Question: What is the law about entering roundabouts?
With the new roundabout on the frontage road just north of 116th Street NE on the west side of I-5 there is a yield sign on all three entrances. However, one side will just keep going though without stopping and letting in other cars.
This causes long backups and delays. It is particularly bad on weekends.
Don Cox, Lakewood
Answer: We use roundabouts (traffic circles) in some locations because they improve safety and traffic flow for drivers. However, roundabouts can take some getting used to for drivers who are unfamiliar with them.
Drivers entering a roundabout must yield to traffic already in the roundabout. As they approach the roundabout entrance, drivers should slow, look for pedestrians and bicyclists, and be prepared to stop if necessary. Drivers do not need to come to a complete stop if there is no traffic in the roundabout.
Meghan Soptich, Department of Transportation spokeswoman
164th Street left turns
Question: We are curious as to why the left-hand turn light on 164th Street SW and Larch Way in Lynnwood does not have a blinking yellow free left turn. The light is timed to switch over to green in the late evening hours if you drive into the lane, but it takes much longer to get a green during the daytime.
There is plenty visibility to see traffic coming west up the hill there, so it seems enough to allow free left-hand turns. The next two lights heading east down the hill on 164th Street SW have free yellow left-turn lights as do many toward Mill Creek.
Why are we stuck at a very long red light on Larch Way during the day?
Laurie Heston, Lynnwood
Answer: We appreciate the positive comments about the flashing yellow arrow for permissive left turns.
Snohomish County was one of the first agencies in the nation to experiment with this signal display. It has been proven to be such a success with agencies across the county that the Federal Highway Administration will include this display as a standard when it next updates it Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices.
Generally speaking, protected green arrow or permissive flashing yellow arrow or green light left turns are limited to those locations with four lanes or less of through traffic. As a safety precaution, the lights are not typically used at locations with six lanes of through traffic.
This location — 164th Street SW and Larch Way — is the point where 164th Street transitions from four lanes to six lanes.
To the east, there are protected-permissive left turns at Sixth Avenue W., North Road, First Avenue SE, Third Avenue SE and Ninth Avenue SE. At all these locations, 164th Street has four lanes of through traffic.
To the west of this location, 164th Street SW has six lanes of through traffic and the signals at Meadow Road-13th Avenue W. and 14th Place W. provide for protected left turns only.
We will take a look at the signal timing to see if we can reduce the delay for the eastbound left turns.
Jim Bloodgood, traffic engineer, Snohomish County public works
Reporter Lukas Velush: 425-339-3449 or lvelush@heraldnet.com.
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