While construction is scheduled to continue through October, the Five Corners Roundbout will become a reality next week.
According to a City of Edmonds announcement, on Tuesday, Sept. 2 the Five Corners intersection at 212th Street Southwest and 84th Avenue West will begin operating as a roundabout both during and after construction hours.
Information on how to drive a roundabout can be found on the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) website here. A WSDOT brochure on how to drive roundabouts will also be available on the first floor at City Hall or on the City’s website.
Questions or concerns? Email Jaime Hawkins, Capital Projects Manager at jaime.hawkins@edmondswa.gov or call 425-754-4106
The link in the article to the WSDOTsite is broken. Anything compared to this construction phase would be an improvement.
Thanks -.just fixed it
I think this is a great idea but I am very much looking forward to it being finished.
An attempted fix for something that was not a problem with tax payer money.
I agree with Christine. I’ve lived just down the street from 5 corners in shell park 2 pretty much my whole 28 year old life and have never had an issue with the way things worked at that intersection. But because of a car accident a couple years ago I now use a wheelchair to get around and I’m worried this new roundabout will become an unsafe place for me to cross the street when I’m taking my dog for a walk
Any road design you have to go pick up a brochure to learn how to use is asking for trouble. And as Christine says, this thing is an answer to a question nobody asked.
Just there this evening. Very narrow lanes. It will be interesting to see how it works.
If there are any accidents with the new loop-da-loop at 4 Corners, there will be MANY new lawsuits against the city, its planners, and whoever came up with this idea!
In Massachusetts roundabouts, a right turn signal is used to signal your intent to exit the circle. I’ve just finished reading the WSDOT roundabout rules and was surprised that there is no mention of using your turn signal. Does anyone know if this is just an oversight or do they really expect people to exit without signalling?
Oops – just reread the brochure and it does mention using your signal to exit. Sorry for the errant post.
I am originally from England but have flown back to family over 50 times. I drive when I’m over there and I am extremely familiar with roundabouts and how to use them. First of all, the major reason for a roundabout is to keep traffic flowing. As you approach the roundabout you drive around to your exit, giving way to those on your right (in the UK case), but on your left in the USA case. Rarely will there be crosswalks at roundabouts which slowdown the whole point of traffic flowing. Sometimes in towns there, the pedestrian crossing will be about 20 yards before the roundabout. This helps people on foot to feel safer, and drivers to feel safer too. The roundabout at 5th avenue is a perfect example of what NOT to do. Sometimes, when cars enter the roundabout there and people are trying to cross on all four corners on a busy day……drivers are never certain “Who’s on First” and sometimes it’s a monument to chaos.
Roundabouts are a wonderful invention if used correctly.
Roundabouts are designed for traffic flow and can be fatal to pedestrians. Having a pedestrian crossing 50 feet away from traffic sounds good but no one has identified how the Edmonds donut is supposed to work for pedestrians and where they are to cross. Nor have the lighting or cross walks been improved.
Good luck to anyone on foot at 5 corners with the new donut.
Loop da Loops are an economic boon to Personal Injury Attorneys…Hope the city has DEEP pockets for new law suits
Don…do you have data on this? Please post if so. It would be a useful addition to this discussion.
How about extensive data that indicate that roundabouts are inherently safer than 4- and 5-way stops? And more attractive as well…at least in the eye of this beholder. I, like Matthew (below), navigated the nearly completed Five Corners roundabout today without incident or “fear”, but then, I and many others, have grown accustomed to them during travels elsewhere in the U.S., as well as in Europe, including the UK. And, speaking of the UK, try doing a high-volume roundabout going the other direction with a manual transmission. Compared to that (which was also safe), the Five Corners roundabout is a piece of kidney pie! Years from now, we won’t even remember that 5-way stop. Well, that is, unless Donald keeps reminding us of how wonderful it was.
The waste of money is one of the issues. Five corners was just fine before the ‘donut’ was created. Wait until we get darker, shorter days. It is the pedestrians who will be the victims.
From Wiki.
Statistically, modern roundabouts are safer for drivers and pedestrians than both traffic circles and traditional intersections.[43] Roundabouts are safer than both traffic circles and junctions—experiencing 39% fewer vehicle collisions, 76% fewer injuries and 90% fewer serious injuries and fatalities (according to a study of a sampling of roundabouts in the United States, when compared with the junctions they replaced).
The Wiki article regarding Roundabouts has been flagged for verification and more RELIABLE sources……………So, there ya have it!
Ok then, how about this one.
https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/intersection/roundabouts/fhwasa10023/transcript/audio_no_speaker/
or this one,
https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/safety/roundabouts/benefits.htm
or this one,
https://adirondackdailyenterprise.com/page/content.detail/id/530664/Roundabouts-are-far-safer-than-traditional-intersections.html?nav=5153
or this one,
https://dot.wi.gov/safety/motorist/roaddesign/roundabouts/benefits.htm
and this one is about efficiency.
https://www.treehugger.com/cars/mythbusters-roundabouts-vs-4-way-stop-intersection-which-more-efficient-video.html
Antiquated stats prove nothing. The reality will become apparent when the first pedestrian is hurt. The reality of winter, wind, darkness and storms at the Edmonds unnecessary donut traffic experiment.
Just went for a little motorcycle ride that I like to call, “double trouble” – thru 5 corners on the way to Sunset Ave. The Loop da Loop was really quick and and easy with a bunch of cars going round and round. I wanted to keep going around myself but wasn’t sure if that’s legal, I need that brochure. And WOW what a gem Sunset Ave is @ sunset. There were a lot of cars and pedestrians out enjoying the late afternoon calm. I looked around and did not see any maimed or dead bodies, maybe Zombies took them.