Chevy chase circle.....lets learn how to drive

[Anonymous]

I drive through chevy chase circle twice a day and twice a day i am amazed at the people who don't know how to properly use a traffic circle. i can't tell you the number of times i've almost been hit by a person on the innermost circle cutting across 2 lanes to exit the circle immediately. i know this is extremely petty but i just needed to vent. because of the stops i have to make in the morning this is the fastest way to and from work but i've had it!

[Anonymous]

I have no problems with most circles, but that one confounds me sometimes. (I'm only in it maybe 4 times a year though.)

[Anonymous]

I actually DID learn to drive on Chevy Chase Circle back in the olden days. We called it Suicide Circle.

[Anonymous]

I live near the circle and I agree. Though my biggest protest is that cars assume you are going to exit north or south on Conn. at rush hour. They honk and go hog wild if you continue going around the circle to Western Ave. They assume it's their right to exit on to Conn. from the very inner lane of the circle and go nuts when the car on in the middle lane continues around the circle.

[Anonymous]

It's the same for every traffic circle in the city.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's the same for every traffic circle in the city.

fortunately this is the furthest i have to go. i have some by my house and have no issues using them, but this one...sheesh! if i die in a car accident it will be there.

[Anonymous]

Come to my home country and use that 13 lane Arc de Triomphe circle in Paris. Now THAT's a suicide circle!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Come to my home country and use that 13 lane Arc de Triomphe circle in Paris. Now THAT's a suicide circle!

One of my favorite memories of Paris is standing at the top of the Arc and watching the traffic insanity going on below. Tres entertaining!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I live near the circle and I agree. Though my biggest protest is that cars assume you are going to exit north or south on Conn. at rush hour. They honk and go hog wild if you continue going around the circle to Western Ave. They assume it's their right to exit on to Conn. from the very inner lane of the circle and go nuts when the car on in the middle lane continues around the circle.

This exactly. I have started driving like a granny because of the number of times I'm in the middle and the northbound dolt in the inner circle decides to continue north on Connct. It just happened again last night!

I think for locals to this neighbourhood, we get it right. It's the commuters who think they have circles down because never actually use any other spokes and they want to stay in the passing lane to continue north or south, unaware of crosstown traffic. Slow the hell down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I live near the circle and I agree. Though my biggest protest is that cars assume you are going to exit north or south on Conn. at rush hour. They honk and go hog wild if you continue going around the circle to Western Ave. They assume it's their right to exit on to Conn. from the very inner lane of the circle and go nuts when the car on in the middle lane continues around the circle.

This exactly. I have started driving like a granny because of the number of times I'm in the middle and the northbound dolt in the inner circle decides to continue north on Connct. It just happened again last night!

I think for locals to this neighbourhood, we get it right. It's the commuters who think they have circles down because never actually use any other spokes and they want to stay in the passing lane to continue north or south, unaware of crosstown traffic. Slow the hell down.

Umm, no. If you look at the lanes on the circle, the inner most lane does have the right to go north and south on Conn. If you want to go around the circle, you need to get all the way to the inside. I drive this circle every day and use the left lane northbound on Conn., which feeds to the innermost lane in the circle, and back to the left lane on northbound Conn. north of the circle. You should look at the lane markers next time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I live near the circle and I agree. Though my biggest protest is that cars assume you are going to exit north or south on Conn. at rush hour. They honk and go hog wild if you continue going around the circle to Western Ave. They assume it's their right to exit on to Conn. from the very inner lane of the circle and go nuts when the car on in the middle lane continues around the circle.

This exactly. I have started driving like a granny because of the number of times I'm in the middle and the northbound dolt in the inner circle decides to continue north on Connct. It just happened again last night!

I think for locals to this neighbourhood, we get it right. It's the commuters who think they have circles down because never actually use any other spokes and they want to stay in the passing lane to continue north or south, unaware of crosstown traffic. Slow the hell down.

Umm, no. If you look at the lanes on the circle, the inner most lane does have the right to go north and south on Conn. If you want to go around the circle, you need to get all the way to the inside. I drive this circle every day and use the left lane northbound on Conn., which feeds to the innermost lane in the circle, and back to the left lane on northbound Conn. north of the circle. You should look at the lane markers next time.

It's visible on the earth view of Google maps. But for some reason I can't copy and paste a pic here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I drive through chevy chase circle twice a day and twice a day i am amazed at the people who don't know how to properly use a traffic circle. i can't tell you the number of times i've almost been hit by a person on the innermost circle cutting across 2 lanes to exit the circle immediately. i know this is extremely petty but i just needed to vent. because of the stops i have to make in the morning this is the fastest way to and from work but i've had it!

The only solution is to add large, non-signaled pedestrian crosswalks to the circle. They've done this with Ward Circle and it has calmed traffic tremendously. Having pedestrians at random intervals that motorists must yield to forced drivers to slow down, be alert and watch for pedestrians, bikers, who enter at random intervals etc..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I live near the circle and I agree. Though my biggest protest is that cars assume you are going to exit north or south on Conn. at rush hour. They honk and go hog wild if you continue going around the circle to Western Ave. They assume it's their right to exit on to Conn. from the very inner lane of the circle and go nuts when the car on in the middle lane continues around the circle.

This exactly. I have started driving like a granny because of the number of times I'm in the middle and the northbound dolt in the inner circle decides to continue north on Connct. It just happened again last night!

I think for locals to this neighbourhood, we get it right. It's the commuters who think they have circles down because never actually use any other spokes and they want to stay in the passing lane to continue north or south, unaware of crosstown traffic. Slow the hell down.

I think you are mistaken. Chevy Chase circle does NOT follow the conventional rules for a circle. The lane markings clearly show that all three lanes go north and south on Connecticut. If you want to continue past the Connecticut Avenue spoke, you must be in the innermost lane.

OK, actually, it's a confusing mess and it is a wonder that there are not more accidents. I drive it daily going Western to Western, which is quite the challenge!

[Anonymous]

The circle that spurs Western Avenue and Mass Ave is worse. Most of the entry points are two lanes, meaning there's always a car that's going in blind. NO ONE uses a turn signal.

I always turn the radio off, stay in the outside lane and keep my hand on the horn. It's effing nuts.

[Anonymous]

My dad forbade me from driving on it for the first few years I was driving. It still freaks me out and I'm 38!