Traffic Circle Rolling Into New Kent and Riverside
Work on the traffic calming measure at the junction of New Kent, Riverside and Bruton is scheduled to take place in the next 30 days. Nearby residents should have received notification of the impending construction yesterday or today. Let the anti-circle rhetoric begin. Detailed plans of the circle and the letter of notification.
I have a few comments on the one recently installed at New Kent and Prince Arthur. I find it odd and very unsafe that they removed the stop signs in both directions on Prince Arthur and replaced them with yield signs. It is impossible to safely yield through the intersection when approaching on Prince Arthur. You cannot get a good enough view up New Kent without coming to a complete stop. Regardless of whether it is working to slow traffic on New Kent (which it probably is), I believe that the intersection has been made less safe by only requiring a yield. Any body else think this to be true?
I live on Boroughbrigde Rd, and two turning circles were installed last summer. They have not slowed traffic. In fact, I’d estimate that 1 our of every 5 cars passes on the left of the cirlce at Reedy when traveling from Jahnke to Midlothian simply so they don’t have to slow down. The stop signs have been changed to yield signs, which has been dangerous. As JoJo mentioned, is is impossible to safely yield when bushes block the view of the traffic approaching from the left. I think the most dangerous aspect of the turning cirlces is that most people don’t know how to use them. When making a left turn, the majority of folks turn before the circle rather than driving around the circle to make their turn.
@JoJo,
“It is impossible to safely yield through the intersection when approaching on Prince Arthur.” Nothing about a yield sign means you never have to stop. The rules of the road are that when you approach a yield sign, you must approach with caution and proceed only when safe to do so. Therefore, in the situation you describe you should come to a complete stop. Yield means to yield the right of way until safe, which means you sometimes have to stop under certain circumstances and conditions.
I associate traffic circles with busy, heavily trafficked, multi-directional intersections, which makes me wonder about the need for these little numbers that are now dotting residential side streets.
@Fred, I agree…which is why I always stop. The mere presence of a yield sign implies that safely yielding is possible. In this instance it is not possible and should therefore be replaced by a stop sign.
I agree with JoJo. I’ve almost been nailed there twice as I was driving down New Kent and the car on Prince Arthur did NOT yield at the circle. The intersection was safer when Prince Arthur had stop signs. These circles are sadly a waste of tax money, and it’s bad that they appear to be less safe too.
I drive through Reedy and 47th regularly, and had some woman on W 47th (with a yield sign) nearly clobber me (with no yield sign) and wave her fist at me. First time in seventeen years I’ve had that happen.
I too drive through the Reedy/47th traffic circle and have had instances where, after coming to a near stop without any sign, the yield signs were completely ignored. I’ve also seen cars blow right through the yield signs and around the circle without having to reduce their speed. Thanks city but keep your circles.
I live near a four-way stop intersection in the Fan, and many, many people either blow through the STOP signs entirely or barely tap their brakes before proceeding. I’m not entering the traffic circles issue, really, but pointing out how terrible too many of us drivers are regardless of the road configuration or signage.
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