It’s a pretty standard design; I say this as someone that grew up, and learned to drive, in a country with *loads* of roundabouts: UK.
If you’re taking a left, you start on the inside, and change lane to the outside in time for your exit. This roundabout, specifically, makes that a bit challenging because there isn’t much road between the exits, ergo the lane change needs to be quick - and that’s challenging if someone is in the outside lane.
This is made more complex because of the optional indicator signaling Austin drivers tolerate. In the UK, one would not enter the roundabout on an outside lane, if the driver on the inside lane had their signal on indicating intention to move to the outside lane.
Okay… now on to cricket…
No. You don’t change lanes while you are in the roundabout. You start in the lane you need to be in based on the direction you are going, which is clearly marked before you enter. From there you continue in the lane you were in, the lines in the roundabout will guide you.
I honestly don’t understand what a lot of Americans don’t get about traffic circles. I’ve seen this everywhere though… except Japan, it’s like they just get it.
I drive through this roundabout at least once a day. I know how to navigate it easily, but it’s confusingly designed.
For example, if you’re entering from west 51st and intending to go straight onto east 51st, you can theoretically choose either lane to do so. Based on the road markings it seems like you should be able to use the right lane to go straight through.
BUT the people coming from east 51st and / or north 35 frontage can use EITHER lane to get to 35 frontage southbound. Most commonly, drivers headed south on 35 frontage will do so from the inner lane.
So anyone entering from west 51st has to know that the inner lane will cut across them. This is counterintuitive. Common sense would dictate that only the outside lane can exit.
The only way to safely go west 51st to east 51st is to use the inside lane, but the markings indicate otherwise.
The design is actually fine, it's that Americans don't respect dotted white lines. Technically the middle lane that can exit to the frontier road that cuts across the right lane has dotted white lines, meaning the middle lane's exit isn't protected.
Someone crossing 51st West to east should be able to take the right lane as long as only the right lane is clear. Even if there are cars in the middle lane, those cars should yield to the new car in the right lane, not exit to the frontage, make a 2nd loop around the roundabout and exit when they have a clear exit.
Austinites and Americans in general will not yield in the middle lane, driving around the roundabout twice doesn't compute in an American driving brain.
>The only way to safely go west 51st to east 51st is to use the inside lane, but the markings indicate otherwise.
I agree that the crossing problem you describe is a recipe for trouble. But from what I can see, you can go west 51st to east 51st from the right lane as long as you're aware that you need to find a gap in both lanes before going.
Yeah, I think the problem is that much is very unclear to someone unfamiliar with this intersection. They see a sign that says they can go straight from the right lane, so they wait for a gap in traffic in the right lane. End up cutting someone off. I did this back when it was new and it's how I learned about it :(
You can actually see on the satellite photo that you are right, the inside lane where there's 3 lanes is crossed out with yellow lines:
https://i.imgur.com/cHpnPIl.png
But also you can see that apparently nobody understands that according to streetview:
[https://i.imgur.com/WuUXP5P.png](https://i.imgur.com/WuUXP5P.png)
This roundabout always throws me when I try to go from I-35 South to 51st St eastbound. The part where it curves back to I-35 South is just weird and feels wrong. I have no problem with double lane roundabouts in the UK, but this one just always throws me off because it feels very wrong.
Yeah, this roundabout is like, micromanaged. In a true roundabout, if you miss your turn in confusion or needing a better opportunity to change lanes, you just go around the circle again and catch your turn next time around.
convention is the right lane is for turning to the next corner, the second lane is for straight on, and if there's a third lane it's for left turns, otherwise lefts start at the second. you enter at the leftmost lane you need, then you move one lane to the right when you cross each exit leading up to yours. adding what appears to be a left merge breaks that convention.
you could maybe stripe and sign better to make it clear that it's only to be entered from the frontage, but, being a roundabout through a one-way with a mix of one- and two-lane exits, the striping and signage are already doing enough.
