Right-of-Way Traffic Question for LEOs

FPrice

FPrice

Retired Zoomie
NES Life Member
NES Member
Joined
Apr 29, 2005
Messages
26,122
Likes
19,118
Location
Western Mass
Feedback: 104 / 0 / 0
Memorial Drive (State Rt 33) in Chicopee has two rotaries in high traffic areas. The road goes straight through the rotary with traffic lights controlling the flow. Each rotary also has a secondary road which crosses it and the main road. Crossing the main road is controlled by a traffic light while merging to the right is controlled by a Stop Sign.

Who has right-of-way while in the rotary? The secondary road entrance has Yield Signs on both sides of the road. I have seen a number of near misses between merging vehicles. My initial thought is that the normal rotary rules apply (yield to the vehicle in the rotary) but I am wondering if this is the case or not.

Anyone know for sure?
 
FPrice said:
Memorial Drive (State Rt 33) in Chicopee has two rotaries in high traffic areas. The road goes straight through the rotary with traffic lights controlling the flow. Each rotary also has a secondary road which crosses it and the main road. Crossing the main road is controlled by a traffic light while merging to the right is controlled by a Stop Sign.

Who has right-of-way while in the rotary? The secondary road entrance has Yield Signs on both sides of the road. I have seen a number of near misses between merging vehicles. My initial thought is that the normal rotary rules apply (yield to the vehicle in the rotary) but I am wondering if this is the case or not.

Anyone know for sure?
Click to expand...
If I read this right every entrance to the rotary has either a traffic light (main road) or a yield sign (secondary road). If so then the answer is easy: Traffic with a green light has right of way and traffic with a yield sign or stop sign gives way oncoming traffic. This is effectively the same as normal rotary rules with the complication of a bisecting main road.

Then again this is still MA so there is such a thing as being dead right. [wink]
 
I don't know the answer to your question, but I drive through them everyday.

The ones I hate are the people who avoid the light on 33 and go around it. You know they are not even going to slow down at the stop sign. Or the people who take left hand turns from the right hand lane.

attachment.php
 

Attachments

  • mess.JPG
    mess.JPG
    90.1 KB · Views: 315
Last edited:
At first glance I would definitely say the straight road as the right of way, but are those stop lines on the straight road?

I have no formal qualification to back up my opinion...
 
AppleSeeds said:
At first glance I would definitely say the straight road as the right of way, but are those stop lines on the straight road?

I have no formal qualification to back up my opinion...
Click to expand...

Yes. The main road (Memorial Drive/33) in both directions passes through two sets of lights, once on the outer perimeter of the rotary and once in the middle.
 
ochmude said:
Yes. The main road (Memorial Drive/33) in both directions passes through two sets of lights, once on the outer perimeter of the rotary and once in the middle.
Click to expand...
Ah, then I don't understand the question? If it's a green light then you have right way, if not, then you don't :)
 
AppleSeeds said:
Ah, then I don't understand the question? If it's a green light then you have right way, if not, then you don't :)
Click to expand...

The question is not about the main road which passes vertically through the picture. Look at the roads coming in from the sides. They have two directions which they can go. One is to bear to the right to merge with the main road. The other is to bear to the left and enter the curved portion of the road which forms a kind of rotary. When they do the latter, who has right-of-way?
 
FPrice said:
The question is not about the main road which passes vertically through the picture. Look at the roads coming in from the sides. They have two directions which they can go. One is to bear to the right to merge with the main road. The other is to bear to the left and enter the curved portion of the road which forms a kind of rotary. When they do the latter, who has right-of-way?
Click to expand...
You answered your own question:
FPrice said:
...The secondary road entrance has Yield Signs on both sides of the road...
Click to expand...
Secondary road traffic yields to traffic in the rotary IAW the yield signs and rotary traffic laws.
 
FPrice said:
The question is not about the main road which passes vertically through the picture. Look at the roads coming in from the sides. They have two directions which they can go. One is to bear to the right to merge with the main road. The other is to bear to the left and enter the curved portion of the road which forms a kind of rotary. When they do the latter, who has right-of-way?
Click to expand...

