[J1ceasar]

Actually I think the main problem with the roundabouts is that most drivers are doing or trying to do 55 like a highway and passing people on the left or the right willy-nilly.

[J1ceasar]

By the way for all the complainers, the only thing that actually helps is writing to f Dot, it may take 6 months or a year but they do react to your letters by doing personal observation. I have gotten a few extra signs installed on 44

[thevillagernie]

go back up North

[VApeople]

Originally Posted by J1ceasar

If all of the seniors would actually turn their heads to look left and right then they wouldn't be any accidents until then I'll stay in the right hand lane and they're simply is not enough time when you're doing 30 miles an hour or 50 like some of them do to go from one lane to the other to turn in 25 ft

And if some seniors would use proper punctuation in their messages, then we might be able to understand what they are trying to say.

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by J1ceasar

If all of the seniors would actually turn their heads to look left and right then they wouldn't be any accidents until then I'll stay in the right hand lane and they're simply is not enough time when you're doing 30 miles an hour or 50 like some of them do to go from one lane to the other to turn in 25 ft

Once again I have to ask, as before, in RBs, are you seriously stating that you INTENTIONALLY stay in the right (outer) lane even if you are going around 270 to the 3rd exit?????? If so, you are not only part of the problem and not part of the solution, but EXTREMELY DANGEROUS as well to the rest of us who know what we are doing. Please stay off the road or learn to drive a RB!

[Villagesgal]

I will not enter an intersection to turn left unless it is clear.. I was pulled over by a Sheriff here in Florida and told never to block an intersection, to only go out into the intersection if I could make the left turn without stopping..

Here's how the Department of Licensing interprets the law in the Driver Guide : “Drivers must not enter an intersection unless they can get through it without having to stop.” That would seem to mean that even for left turns you shouldn't pull into the intersection and wait for a gap.

[jswirs]

I agree with most of what you have stated, however, all of this is partly offset by the fact that THERE ARE VERY FEW "NO TURN ON RED" signs here in Fl. I come from Pa., and there are "no turn on red" signs on almost every other intersection. Sometimes I would look and try to understand why there are so many of these signs, many of which do make any sense. Also, Pa. has a speed limit of 5 MPH when going through toll booths, another ridiculous law. Further, I do not see nearly as many cops sitting hidden somewhere with "Itchy ticket fingers", just waiting to catch someone going 7 MPH over the speed limit. These facts offset all of the problems you mention, IMHO.

[Professor]

Sorry you have to live this way. What is your rush anyway...just enjoy being alive with reasonably good health and you will enjoy the day much more...

[Girlcopper]

Originally Posted by Sandy and Ed

And by sitting behind the intersection while you have a green light ....and waiting .....instead of proceeding into the intersection, you prevent others behind you from following. As far as I know it is legal and safe for a driver to move into the center of the intersection when the light is green and wait for an opportunity to torn left against oncoming traffic. The light is green!!! Use it! Please!!!

No. Its illegal. Read your traffic laws. You are not permitted to enter an intersection until you have immediate clearance. Though I agree its a pain. Thats the legal way to do it

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by Girlcopper

No. Its illegal. Read your traffic laws. You are not permitted to enter an intersection until you have immediate clearance. Though I agree its a pain. Thats the legal way to do it

Do you mean these Florida traffic laws? I didn't find any mention of immediate clearance.

The video posted earlier in this thread seems to describe the safe and logical movement of traffic. Personally, I don't like to enter the intersection to make a left unless I have a good reason to believe I will be able to complete my turn *before* the light turns red. However, the laws above seem to allow a single car to enter the intersection to make a left turn and to wait in the intersection while yielding to oncoming traffic and pedestrians.

[Bilyclub]

Originally Posted by Girlcopper

No. Its illegal. Read your traffic laws. You are not permitted to enter an intersection until you have immediate clearance. Though I agree its a pain. Thats the legal way to do it

I have gone or thru Florida Chapter 316 and do not see anything like that for left turning vehicles. You obviously were not Florida copper or you would know this law chapter and verse. Quit saying it's illegal without backing it up.

[DAVES]

Originally Posted by Grill Meister

TRAFFIC CONTROLS IN THE TRI-COUNTIES
Let’s begin with my admitting that I am an impatient son-of-a-gun and if things don’t go my way I have a hissy fit.

I have some terrible issues with the traffic controls in Tri-Counties. I have lived in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, California and Florida (Miami, Sarasota, St. Pete, Tampa, Jacksonville, Tallahassee and now The Villages) and I have never experienced the traffic controls like the ones we face daily….if we’re out on the highways.
In most other locations, the traffic engineers time the traffic signals to have an orderly flow of traffic. The primary issue is, of course, is SAFETY. The flow of traffic traveling at the posted speed limit should be able to continue through the traffic signals without having to stop. But not here. If you drive on US 441/27 you are lucky if you can get through two traffic signals without stopping and I mean lucky. Most of the time, you will have to stop at every stinking light. We drove through Leesburg this morning and every….EVERY light caught us.

