Proof we no longer live in Uptown? This is the 2nd post we’ve made about traffic circles. Here’s the first in case you missed it. More proof: We’re going to take the time to post about how people drive around traffic circles. But really, it’s pretty darn irritating to see people wasting their lives. Here’s the deal — when you come to a traffic circle and no other car is approaching, you don’t have to go around the circle. It’s perfectly legal to cut the circle short as illustrated below. We really can’t stand watching another car do the loop-de-loop. Do it and we’re going to wave you down and stop you.
By the way, turns out traffic circle design is all part a process called ‘traffic calming.’ You can look it up. Clearly the people behind this stuff do not understand how irritating it is to see people doing needless steering because nowhere in these ‘design criteria‘ do they mention the need for clarifying signage.
Instead, they focus on crap like this:
1. The distance between a traffic circle and the street curb projection (off-set distance) shall be a maximum of 5 1/2 feet.
2. The width between a traffic circle and a curb return (opening width) shall be a minimum of 16 feet and a maximum of 20 feet.
3. As the off-set distance decreases from the maximum 5 1/2 feet, the opening width shall increase from the minimum of 16 feet.
And so on.
–j
Life’s too short to get irrate about other people’s actions. Aren’t these circles all about calming? Some of them have some really nice flowers this time of year too! Deep breaths, inhale some nice flower smell, exhale…
Well, you’re wrong. You drive around the rotary. That way, you don’t come suddenly face to face with some shithead on his cell phone looking for a place to park who’s come up out of nowhere. Which happens all the time to me. People in this town drive aimlessly and bad enough already without telling them it’s “Hokay” to go around the traffic circles the wrong way. I don’t care if it’s legal or not; it’s stupid, and if you do it, I hope you get front-ended some day. But not by me.
also, some of us have moved here from other states where it is in fact illegal to turn left without going around the circle first. Seems dangerous to me otherwise anyway; people really do pop up out of nowhere, and stupid people also take chances thinking a car heading towards them isn’t going as fast as it really is.
Over the years, I’ve read it both ways–legal to turn left & shortcut the circle, or illegal. Can you support the assertion that this is legal with a reference to the RCW?
How about the PI instead?
the city recognizes that large cars and trucks have a hard time driving completely around a traffic circle to make a left turn, so it allows all vehicles to simply turn left
Some of those circles are at tight intersections with lots of foliage and it only takes one SUV parked on the curb to totally block the oncoming view. Going all the way around can save you from having to back up after having gone left only to find yourself face to face with a (1) jerk going too fast, or a (2) confused old lady.
I don’t think it’s a waste of life. I can’t tell if your kidding. Ha ha. Going around the traffic circles can be a little exercise in Zen loopiness. I like the way my Honda banks around them. It’s fun. Relax!
Ommmm. Ommmm.
Oh my gawd, it’s ridiculous that “all vehicles are simply allowed to turn left”. One of the many reasons we have traffic circles is that the neighborhoods are crowded, and you can’t always see who’s coming. The safest thing to do is always go to the right. Take the extra 10 seconds, be safe, and go to the right. If you have a gigantic truck or SUV, you should really find another place to turn.
Sorry guys, I totally disagree with you and agree with “fnarf” and the other “go right” folk. i whip up and down between 15th and 19th multiple times every single day and i cannot tell you how idiotic it is to go left. i don’t care how clear it looks, go right….every single time. I love bringing my east coast ways and totally laying on the horn at the morons that don’t know how to go around the circle the right way. Or the ones that don’t know who has the right of way. Please don’t encourage any more idiotic PNW timid/dangerous driving around here.