DC Circles

Washington DC has America’s showiest traffic circles - DuPont, Sheridan, Washington, Scott, Thomas and Ward. Pretty, expensive but horribly dysfunctional. They follow none of the principles of modern roundabout design, so probably have about a third the capacity and three times the accidents. A good idea incompetently executed at great cost to the taxpayer. Suddenly all is explained. We read they were designed by the Army Corps of Engineers. (WP Mag 6/18/00 p8)