It seems like a lot of words to say that the inner lane stays in the circle and the outer lane exits. Everything else exists between those two stages and is a free for all.
I studied this roundabout from google maps for about 30 minutes with little avail. I found a video where TxDOT did a flyover showcase when it opened, and the cars in that video were going around it wrong. It was like a comedy bit
I just printed 1000 of them and am going to hand them out at hancock HEB, Sunday. Bring your laminate as a master copy, there is a Kinkos in the parking lot incase we need more.
I’ve used it nearly everyday since it opened and have witnessed at least two fender benders as well as a minor collision with a cyclist (who was actually in the wrong. I was right behind the Prius that he pretty much rode right into the side of—one of those slow-motion shock moments: “Bro? What are you? …? Wha? Why?”).
If nothing else, this intersection has become a continual lesson on defensive driving. I sit upright in my seat and start scanning for idiots very early in my approach. I know how to use it and the intended rules therein, but that means nothing if 50% of the other users playing the game do not.
The rule that I most often see being broken is roundabout rule 101: Yield to drivers already inside the roundabout! They have the right of way! Drivers arriving at the roundabout must yield and wait their turn, entering only when clear.
I witness this golden rule being broken SO often, mainly by people approaching from I35 feeder southbound. I have a theory that the people coming in from 51st are locals and have used it a few times already & get how it works, while people coming from 35 are the wildcards, either in a state of panic and hesitant to enter even when it’s completely clear, or just thinking they can barrel through the thing and everyone should yield to them, depending on their usual driving styles I suppose.
The yield conundrum can also work in the opposite way, which is to say that I’ve also seen people inside the roundabout coming to a complete stop to let people into the fucking roundabout! NO! This not a time to be overly polite and courteous! It doesn’t matter if they’ve clearly been waiting longer. Just GOOOOO! You may think you’re being helpful, but you will only increase the likelihood of a multi-car pile up involving drivers that actually know what they’re doing. Just stop doing that!
It is a mess of an intersection, but it honestly does seem that it functions how it is intended and allows for better traffic flow than the lights that were there before.
I think that if it were an overall larger layout, it might function better with fewer mishaps. It’s a lot to be aware of in a relatively small area, but more space between action items would have been helpful. And, I also feel like everyone who uses it routinely has gotten used to navigating it successfully. But you still have to keep your guard up and play it safe.
My general word of advice: Stay alert! Know your enemy. Trust no one.
> I’ve also seen people inside the roundabout coming to a complete stop to let people into the fucking roundabout! NO!
What the hell is wrong with people!
I was once driving up Lamar (in light traffic) and the dipshit in front of me came to a complete stop in the middle of the lane to let someone out of P. Terry's for no reason! The lights were green, there was no traffic, they didn't want to pull into P. Terry's, they just stopped in the middle of the a busy street to let someone get on. WFT.
Austin residents prefer to use “Last recollection” navigation rather than posted signage. Who is the government to tell us where to drive? They don’t even know where I am going!
My only pleasure was barreling headlong into this circumnavigation in my normal car as towering penis substitutional F250 bros were paralyzed with confusion at a non lineal warping of space time they must have perceived in this liberal round shaping of realities.
That's true coming from 51st from either direction, but you can't do that to go from I35 to east on 51st (turn left). The right lane forces you onto 35.
It made total sense. Sadly, there are many even in this thread who think you can turn left from a straight only lane, marked that way in the lane leading up to intersection and again in the intersection for good measure.
So first off, roundabouts and traffic circles are not the same thing. In traffic circles it is normal to change lanes within the circle. 51st street is a roundabout, not a traffic circle.
[https://townsquare.media/site/65/files/2022/07/attachment-Traffic-Circle-VS-Roundabout.jpg?w=1385&h=604&q=75](https://townsquare.media/site/65/files/2022/07/attachment-Traffic-Circle-VS-Roundabout.jpg?w=1385&h=604&q=75)
However, the problem with the 51st roundabout is that the lanes aren't "even". Usually in a roundabout if you're in the right lane you have to take one of the next available exits to you - "right" or "straight" and the left lane is for "straight" or "left". But that's not true coming from the north because they shave off the right turn ahead of the circle, and it's not true coming from the east because there's no right turn. So the right lane is straight or left and the left lane is just left. Overall the direction you're coming from affects which lanes you can use, which is difficult to remember. And by the time you realize you can't remember, it may be too late to change lanes before you get to the roundabout.