And, I have never experienced the left turn arrow as we have here. In most locations, other than the tri-counties, you may have a left turn arrow, which gives you total right of way against opposing traffic. When that turn arrow goes to caution (yellow) you know that your right of way against opposing traffic is about to cease and you need to prepare to stop. But, then after the caution light goes off, you have a green light….in most other locations; but you also have opposing traffic, so you have better wait until you have a break in traffic before your turn left. Here, in the tri-counties, the turn arrow goes to red and you sit and sit and sit, even though there may not be any traffic coming at you. And that’s compounded by some wonderful driver who will not pull out into the intersection so that they can turn left when the traffic has a gap or when the light turns red. AAAARRRRGGGG!!!

Another wonderful bit of timing frequently occurs and the intersection of Buenos Aries and Hwy 466. Those lights are so timed that there may be no traffic at all allowed through in any direction. Cars on 466 in both directions just sit. Traffic on Buenos Aires just sit. Ain’t nobody goin’ no where.

Now can somebody explain to this growly impatient pain in the #$$@ what is going on?

I realize that I can rationalize my feelings with the justification that all that idle time you are just sitting in your automobile is a terrible waste of gasoline, polluting the environment, but I admitted that I am impatient and I am, but my greatest area of impatience is stupidity. You can’t cure stupidity and the traffic controls around here are just stupid.

And….I might add….I love our seasonal neighbors, aka, Snow Birds. They are great people and make great friends and neighbors. It’s those other idiots that come down here and don’t know how to drive around The Villages that get on our nerves. The are arrogant, abusive, antagonistic, rude and just down right nasty and they give a bad name to our wonderful seasonal neighbors whom we love so dearly.

Incidentally, I do not moan and groan about “the developer” making money and increasing prices. They must make a profit. It’s their investment of time, money and resources and they damned sure should make a profit. Do you want to live in a community that was created and controlled by a bunch of idiots? If they didn’t make profits, they would go bankrupt and leave us high and dry to fend for ourselves. But the traffic around here stinks.

You ask for suggestions. GROW UP. The world does not revolve around you. Nothing ever is or will be perfect in the real world.

[larrycrilley@gmail.com]

These lights are frustrating to me as well. However after spending 40+ years of driving the streets of all 5 Boroughs of NYC. I worked and lived in Queens with a 15 mile commute that was 45 minutes on a good day and well over an hour on most days. I find the traffic conditions here to be nirvana!

[Astron]

Originally Posted by Grill Meister

TRAFFIC CONTROLS IN THE TRI-COUNTIES
Let’s begin with my admitting that I am an impatient son-of-a-gun and if things don’t go my way I have a hissy fit.

I have some terrible issues with the traffic controls in Tri-Counties. I have lived in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, California and Florida (Miami, Sarasota, St. Pete, Tampa, Jacksonville, Tallahassee and now The Villages) and I have never experienced the traffic controls like the ones we face daily….if we’re out on the highways.
In most other locations, the traffic engineers time the traffic signals to have an orderly flow of traffic. The primary issue is, of course, is SAFETY. The flow of traffic traveling at the posted speed limit should be able to continue through the traffic signals without having to stop. But not here. If you drive on US 441/27 you are lucky if you can get through two traffic signals without stopping and I mean lucky. Most of the time, you will have to stop at every stinking light. We drove through Leesburg this morning and every….EVERY light caught us.

And, I have never experienced the left turn arrow as we have here. In most locations, other than the tri-counties, you may have a left turn arrow, which gives you total right of way against opposing traffic. When that turn arrow goes to caution (yellow) you know that your right of way against opposing traffic is about to cease and you need to prepare to stop. But, then after the caution light goes off, you have a green light….in most other locations; but you also have opposing traffic, so you have better wait until you have a break in traffic before your turn left. Here, in the tri-counties, the turn arrow goes to red and you sit and sit and sit, even though there may not be any traffic coming at you. And that’s compounded by some wonderful driver who will not pull out into the intersection so that they can turn left when the traffic has a gap or when the light turns red. AAAARRRRGGGG!!!

Another wonderful bit of timing frequently occurs and the intersection of Buenos Aries and Hwy 466. Those lights are so timed that there may be no traffic at all allowed through in any direction. Cars on 466 in both directions just sit. Traffic on Buenos Aires just sit. Ain’t nobody goin’ no where.

Now can somebody explain to this growly impatient pain in the #$$@ what is going on?

