Roundabout Peace

Love 'em or hate 'em, roundabouts - which have been around for a long time - are now being built at a record pace in cities across America. They teach us about playing nice.

Ever feel as though you're going around in circles? There might be a reason for that. More and more cities are choosing a new approach to traffic control. Inspired by our brothers and sisters across the ocean, city planners are replacing traditional traffic signals with more efficient roundabouts. Proponents tout them as if they're the answer to the modern-day scourge of traffic congestion and big-city growth. Naysayers avoid them like the plague, sometimes driving miles out of their way to avoid the confusion of a never-ending parade of circling cars.

Roundabouts. Love 'em or hate 'em, we're going to see more of them.

The change is especially popular in states such as Arizona, which has experienced a 40 percent growth in population during the last 40 years. Gone are the long lines at intersections while drivers grip their steering wheels, grimly waiting for a green light. Instead of drivers stopping and starting according to the changing lights, roundabouts encourage traffic to keep...