of the roundabout issue will address the issue of driver behavior as well.

Dan Hinckley

Sanibel