I realize that I can rationalize my feelings with the justification that all that idle time you are just sitting in your automobile is a terrible waste of gasoline, polluting the environment, but I admitted that I am impatient and I am, but my greatest area of impatience is stupidity. You can’t cure stupidity and the traffic controls around here are just stupid.

And….I might add….I love our seasonal neighbors, aka, Snow Birds. They are great people and make great friends and neighbors. It’s those other idiots that come down here and don’t know how to drive around The Villages that get on our nerves. The are arrogant, abusive, antagonistic, rude and just down right nasty and they give a bad name to our wonderful seasonal neighbors whom we love so dearly.

Incidentally, I do not moan and groan about “the developer” making money and increasing prices. They must make a profit. It’s their investment of time, money and resources and they damned sure should make a profit. Do you want to live in a community that was created and controlled by a bunch of idiots? If they didn’t make profits, they would go bankrupt and leave us high and dry to fend for ourselves. But the traffic around here stinks.

Relax and enjoy the journey, not just the destination. Spend your energy on actions that you can control, and accept situations that you cannot control. Getting angered by someone you cannot effect just increases stress for you. If traffic light timing bothers you, contact the agency in charge, collect a petition, try to calmly change the situation.
Having lived from Hawaii to New England to Florida, I can say with confidence every locale has it’s unique driving style and unique challenges that will seem wrong to people used to driving in a different locale. Don’t sweat the small stuff, and go with the flow. You really have little else you can do safely.

[Astron]

Originally Posted by Grill Meister

TRAFFIC CONTROLS IN THE TRI-COUNTIES
Let’s begin with my admitting that I am an impatient son-of-a-gun and if things don’t go my way I have a hissy fit.

I have some terrible issues with the traffic controls in Tri-Counties. I have lived in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, California and Florida (Miami, Sarasota, St. Pete, Tampa, Jacksonville, Tallahassee and now The Villages) and I have never experienced the traffic controls like the ones we face daily….if we’re out on the highways.
In most other locations, the traffic engineers time the traffic signals to have an orderly flow of traffic. The primary issue is, of course, is SAFETY. The flow of traffic traveling at the posted speed limit should be able to continue through the traffic signals without having to stop. But not here. If you drive on US 441/27 you are lucky if you can get through two traffic signals without stopping and I mean lucky. Most of the time, you will have to stop at every stinking light. We drove through Leesburg this morning and every….EVERY light caught us.

And, I have never experienced the left turn arrow as we have here. In most locations, other than the tri-counties, you may have a left turn arrow, which gives you total right of way against opposing traffic. When that turn arrow goes to caution (yellow) you know that your right of way against opposing traffic is about to cease and you need to prepare to stop. But, then after the caution light goes off, you have a green light….in most other locations; but you also have opposing traffic, so you have better wait until you have a break in traffic before your turn left. Here, in the tri-counties, the turn arrow goes to red and you sit and sit and sit, even though there may not be any traffic coming at you. And that’s compounded by some wonderful driver who will not pull out into the intersection so that they can turn left when the traffic has a gap or when the light turns red. AAAARRRRGGGG!!!

Another wonderful bit of timing frequently occurs and the intersection of Buenos Aries and Hwy 466. Those lights are so timed that there may be no traffic at all allowed through in any direction. Cars on 466 in both directions just sit. Traffic on Buenos Aires just sit. Ain’t nobody goin’ no where.

Now can somebody explain to this growly impatient pain in the #$$@ what is going on?

I realize that I can rationalize my feelings with the justification that all that idle time you are just sitting in your automobile is a terrible waste of gasoline, polluting the environment, but I admitted that I am impatient and I am, but my greatest area of impatience is stupidity. You can’t cure stupidity and the traffic controls around here are just stupid.

And….I might add….I love our seasonal neighbors, aka, Snow Birds. They are great people and make great friends and neighbors. It’s those other idiots that come down here and don’t know how to drive around The Villages that get on our nerves. The are arrogant, abusive, antagonistic, rude and just down right nasty and they give a bad name to our wonderful seasonal neighbors whom we love so dearly.

Incidentally, I do not moan and groan about “the developer” making money and increasing prices. They must make a profit. It’s their investment of time, money and resources and they damned sure should make a profit. Do you want to live in a community that was created and controlled by a bunch of idiots? If they didn’t make profits, they would go bankrupt and leave us high and dry to fend for ourselves. But the traffic around here stinks.

Relax and enjoy the journey, not just the destination. Spend your energy on actions that you can control, and accept situations that you cannot control. Getting angered by someone you cannot effect just increases stress for you. If traffic light timing bothers you, contact the agency in charge, collect a petition, try to calmly change the situation.
Having lived from Hawaii to New England to Florida, I can say with confidence every locale has it’s unique driving style and unique challenges that will seem wrong to people used to driving in a different locale. Don’t sweat the small stuff, and go with the flow. You really have little else you can do safely.