A Roundabout Refresher

It’s nearly Labor Day weekend, one of Tahoe’s busiest times for traffic. The local highways and by-ways are already showing signs of overloaded RVs, SUVs, and converted school busses heading for Burning Man. Later in the week, the roads will fill with cars and SUVs equipped with the requisite roof-load of kayaks and SUPs.  Once the Labor Day weekend mayhem passes, we’ll still see the outflow of Burning Man returnees, caked with mud and packed in a more haphazard fashion.

It seems like it’s an excellent time to review the use of Truckee’s roundabouts, as it’s clear that there is a lot of confusion. There are currently 7 roundabouts in Truckee and I seem to hit many of them on a daily basis. If a person had plenty of time, it might be fun to just watch some of Truckee’s traffic circles. There’s no shortage of confused tourists, displaying that same slow pace and wide eyed expression seen in the aisles of Safeway. There’s also no shortage of unaware drivers that rally through roundabouts as if they did not exist. On any given day, you’ll hear horns blaring or see evidence of minor fender benders. Sadly, there’s also been more serious incidents, including the death of a bicyclist last November.

If you live in North Lake, you may already know that two roundabouts will be added to Kings Beach next summer. A new roundabout was added at the bottom of the Mount Rose Highway last summer. Roundabouts, or traffic circles, are becoming a way of life in the West. I am sorry to say that Nevada drivers seem to understand roundabout ethics far better than many people in Truckee. We’re here to help you out.

Roundabout Basics

The first thing to know is that traffic in the roundabout always has the right of way. That’s alarming to people that are used to pre-roundabout traffic flow. You know who you are. You’re used to just flying down Highway 89, Brockway Road or Donner Pass Road, making all of those people on side streets wait for you. Roundabouts are there to improve the flow of traffic for everyone. We can all work together and nobody will have to stop!

Highlighter Zone

Once traffic is in the circle, they have the right of way. California laws suggest that people in the circle should use turn signals to show their intentions for exit, whether it be a left turn or a right turn. The reality is that about 5% of us bother doing that. Guilty as charged. I commonly signal right turns but rarely think about it when I go left. It sure would help that oncoming traffic!

Purple Arrow

This is the guy that’s the problem. He’s on a mission to get to work, be the first person in the parking lot at Northstar, or rushing to get the last gallon of milk at Safeway. They figure that they are on the “main street” and should be able to just blast on through at full speed. They rarely even look to see if someone is coming. They often come in pairs or small groups of cars that figure if the guy ahead is going though at 40 mph, they can just ride his coat tails and avoid eye contact. This is not how it’s supposed to work. It’s the proverbial “accident waiting to happen.”

Green X Zone

These are the areas that you have to watch carefully. Traffic that is already in the circle does have the right of way. If you’re entering the circle, it’s time to slow down and let them through. In theory, if you notice them soon enough, you won’t even have to come to a full stop. It’s also critical to notice people entering the roundabout from a side street. There seems to be a misconception that the main street has the right of way, or that the person traveling at the greatest speed has the right of way. Give those people entering a break…meaning a brake. They also need to get to work, buy the last loaf of bread at Safeway or get that caffeine fix at Wild Cherries. Remember, when it all works right, nobody should have to stop…and nobody has to call State Farm.

Roundabouts 101

Truckee is the In & Out Burger of roundabouts, home to the “Double Double” at the intersection of Highway 80 and Highway 89. When initial designs for the “double double” were released around 2004, many people thought it was an April Fool’s joke. But the Double Double, composed of two roundabouts that are each two lanes wide has most certainly improved the flow of traffic at the intersection of Highways 80 & 89. It also causes more confusion than any of the others.

Highlighter Zones

Yes, these are the areas that always have the right of way. Everything above still applies but with two lanes of traffic, there is much more to watch!

Yellow Dotted Lines

Yes, Highway 89 is two lanes, all of the way through the roundabout. I know, it seems scary, but you’re supposed to keep your vehicle between the lines and not just take the shortest path through like you’re driving at Laguna Seca. Now that we said that, keep your eyes open at the Double Double. Large trucks, RVs and oversized SUV-trailer combos will not be able to navigate the tight radius of the Double Double. That’s right, you’re just supposed to know that and react accordingly, without any signs or advice from Siri. Give those people the space they need. If you’re just in your mom’s Subaru, stay in your own lane. 🙂

Purple Arrows

Ahh, I should have used a different color here to avoid confusion. At the Double Double, these areas need to be watched very closely. Both arrows generally lead drivers to the onramps for Highway 80 east and west. People taking this line are often already accelerating to enter the freeway and they do have the right of way. Be extra careful if you are entering the Double Double near these areas!

While we have your attention – those of you entering Highway 80 east…have you noticed that it’s a blind onramp? You can’t see big trucks barreling down I-80, nor can they see you entering. It’s your responsibility to get your car up to speed by the top of the ramp. It’s completely unacceptable to enter the highway at 40 mph, especially when you force 3 cars behind you to do the same. It’s just not the place for fuel conservation. Step on it!

Orange X Zone

If you’re already in the roundabout, pay close attention to the Orange X zones. It seems as if people exiting Highway 80 aren’t ready for the roundabout experience. Even with the Yield signs right there, they tend to just rally right on through without a thought. In doing some research for this article, I found out that in some states, traffic from the exit ramp does has the right of way. Well, watch out for those people. They’re just trying to get to the condo before dark.

Green Arrow

The Green Arrow zone on the south part of the Double Double bears a special mention here. According to published traffic studies, these areas are rarely used in “double double” roundabouts – to the point of being eliminated in some cities. The Green Arrow does serve a purpose in Truckee’s Double Double. The traffic light at Deerfield Drive and Highway 89 often seems interminably slow. If you’re headed to Shell, Mc Donald’s, SaveMart or Bill’s, it is often more time efficient to avoid the left turn at Deerfield and make the U turn at the Green Arrow and make a right turn at Deerfield. Crazy as it seems, it often saves time and I have seen several other people do that maneuver. Southbound through traffic on 89 should be cautious to avoid drivers in a Big Mac frenzy.

So there you go. If you recognized that you have made some roundabout mistakes, so have all of us drivers. We can all work together to make the morning commute a bit easier, prevent accidents and avoid those unpleasant calls to you auto insurance agent.