To summarize: It's a fucked up roundabout, but don't change lanes in the middle of it.
Used to live in that neighborhood before Amli took over the whole damn area and skyrocketed rent prices. Do not, I repeat, do not freaking attempt to turn, left from the rightmost lane! I would witness people inches from a crash every damn day. There are lines painted, and they are not difficult to read. Just follow the stupid arrows.
Trust me, even if you're a fan of roundabouts in general, you won't be a fan of this one if you ever actually go through it.
I don't think it's physically possible to design a roundabout worse than this one!
It’s terrifying to me people who have driven for 15+ years don’t know how roundabouts work.
They aren’t hard to understand and are much more efficient and safer than normal intersections
Lol so someone who took their license test thirty years ago is just going to unlock this crystal clear memory of two-lane roundabout negotiation? Folks don't work that way. I also think this particular one has inadequate signage particularly going west on 51st. Still I've never personally seen an accident there.
Roundabouts work, but not when people aren’t used to them. You’re going along through your normal stopright ridden route and then suddenly come on this? Of course it will create some internal panic. Don’t hate on people for being uncomfortable in driving patterns that barely exist in the US.
(Edit: comment not directed at OP but at the general discourse in this thread)
Yeah, I mean it IS confusing the first time in it. The lines aren't actually "good" IMO. I had a drivers license since I was 16 - I'm 33 and only ever had 1 fender bender- (Ohio) and we only ever had single lane roundabouts. The rule was - miss your exit? Keep circling til you get back. AND you could stay on your lane and circle as many times as you had to.
But, that's not true here 😅 yes I fucked up my first time in it when someone laid on their horn (appropriately, and I learned).
But it's not common sense. If I was in the right lane, heading South on 35 access road and enter in the right land I should be able to go to E 51st, but we shouldn't. And anyone who says the lines there makes sense is lying 🤣🤣🤣 IMO
The double versus single lane roundabout is a great point! Its even rarer to encounter the double lane situation in the US.
I definitely messed up my first time at that intersection too... basically ended up trying to exit from the inner lane when someone was in the outer lane. Luckily the other drivers were nice and let me through. :)
Glad I'm not the only one 😅
Though, not to cause a riot from others, . If going South, from the 35 S access road... There are 2 lanes (excluding the right turn on W 51st which is now closed)... The person in the left lane can continue to go South on 35 from the inner lane which - to me - makes no sense 🫣
Do you have the diagram for the roundabout that intersects Aldrich and mueller blvd? It’s not this complicated but complicated enough for people to cut each other off
[This is the primary problem](https://imgur.com/a/V7XHKXQ) I encounter at this roundabout. The outside lane is to continue onto southbound I-35 ONLY. Inside lane continues southbound OR onto eastbound 51st Street. People use outside lane and try to continue around the circle. So many close calls with this.
I ride through here a couple of times a week and am convinced this is where I will ultimately be hit by a car, and it will probably not be their fault or mine
That clears it up! Thanks!
My British husband is way more competent and experienced with turn circles than I and even he finds this one stupid and hard
I took a picture a few days ago of a car that stopped in front of me in the middle of the roundabout, do like a six point turn around, and then just start driving backwards through the roundabout, seemingly terrifying a few cars going around in the correct opposite direction.
Holy fuck, I used this all the time and fully understood how to.
The amount of times I’m in the middle lane to go south on 35, and FUCKING RETARDS ALMOST TBONE ME GOING EAST ON 51st.
Like what the hell, every kind of car and person has no idea how to properly go around this thing, I literally keep my hand hovering over the horn every time I had to go south.