I think good old 14 CFR Part 91.113 (b) would apply to that particular rotary.

"When weather conditions permit, regardless of whether an operation is conducted under instrument [STRIKE]flight[/STRIKE]driving rules or visual [STRIKE]flight[/STRIKE]driving rules, vigilance shall be maintained by each person operating an [STRIKE]aircraft[/STRIKE]automobile so as to see and avoid other [STRIKE]aircraft[/STRIKE]automobiles. When a rule of this section gives another [STRIKE]aircraft[/STRIKE]automobile the right-of-way, the [STRIKE]pilot[/STRIKE]driver shall give way to that [STRIKE]aircraft[/STRIKE]automobile and may not pass over, under, or ahead of it unless well clear."

Just remember, see and avoid [smile]
 
Kaos116 said:
I don't know the answer to your question, but I drive through them everyday.

The ones I hate are the people who avoid the light on 33 and go around it. You know they are not even going to slow down at the stop sign. Or the people who take left hand turns from the right hand lane.
Click to expand...

Since I met my wife, I've been introduced to those awful quasi-rotaries. She's firmly on the bandwagon of "go into the rotary if the light's red to avoid having to stop". My argument of stopping for the light and the trip taking 2 minutes longer have fallen on deaf ears.
 
kevin9 said:
You answered your own question:Secondary road traffic yields to traffic in the rotary IAW the yield signs and rotary traffic laws.
Click to expand...

That is what I thought. But I met a (gang-banger looking) individual in a jazzed-up small car in one of these rotaries who used his best language (both verbal and non-verbal) to inform me that I was in the wrong and had demonstrated both terrible manners and a general lack of respect in going ahead of him. I really had to turn my gaze downward from my truck window to even see him.
 
FPrice said:
That is what I thought. But I met a (gang-banger looking) individual in a jazzed-up small car in one of these rotaries who used his best language (both verbal and non-verbal) to inform me that I was in the wrong and had demonstrated both terrible manners and a general lack of respect in going ahead of him. I really had to turn my gaze downward from my truck window to even see him.
Click to expand...
LOL. I hear ya. Far too few drivers in this state actually know or care about the rules of the road. Next time just run his little Tonka car over with your truck.
 
You have to yield the right- of -way to any traffic,that you are crossing or entering its path of travel. Unless there is a sign or lights stateing otherwise.
 
atmay said:
It's not a rotary, but I also wonder who designed this one:

Kelley Square, Worcester MA
Click to expand...

My dad told me that, years ago, they tried to put traffic lights in Kelley Square. The first day the lights were turned on they had to shut them off because when rush hour started traffic was backed up in every direction coming into Kelley Square and right back onto the highway. They took the lights down and it's been unchanged since. My drivers ed teacher made me drive through Kelley Square on my last road lesson "just for fun". :)
 
upStomp said:
Who the hell designed that cluster f**K?!?! Couldn't a simple 4-way intersection accomplish the same thing without all the "oh my God, we're all gonna die" traffic flow?

"Look kids! ...forget it!"
Click to expand...

It's the intersection outside of the Westover ARB Main Gate, so I imagine that someone thought that this would be a good idea to manage all the traffic headed into/out of the base back when it was a major Air Force installation. Guess it didn't work out, or is now some half-baked version of its former self?
 

Similar threads

LEOSA Qualification
Replies
0
Views
61
Len-2A Training
Len-2A Training
  • Locked
Sup fellas. A few question's and also, selling my Staccato CS near Boston. Thanks in advance.
Replies
4
Views
280
M1911
M1911
Out of State AWB Question (MA & RI)
Replies
3
Views
702
Muther
M
Free Fundamentals Clinic for MA LE
Replies
1
Views
555
Kisspik002
Kisspik002
Question about MA Gun restrictions for LEO
2 3
Replies
66
Views
7K
nstassel
nstassel
Back
Top Bottom