ACHD's Road Wizard
Sunday, March 3, 2019
"Left turn yield on green" sign request at 11th and Front streets; where to find proposed subdivision information; reader reacts to Victory Road merge at Maple Grove Road topic
The Road Wizard Replies
Dear Road Wizard: Traveling north on 11th Street to make a left at Front Street in downtown Boise, there are two traffic lights. One to travel north, the other a left-turn only. My husband proceeded to make the left turn when the green arrow came on. The other driver going southbound proceeded too. We stopped to give him the right of way. Shouldn't there be a "left turn yield on green" sign?
Shahnaz
Road Wizard:
There isn't a left-turn green arrow at this intersection, instead it's a "green ball," so a left-turning driver must yield to oncoming through or right-turning traffic.
"Left turn yield on green" sign postings are optional, but ACHD will install one at this location to remind drivers of the yielding requirement.
Dear Road Wizard: I live in Ada County and would like to know when new subdivisions are coming. I don't see where that information is. It seems this is where we may have an early idea of what is coming since ACHD is one of the early meetings regarding that information. When affected areas are involved is there a certain notification system in place?
Kelley
Road Wizard:
There are "land" agencies and "road" agencies in Ada County.
The cities in Ada County deal with land, such as subdivision development, so they are responsible for notifying the public. The cities are required to post a sign at proposed subdivision locations and send notices to residents within a certain radius.
ACHD is a road agency, so its duty is to reach out to the public about road plans, meetings, construction projects and other transportation-based matters.
But ACHD does have an important role in approving subdivisions. The agency determines if roads around a development need to be improved due to the impact of additional traffic.
ACHD has information available about these early steps in subdivision approvals, but people have to search it out themselves. ACHD Commission meeting agendas are posted on the agency website and include upcoming actions on subdivision proposals and people can contact ACHD Planning Review staff with questions.
Dear Road Wizard: Usually you are dead on, but I think you may have gotten this one wrong. A letter printed on February 17 described a "drag racing" problem where two lanes merge into one on Victory Road just after crossing Maple Grove Road. You used data to dismiss the concern, a fair method, and if I didn't drive that intersection so much I wouldn't have given it a second thought. But that reader is right. The majority of drivers move left automatically early because we are polite, but this results in a backup that invites the legal, but sometimes aggressive, maneuver of coming up in the right lane and passing dozens of cars as they cross Maple Grove. Perhaps a flashing yellow light and warning sign would help?
Paul
Road Wizard:
I didn't mean to come across as dismissing the concern, it's legit. I wish there was a better answer when it comes to dealing with rude drivers other than to deal with them carefully. Merge signage and markings at Victory at Maple Grove are already in place, and drivers know they have to merge, so more signage or a flashing light wouldn't be behavior-changing.
Also, there aren't any merge-related crashes on record to support making changes at Victory and Maple Grove, and traffic flow is improved by the layout.
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