Roundabouts Aren't Just for the English...

They're for the Anglophiles in horse country, too. The latest round of pork-laden transportation funding to emerge from Congress dispenses $8 million to "a series of traffic roundabouts" at Gilberts Corner in Loudoun County, at the intersection of U.S. 15 and U.S. 50, according to the Loudoun Times-Mirror. Of course, there aren't many horse farms left around Gilbert's Corner -- the area has been overrun by residential development.... hence, the need for traffic improvements.

Luckily for local residents, U.S Sen. John Warner lives close to nearby Middleburg, and he's personally familiar with the travails of local commuters, of whom, presumably, he is one. Warner proposed the roundabouts as part of a "traffic calming" plan for U.S. 50 through Middleburg. The Times-Mirror quoted Warner as saying, "The intensity of backups there [is] extraordinary. That's a waste of productivity to the residents."

I've got questions: If roundabouts are such a good idea, why don't we see more of them? What are their relative virtues and shortcomings compared to traditional stop-lighted intersections? Why do the English have so many more of them than we Yanks do?