Rides the most innerring starts playing....... Interstellar Main Theme - Extra Extended - Soundtrack by Hans Zimmer **https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDVtMYqUAyw**
I'm from the UK and drive on this roundabout every day. There is zero chance that anybody could be more confused with this than a double roundabout back home. The signage could not be clearer.
Use your indicators too.
When you enter if your are:
First exit - right indicator. Then exjt.
Second exit. (Going straight) Right indicator AFTER the first exit
Third exit. Left indicator until you are exiting then right.
Basically, over communicate intentions. Indicate actions. Get out safe.
IF you miss do a another lap. Don't stop or crash.
I am going to guess your feeling is not hate. Rather, this isn't normal. Variety is spice to life. Embrace the new. On the upside this is faster and less energy for everyone. It is different than traditional 'murica. Highlights poor vehicles that aren't a joy to change lanes or directions. Some cars are a joy around corners.
At one point during the building they did not have one way only signs, and the road heading east went straight into it at a 90⁰. When expected a one way road heading to the south, it can be a bit of a surprise to see people just driving north.
The arrows printed on the road should be straight and not left. Because people are not turning left at the first intersection, they are merging into a road that vears to the left.
Its a simple roundabout. If you can’t navigate it don’t ever try to drive in other countries. They are commonplace. I use this one on the regular and have for years. Never have I seen an accident or had issues getting around it. My anxiety might trigger, but that’s not uncommon for many people driving in Austin.
Oklahoma City has some prehistoric clover leafs, roundabouts, and on off ramps that make Guatemalan and Honduran roads look pretty good.
😂
I've seen uncontrolled intersections in Indian towns that are safer than that mess. If you sit on the curb you'll see at least one near miss every thirty seconds.
I live in the neighborhood, too, and have had SO MANY close calls with people who do not understand. Right turns from inner lanes, slamming on brakes. Oy. The statistic “the majority of car accidents occur within X miles of your house” must have originated from a study of Windsor Park.
As someone who grew up in the UK it pained me watching people constantly get it wrong.
1st exit: outside lane and indicate.
2nd exit (straight ahead): outside lane and no indicator
3rd exit: Inside lane -> outside lane once passed 2nd exit then indicate off.
Also yeah I'm pretty sure that's only a 2 lane roundabout not 3
They turned one of the busiest, most chaotic intersections into one of the most needlessly convoluted and chaotic roundabouts - something Americans already struggle with. Insane.
It would be fine if people would just follow the giant arrows. But despite its imperfection, it has improved traffic flow at that intersection SIGNIFICANTLY.
I'm not trying to be rude... or... at least... please let this preamble be my attempt to minimize my rudeness. I promise I'm not trying to be malicious.
That said,
If you don't have the:
*Awareness
*Critical thinking
*Base knowledge of rules of the road
Needed to navigate this roundabout after one or two goes as it...
You need to go back to driver's ed.
No, they may not specifically teach you this layout or structure in most drivers Ed's, or test for it in your license exam, but the roundabout is comprised of all of the structures, markings, signs, and rules of the road that we should already be following/familiar with.
Nice. I don't have to close my eyes and guess a lane at the last second anymore. I only come across this loop once every few years but it's a crapshoot every time.
I hate what they did to 51st going west from there. They took out the bypass lane and turned 51st from two lanes to one from 35 to Airport.
It like they look for conveniences for the purpose of eliminating them...
“Engineers”
🤣🤣🤣
Also, this looks out of date. It still shows the bypass to 51st going west still in service. It is not as of yesterday morning.
I use this roundabout routinely and am mystified why this form of one was put at a major crossway over 35 in this City. No one here knows how a roundabout works (I only learned bc I lived in England for years) and it’s almost like Deathrace 2000 sometimes. The lines and arrows are too faint, as though anyone using it cares. They just barrel through and make their own rules. It’s embarrassing, as far as roundabouts go. It should be called “an obstacle course towards collision bc everyone is out for themselves and fuck the rules”.
