We Have Too Many Circles And Not Enough Straight Lines

Sat, 08 Aug 2026 22:17:10 +0000

I’ve been driving the commute from Belgrade into Bozeman for thirty-three years now. Back in ’91, you could get from the outskirts to Main Street without seeing a single piece of circular concrete. You drove in a straight line, you waited your turn at a stop sign, and you arrived at your destination with your equilibrium entirely intact.

Lately, it seems like the city planners have been watching too many European travel documentaries. Every time I turn a corner, I’m greeted by another roundabout. They’re popping up in fields that used to house perfectly productive alfalfa, replacing the honest, reliable geometry of the four-way stop.

Intersections on The Bozeman Daily Bee

We Have Too Many Circles And Not Enough Straight Lines