Newbie series: Navigating the traffic circle

Seattle is the nation’s fastest growing “big” city. This means a lot of us are “newbies” and have a lot to learn. As I navigate Seattle’s roads by bike, foot, car and transit, I have a lot of questions. And I imagine my fellow newbies out there probably do, too. I will share them here with you.

This month’s question: How do I navigate a traffic circle?

When I’m orbiting one of Seattle’s 1,000+ traffic circles, each experience is different: one person tries to pass me as we enter the traffic circle, driving over the curb in the process; another driver yields to me as I nervously enter the circle; and I yield to another as they blast through at high speed. I’ve even seen folks turning left in front of the traffic circle—not going around at all!

These incongruencies have left me confused.

What am I legally required to do at a traffic circle when biking or driving? And are these really safer than a normal intersection?

Wait, wait - what are we even talking about?!

Residential traffic circles, unlike a larger roundabout, feature a smaller circle in the middle of an intersection and only allow for a single lane of traffic (see photo above).

So how do we do this dance?

Josh Miller, our classes and camps coordinator at Cascade says the simplest way to think about traffic circles is as a “one-way street.”

According to Washington State law:​

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• The traffic circle should always be on your left.
• Enter at a slow speed and yield to anyone already in orbit.
• If you arrive at the intersection at the same time as another bicycle or vehicle, treat it like a 4-way stop – yield to the person on the right.

Washington State law and the Seattle Department of Transportation seem to diverge on one piece of advice: SDOT’s website says while drivers must proceed counterclockwise, “turning left in front of a traffic circle can be safely performed if the driver exercises reasonable care and yields to pedestrians, bicyclists and oncoming traffic.”

Does this mean it is legal to speed around the circle to the left?

No, and you still might get pulled over by a police officer. But as someone who walks or bikes, it’s good to know some drivers may choose to skirt the traffic circle altogether.

Dizzy yet?

Like a dance, each ride around a traffic circle requires a little bit of communication with your partners. It may not always be pretty, but now you know the basic rules, which will help you from stepping on other people’s toes. And you can feel confident about the fact that traffic circles do indeed reduce collisions – up to 93 percent at intersections, according to SDOT.

What should we cover next? Email brianao@cascade.org to get your newbie questions answered.