Szplett letter: Traffic circles

The colder weather brings out some hidden dangers at roadway traffic circles. The bike lanes disappear through the circles so the outer travel lanes are narrowed. They get even narrower if any ice or snow is left in the circles. At a normal intersection, traffic moves ACHD’s sand and gravel out of the driving paths. There are no clear paths in a traffic circle, and the sand and gravel make it slippery for bicycles and motorcycles. ACHD installs more pavement markings for traffic circles. ACHD builds curbs within the intersection. A normal intersection is more open and has more space if we lose traction. They also slope the roadway away from our direction of travel, making traction that much more difficult. The plastic markings hold water and oil drippings from vehicles. They are very slippery for bicycles and the rest of us. Also, under snowy conditions, the lane markings in the traffic circles are obstructed and we don’t know where drivers are headed. We have to stop to watch and wait, defeating the purpose of the circles. Please be careful or take a safer route.

This story was originally published December 5, 2015 at 11:36 PM with the headline "Szplett letter: Traffic circles."