Anacortes Hwy 20 Construction on now

starcrafttom · Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2018 12:38 pm Post subject:

We will see. If you look at the plans you will see that its a big circle but all the traffic does not go thru the circle. if you are headed to anacortes on 20 you go to the right thru a by pass. Which is something I have not seen before. That is in the final plan as well as during construction.

starcrafttom · Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2018 12:44 pm Post subject:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/wsdot/28357900189/in/album-72157688243266206/

NORO LIM · Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2018 1:21 pm Post subject:

chromer · Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2018 1:58 pm Post subject:

Circle involvement for the new Sharpes CIrcle

1. Anacortes to Burlington
2. Burlington to Oak Harbor
3. Oak Harbor to Anacortes
Note: A complete U-turn to your origin point requires the circle

Partial involvement, just a right turn lane
4. Anacortes to Oak Harbor
5. Oak Harbor to Burlington

Bypass - no circle involvement
6. Burlington to Anacortes

starcrafttom · Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2018 2:23 pm Post subject:

I think this will be an improvement the way its laid out. Right now the worst traffic is on Friday afternoon and Sunday afternoon. going either way has taken us several turns of the light to get thru. after this is built it will not require a light at all and using the circle itself in only one direction as Dwight points out. For once I think that wdot , I know its a shock, is getting in front of the problem. Oak harbor and the base are growing so fast that most of the personal that live off base are moving to Mt vernon because there is not enough housing in oak harbor. Snohomish county is going to add 200k people in the next 8 years. Skagit will get about 80k or so. Seattle is full and there is only room to move out , mostly north. like it or not that is the future. DR horton homes is selling new construction 3000sq ft homes on 5000ft lots in bothell for 1.2 million each. They are sold out.

starcrafttom · Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2018 7:28 pm Post subject:

Video on how to properly use a traffic circle. traffic class

localboy · Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2018 9:07 pm Post subject:

chromer · Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2018 10:37 pm Post subject:

Yeah the locals will figure this out quick. I am a little concerned about the person who only comes once a year in the summer.

Salmon Fisher · Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2018 12:05 am Post subject:

Right now, our plan is to launch in Bellingham to skip the construction.
I am a little nervous about going to Cornet for shrimping early in May, will try Fred's suggestion for the work-around through Anacortes.

localboy · Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2018 2:12 am Post subject:

Marco Flamingo · Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2018 3:19 pm Post subject:

I just had some fun with traffic circles as a "foreigner" while driving in New Zealand. Go around the traffic circle the wrong way, then turn into the wrong lane. Remember to signal, which meant that I turned on my wipers. Made for exciting driving adventures.

Mark

rogerbum · Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2018 4:25 pm Post subject:

Testing traffic circles vs 4-way stops.
Myth Busters.
https://www.wimp.com/mythbusters-four-way-stop-vs-roundabout/

thataway · Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2018 6:13 pm Post subject:

Love Myth Busters. One of the issues, and the reasons that roundabouts were tried in some of our subdivisions, was because of accidents--people ran the stop signs. (Still do). With the roundabouts, they didn't go around, but turned Left against the traffic--because it was ....shorter and faster! The other problem we had, was that fire engines, could not get thru the round about. Granted these were much smaller than the ones noted near Anacortes.

The best solution was one taken at the intersection in Panama City and Panama City Beach--very high traffic areas--and the vast majority of traffic was shuttled over the intersection on two levels of elevation--with stop lights at the bottom, for those who wanted to some contrary way. Far more expensive than the roundabout--but handled a far larger volume of traffic with no stops.

I see the bypass, but why not both ways? (again it would be more expensive). There is definitely a learning curve--and I used the Long Beach Calif. roundabout several times daily for many years, but it was the neophyte who caused the problems--or that person who didn't follow the rules...)

hardee · Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2018 6:44 pm Post subject:

While in the Dominican Republic a couple of years ago, I got to drive through the epitome of insanity. There were about 7 streets that came together into an intersection about 1 acre in size, and even though there were lanes and lights NO ONE paid any attention to them. Everyone picked whatever way they wanted to go and went when and where they pleased. The bigger the vehicle the more right of way you had. If you stopped anywhere, you could just plan on getting old in that spot. It wasn't fair to run over the ubiquitous motorcycles but they could be bullied into submission as long as you were moving. Counting motorcycles, bicycles, pedestrians along with 4 wheeled vehicles there were probably 2-300 moving entities in the "roundabout" at any given time. The average motorcycle had 3.8 riders, bicycles were about 2.5.

We were moving 5 vehicles in a convoy through that city. Glad we had radio communication.... and a stay tight policy.

Harvey
SleepyC Moon

robhwa · Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2018 7:19 pm Post subject:

I can relate, Harvey. During my Peace Corps days we drove on the BEST side of the road, at least when you could tell. During the long rains (a season) you couldn't see how deep the holes were so you just went for it. Life was interesting. Drivers could claim the best side or run through a stop sign or light if 1) they were bigger, 2) had a louder horn, 3) were military, or 4) if the vehicle was a Mercedes, which meant a gang boss or government minister (or both). I rode a "piki-piki" or motorcycle, so I had to do the dodge and weave. Thank goodness for the USA. I kiss the ground every time I return from working abroad.