Roundabouts

Description

Roundabouts are circular intersection treatments designed to eliminate left turns by requiring vehicles to move in one direction around a center median.

Purpose

Roundabouts are installed to reduce vehicle speeds, improve safety at intersections by eliminating angle collisions, help traffic flow more efficiently and reduce operation costs when converting from signalized intersections, and help create gateway treatments to signify the entrance of a special district.

Local Examples

• Amity and Eagle Rd.
• Fort and Reserve St.
• 36th, Hill Rd. and Catalpa Roundabout (Dogbone)

Signalized Intersections

Purpose

Traffic signals create gaps in the traffic flow and allow pedestrians to cross the street at locations where pedestrians would otherwise experience excessive delay, difficulties crossing the street, or experience other safety issues. 403 intersections in the county are signalized, and ACHD tracks, maintains, controls, and optimizes all of these signals!

Modified Skewed Intersection

Description

Skewed intersections occur when streets intersect at angles other than 90 degrees and can create complicated scenarios for pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists.

Purpose

Skewed intersections result in longer crossing distances for pedestrians and facilitate higher speed turning movements by vehicles.

Correcting skewed intersections provides safer crossing conditions for pedestrians of all abilities. Skewed intersections can be remedied by mini-roundabouts or traffic circles, but if this is not possible, making the intersection close to 90 degrees is the best course of action.

Local Examples

• State St. / Collister Dr.
• Intersection of Glenwood and Chinden
• Whitewater Park Blvd and Main St.

Signal Functions

Right on Red

Description

A Right Turn on Red (RTOR) was introduced in the 1970s as a fuel-saving measure. Motorists are required to come to a full stop and yield to cross-street traffic and pedestrians before turning right at a red signal in an intersection.

Local Examples

• N Harrison Blvd./ 16th St./ Hays St.
• W Front St. / S 6th St

Yellow Flashing Left turn

Description

The Yellow Flashing Left turn is a signal allowing drivers to turn left at an intersection when there is no oncoming traffic. When a left turn arrow is flashing, left turns may proceed with caution after yielding to oncoming traffic. Yellow flashing left turn signals are commonly paired with a green left turn arrow, and activate after the oncoming traffic is commonly clear.