Grass Valley, CA — Mary Shilling of Penn Valley became confounded Sunday afternoon after a run-in with Grass Valley’s roundabout.
“I do not like this circle traffic thing they have in Grass Valley,” said an angry Ms. Shilling. “They seem disorderly, and people drive too fast around them.”
Roundabouts, or circular junctions, are a type of circular intersection or junction where road traffic flows almost continuously in one direction around a central island. Under many traffic conditions, a roundabout operates with less delay than signalized or all-way stop approaches. Roundabouts do not stop all entering vehicles, reducing individual and queuing delays. Throughput improves because drivers proceed when traffic is clear without waiting for a signal to change.
Witnesses also noted that she seemed to have difficulty entering the stream of traffic, inching/lurching at the yield sign until she was far enough into traffic to block moving cars. Then after she figured out how to enter the Roundabout, Ms. Shilling was seen driving her 2003 Buick LeSabre around and around, appearing as if she didn’t know how to exit. At one point, she drove up onto the median “sidewalk” barrier that divided the road and the middle art structure.
“This elderly lady in a Buick was having a hell of a time navigating the Roundabout,” said Janet Williams of Cedar Ridge. “I was a few cars back in line on Main Street when I saw her going around and around. Probably 5 or 6 times with her blinker on.”
According to Ms. Shilling, she will avoid the Roundabout from now on.
“I wish they’d just bring back the stop signs or put a signal in there,” continued Ms. Shilling. “I’m just going to avoid that area from now on like I avoid Truckee and all their roundabouts.”