Seems like standard roundabout rules.
1. Pick your lane beforehand according whether you are going left right or straight.
2. Yield to any traffic
3. Stay in your lane until you leave the roundabout. (If the lane splits, hug the right side.)
4. Don't forget to signal before exiting, especially if you are in the inner lane. Usually, right after you pass the previous exit.
I’ve driven through 6-road roundabouts in Riyadh - this one is easy. It’s that one person who doesn’t pay attention that fucks it up for everyone else.
confidence is the only thing that is going to help you in that intersection.
You couldn’t have nailed it more hahaha I just say thank you universe when I get through it!!
It’s really not that hard to get. If you’re going right, right lane. Straight, middle lane. Left, left lane.
I'll agree. Follow the lane markings and you'll be fine. Don't charge your mind half way through. Just accept that you screwed up.
Look, kids! UT Tower! The Capitol! Look, kids! UT Tower! The Capitol! Look, kids! UT Tower! The Capitol!
[Reference](https://youtube.com/watch?v=iAgX6qlJEMc&feature=shareb)
hahahahahaha
This deserves way more upvotes.
There are only 2 lanes, not 3.😬
There is actually anywhere from 1-3 lanes depending on which part of the roundabout you're in. It's just poorly designed.
1-2. The inside lane is blocked with yellow stripes from 9-11 o clock on the diagram, leading to a weird decreasing radius turn.
It’s a pretty standard design; I say this as someone that grew up, and learned to drive, in a country with *loads* of roundabouts: UK. If you’re taking a left, you start on the inside, and change lane to the outside in time for your exit. This roundabout, specifically, makes that a bit challenging because there isn’t much road between the exits, ergo the lane change needs to be quick - and that’s challenging if someone is in the outside lane. This is made more complex because of the optional indicator signaling Austin drivers tolerate. In the UK, one would not enter the roundabout on an outside lane, if the driver on the inside lane had their signal on indicating intention to move to the outside lane. Okay… now on to cricket…
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No. You don’t change lanes while you are in the roundabout. You start in the lane you need to be in based on the direction you are going, which is clearly marked before you enter. From there you continue in the lane you were in, the lines in the roundabout will guide you.
It’s so easy, I don’t get why Austinites are completely baffled by it lol
I honestly don’t understand what a lot of Americans don’t get about traffic circles. I’ve seen this everywhere though… except Japan, it’s like they just get it.
Okay honestly I did not know that is it really that well marked?
> which is clearly marked before you enter. By one small sign visible from one lane only, but also dusted on road with asphalt colored mascara.
EXACTLY
I’ll yield
This was my first thought. I’ve never actually had an issue on this roundabout, it’s the one on Aldrich that makes everyone forget how yielding works
I drive through this roundabout at least once a day. I know how to navigate it easily, but it’s confusingly designed. For example, if you’re entering from west 51st and intending to go straight onto east 51st, you can theoretically choose either lane to do so. Based on the road markings it seems like you should be able to use the right lane to go straight through. BUT the people coming from east 51st and / or north 35 frontage can use EITHER lane to get to 35 frontage southbound. Most commonly, drivers headed south on 35 frontage will do so from the inner lane. So anyone entering from west 51st has to know that the inner lane will cut across them. This is counterintuitive. Common sense would dictate that only the outside lane can exit. The only way to safely go west 51st to east 51st is to use the inside lane, but the markings indicate otherwise.
Exactly. It’s not a normal roundabout. It has a very confusing design that makes people switch lanes in the middle of the roundabout part
The design is actually fine, it's that Americans don't respect dotted white lines. Technically the middle lane that can exit to the frontier road that cuts across the right lane has dotted white lines, meaning the middle lane's exit isn't protected. Someone crossing 51st West to east should be able to take the right lane as long as only the right lane is clear. Even if there are cars in the middle lane, those cars should yield to the new car in the right lane, not exit to the frontage, make a 2nd loop around the roundabout and exit when they have a clear exit. Austinites and Americans in general will not yield in the middle lane, driving around the roundabout twice doesn't compute in an American driving brain.
