Wealthy Street Traffic Circle Pet Peeves!

[GR_Urbanist]

While I love the Wealthy St. traffic circles, it never fails that these three things seem to happen on a daily basis, at least when I'm using them. It's to the point where I want to seriously ask the city to station some cops there to start writing tickets.

One of the biggest peeves with them is that once you approach the circle, yield to a car that was already in it, and then start to proceed into the circle, some idiot will then blast right into the circle causing me to have to slam on my breaks, even though I had entered the circle first, just to avoid being broadsided. Not only that, but then a whole string of cars will then barge into the circle, never once yielding, or pretending that the concept of such was ever taught to them.

The second annoyance is when you are in the circle and having someone barge right in front of you without yielding. I mean they dont even stop or so much as even slow down in many cases. The most recent example of this was when I was almost hit by an ITP bus that failed to yield to traffic already in the circle. It proceeded full speed into the intersection. Even the passengers were stunned and noticed how close the bus came to causing an accident.

Last annoyance takes place in the larger circle on Wealthy where you have two lanes. The outer continues up Wealthy, the inner loops around the circle. The problem are those nitwits that get caught in the inner lane, but want to continue up Wealthy. Instead of looping back around the circle, they instead will stop in that inner lane, and wait for the traffic in the outer lane to clear before driving over the stripped lines in the road to get into that lane. Nevermind that they are holding up the inner lane's traffic and causing a traffic hazard, they just cant loop around for 5 seconds and try again! Way too hard!

[PolarBoy]

1. The yield sign does not double as a stop sign.

2. Once you are in the circle, don't stop til you get out.

Other drivers following those simple guidelines would give me fewer aneurysms when I'm driving through them. I guess patience while everyone learns them could help too.

[Veloise]

...the concept of such was ever taught to them...

[suydam]

There's the problem. When I took driver's ed (we used Model Ts) traffic circles were never addressed. I doubt most motorists living in the 616 have had the experience prior to these.

[zenstyle]

"When I took driver's ed (we used Model Ts)

[Allison Slater]

I'm 24 and the concept of a roundabout was never even addressed when I took driver's ed.. which I also did a bit late.. I did it in 2002/2003.

[Veloise]

"When I took driver's ed (we used Model Ts)

[blondie]

I think part of the problem is that there are very few traffic circles in GR. When I lived in DC, every other street was a two or even three lane traffic circle and they were all over the city. All I had to do was drive in one once to figure it out. Naturally, I did it wrong the first time and received numerous horn blastings and hand/finger gestures from the other drivers. I then "got it." I just don't think we have enough traffic circles for people to realize how to safely and correctly use them. And no, I do not support having more. They kinda scare me.

[GRDadof3]

1. The yield sign does not double as a stop sign.

2. Once you are in the circle, don't stop til you get out.

Other drivers following those simple guidelines would give me fewer aneurysms when I'm driving through them. I guess patience while everyone learns them could help too.

[elcelc]

The first one of these I ever saw was near Albany NY at rush hour and I absolutely freaked out and panicked. Lucky for me there were many friendly New Yorkers who used their horns to tell me where to go.

I've been through the Wealthy St one a couple times now (with no others cars in sight) and it probably could use much bigger, explanatory signage. "Cars in circle WILL NOT STOP FOR YOU!"

They are actually adding several of these things in Farmington Hills/West Bloomfield north of Detroit. Now that is a crazy traffic area. Good luck with that. Northwestern Connector

[Veloise]

Biggest ones I've ever seen in our fair state are near Brighton, and are visible from US-23. They feature large explanatory signage.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source...mp;t=h&z=16

Bird's eye with sign

http://www.bing.com/maps/default.aspx?v=2&...2&encType=1

Pavement markings

http://www.bing.com/maps/default.aspx?v=2&...9&encType=1

I did not realize there are THREE of these in this area.

Perhaps M-DOT should create some public service announcements with a tutorial. Favorite City had one on the website, but it was somewhat buried.

[Ted]

I prefer navigating them on my bike...

[GR Jackson]

I was told yield to the cars on your left. I originally assumed you take turns on the yield, but I was told I was wrong. I am so confused.

[fotoman311]

I've been through the Wealthy St one a couple times now (with no others cars in sight) and it probably could use much bigger, explanatory signage. "Cars in circle WILL NOT STOP FOR YOU!"

[grcitydog]

I don't know how many times I have been behind someone who thought that you have to come to a complete stop before entering the traffice circle, although the worst thing I witnessed was some idiot who, after missing turning onto Lafayette, instead of going around again, BACKED UP in the circle, almost causing an accident! And here I thought the concept of a traffic circle was almost foolproof.

[PolarBoy]

I prefer navigating them on my bike...

[Ted]

As do I, but I think we are invisible to people who have too much on their minds like stopping, yielding, turning...then you have to deal with a bike? It's a complete nightmare.

[andrew.w]

See, in my mind, this sign already exists at all the traffic circles. It says "Yield". Maybe a little more education on what "Yield" means needs to go into traffic education courses? (They could add it in when they add in the part about how bicyclists should be using the roadway).

[PolarBoy]

While navigating I deal with the invisibility by screaming loud epithets and obscene gerunds...it's more fun that way...

[Ted]

The obscener the gerund, the safer the pedal-estrian.

[Jocundry]

I don't know how many times I have been behind someone who thought that you have to come to a complete stop before entering the traffice circle, although the worst thing I witnessed was some idiot who, after missing turning onto Lafayette, instead of going around again, BACKED UP in the circle, almost causing an accident! And here I thought the concept of a traffic circle was almost foolproof.