If you’ve been down Westward Drive to the Circle, you probably noticed a few changes.
NEW SIGNS
As you can see above, there’s a new sign that it indicates the left lane is for left turn only. The right lane is for right turn only. Let’s pause for a second here. Please, please, please, DO NOT make a left hand turn onto the Circle. If you make a left hand turn, you will be going against traffic.
Yes. You’re not the only one who thinks this. These signs are absolutely idiotic.
I’m going to make an assumption that these signs were placed by Miami-Dade County. I know that nobody in Miami Springs would in their right mind encourage anyone to make a left hand turn onto the Circle.
But wait…there’s more…
The road markings are actively encouraging you to make a left hand turn from the left lane where clearly you should only be going straight.
In case you’re wondering what it would look like if someone were to make a left hand turn and go against the one way traffic, here you go. We already have troubles with wrong way drivers. Let’s make it better not worse.
Again, this has to be Miami-Dade County bureaucratic traffic stupidity. I can’t believe anybody who lives, eats, and works in Miami Springs would ever come up with this idiocracy.
Easy Fix 1 – Straight Lane Marking on Left Lane
Clearly, we don’t want to encourage people unfamiliar with our Circle to make a left hand turn and drive against traffic. That’s extremely dangerous. We want drivers to continue straight. The road markings should be adjusted on the left lane to point straight.
Easy Fix 2 – Correct the signage
Let’s be clear. Do we all agree we DO NOT want people to make a left hand turn and go against traffic on the Circle? If so, then we should fix the sign as depicted below. The left lane should be a straight arrow. In other words, if you want to continue onto the Circle, take the left lane. if you want to make a right hand turn onto southbound Curtiss Parkway, take the right lane.
Easy Fix 3 – Add No Left Turn Sign
We’ve seen it before. People driving the wrong way on the Circle. Can we make it obvious you shouldn’t go against traffic by adding a No Left Turn sign? (In fact, we should add this throughout the Circle, not just at this intersection.)
Now, Let’s Talk About the Right Lane
There’s a new sign that indicates “Right Turn Only” at Westward Drive and the Circle. You can see it below.
The problem is, this sign is not visible whatsoever as you approach the intersection. Can you see the “Right Turn Only” street sign in the picture below? The yield sign and the right turn only sign are behind the foliage.
Below, you can finally see the Yield Sign and the Right Turn Only sign way to the far right. Guess what? Nobody’s looking at that sign. All the drivers are looking to the left to navigate the traffic on the Circle. This is absolutely horrible sign placement.
We filmed drivers at this location and nobody notices the right turn only sign. Watch the video for yourself and then tell us if you think we’re wrong.
Was the traffic engineer who designed this actively trying to hide the sign? He/she did a great job putting the sign in the most discreet, least obvious place possible.
Easy Fix 4 – Make Right Lane Sign Visible
It’s not complicated. The Yield Sign for the right lane should be to the left of the green light post along with the “Right Turn Only” sign.
Easy Fix 5 – The Ultimate Fix – More Plastic Barriers
We are encouraged that the county is “trying” to do something to fix the Circle. But the ultimate fix, not as traffic engineers, but as residents who have traversed the Circle for over 50 years, is as depicted below:
- Add plastic lane barriers on the Circle to prevent people who try to make a right hand turn from the left lane of the Circle
- Add plastic barriers to force the right lane of Westward Drive to ONLY make a right turn to the right lane of southbound Curtiss Parkway
- This will also force vehicles moving from the Circle to soutbound Curtiss Parkway to the left lane of Southbound Curtiss.
We believe the low cost solution pointed out above will prevent accidents, lower police costs, and lower insurance premiums.
What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments section at the bottom or via social media.
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