Roundabouts, traffic circles throw some drivers for a loop

December 10, 2012|Michael Turnbell, on Transportation, Sun Sentinel Columnist

Q: Could you please give us all a refresher on the proper way to safely navigate a traffic circle or roundabout?

Harvey Young, Fort Lauderdale

A: You should yield to drivers approaching from the left and bear right around the circle. If you want to make a left turn, you must go around the circle until you get to the street you want.

Florida Driver's Handbook, published by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, states: "Drivers entering the roundabout must yield to traffic already in the circle ... For multilane roundabouts, stay in the left lane to turn left and the right lane to turn right, and all lanes to go through, unless otherwise directed by signs or pavement markings."

Q: When driving north on Lyons Road at Boynton Beach Boulevard, the light turns green and you can barely make it through the intersection before it turns yellow. South on Lyons, through traffic gets a green light before the left turn phase comes on. It takes forever for the light to change and traffic backs up at the left turn signal. Drivers on Boynton Beach Boulevard get a much longer green light. Please have it checked.

Carolyn Pucci, Boynton Beach

A: Palm Beach County traffic engineers say the signals are functioning properly.

When driving north on Lyons, the green light lasts a minimum of 4 seconds. If there are no other cars waiting, the signal will turn yellow. It's possible if you're the only car waiting at the light, it could turn yellow while you're going through the intersection.

When driving south on Lyons, the signals are coordinated with other signals to the east on Boynton Beach Boulevard. The current signal timing plan allows southbound left turns to get a green light at Acme Dairy Road, the first signal east of Lyons, rather than stopping again. If the left turns go first, drivers would get a red light at Acme Dairy.

Signal crews have extended the southbound left turn green about five seconds for every cycle in the morning to help clear more vehicles.

Green lights for through traffic on both roads last about the same amount of time in the mornings because traffic volumes are similar east/west vs. north/south. However, traffic volumes are higher on Boynton Beach Boulevard the rest of the day and the light will stay green longer during those times.

Q: Do you have any information on a cattle tunnel that once existed under Florida's Turnpike in Tamarac?

Barbara Tarnove, Tamarac

A: Cattle tunnels were built beneath the highway where the road split vast dairy lands in South Florida, including the tunnel under the road just north of Commercial Boulevard.

Long after the farms disappeared, the tunnel was used by students to get to Lauderhill Middle School on the east side of the turnpike. In the late '80s, the tunnel was sealed and replaced with a pedestrian bridge. In 2008, the tunnel was removed when the turnpike was widened and lowered under the McNab Road overpass., 954-356-4155, Twitter @MikeTurnpike

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