Roundabouts, Around About Sammamish
A few years back Sammamish installed its first round about on Inglewood Hill Road and 216th Ave NE. Living not far off and using that intersection daily, I found this to be a substantial improvement for that intersection. Previously, cars hoping to turn left onto Inglewood Hill road could be stuck for quite a while. It was not uncommon for traffic to stack up behind you and those wanting to make the easier right turn would grow impatient, especially in the morning commute traffic.
Once you understand how a Round About works, they are not difficult to maneuver. There is no reason to get stuck like Clark Griswold in European Vacation.
The basic rules of a roundabout are
1. Slow Down when approaching and be prepared to stop before entering
2. Traffic in the circle has the right of way
3. Yield to your left when entering
4. Wait for an opening before entering
5. Once in the circle, do not "let people in" the traffic behind you is not prepared to stop
6. If you miss your turn, just go around again.
The city of Sammamish Website has an animated Roundabout demonstration worth seeing if you have any confusion.
New roundabouts are appearing in our region. Since the first one appeared on Inglewood Hill Road, The Issaquah Pine Lake Road has one at SE 32nd Street. The newest Roundabout in our area is in Issaquah at the East Lake Sammamish Parkway and SE 43rd St. It's a bit trickier than the two in Sammamish, but the basic rules are the same.
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