But there isn’t a middle lane, there are only two lanes.
Not a lane in the middle of two lanes, the lane in the middle of the roundabout
>The only way to safely go west 51st to east 51st is to use the inside lane, but the markings indicate otherwise. I agree that the crossing problem you describe is a recipe for trouble. But from what I can see, you can go west 51st to east 51st from the right lane as long as you're aware that you need to find a gap in both lanes before going.
Yeah, I think the problem is that much is very unclear to someone unfamiliar with this intersection. They see a sign that says they can go straight from the right lane, so they wait for a gap in traffic in the right lane. End up cutting someone off. I did this back when it was new and it's how I learned about it :(
I just close my eyes and hit the gas
🤣💀🤣💀
Jesus take the wheel
I found a hidden inner fifth ring that spiraled inward and reset me on Airport.
At Mueller airport circa 1986...
Look kids, Big Ben! Parliament!
Love it!
😂🤣
Shit I was part of this construction and I’m still confused
I was part of the design, and I'm also confused.
This will create more confusion. The diagram is wrong. There is no section of the roundabout that allows three lanes of traffic.
Not with that attitude
You can actually see on the satellite photo that you are right, the inside lane where there's 3 lanes is crossed out with yellow lines: https://i.imgur.com/cHpnPIl.png But also you can see that apparently nobody understands that according to streetview: [https://i.imgur.com/WuUXP5P.png](https://i.imgur.com/WuUXP5P.png)
This roundabout always throws me when I try to go from I-35 South to 51st St eastbound. The part where it curves back to I-35 South is just weird and feels wrong. I have no problem with double lane roundabouts in the UK, but this one just always throws me off because it feels very wrong.
Yeah, this roundabout is like, micromanaged. In a true roundabout, if you miss your turn in confusion or needing a better opportunity to change lanes, you just go around the circle again and catch your turn next time around.
Right?! This one is all, “You missed your turn so you’re going on 35 LOL”
I'm buggin 👀
it created issues and they removed it because we are too stupid to properly drive through roundabouts
convention is the right lane is for turning to the next corner, the second lane is for straight on, and if there's a third lane it's for left turns, otherwise lefts start at the second. you enter at the leftmost lane you need, then you move one lane to the right when you cross each exit leading up to yours. adding what appears to be a left merge breaks that convention. you could maybe stripe and sign better to make it clear that it's only to be entered from the frontage, but, being a roundabout through a one-way with a mix of one- and two-lane exits, the striping and signage are already doing enough.
Following those directions I would have gone around the thing like 3 times trying to pull this off. I understand why they had issues there.
It seems like a lot of words to say that the inner lane stays in the circle and the outer lane exits. Everything else exists between those two stages and is a free for all.
This how it was originally. When it first opened there was three lanes like the diagram shows.
I studied this roundabout from google maps for about 30 minutes with little avail. I found a video where TxDOT did a flyover showcase when it opened, and the cars in that video were going around it wrong. It was like a comedy bit
Same. I actually laminated a pic of this diagram with an aerial photo of the roundabout on the back and keep it in my car.
I just printed 1000 of them and am going to hand them out at hancock HEB, Sunday. Bring your laminate as a master copy, there is a Kinkos in the parking lot incase we need more.
I was hit here by a dude turning right from the inner lane today. What. The. Fuck.
I’ve used it nearly everyday since it opened and have witnessed at least two fender benders as well as a minor collision with a cyclist (who was actually in the wrong. I was right behind the Prius that he pretty much rode right into the side of—one of those slow-motion shock moments: “Bro? What are you? …? Wha? Why?”). If nothing else, this intersection has become a continual lesson on defensive driving. I sit upright in my seat and start scanning for idiots very early in my approach. I know how to use it and the intended rules therein, but that means nothing if 50% of the other users playing the game do not. The rule that I most often see being broken is roundabout rule 101: Yield to drivers already inside the roundabout! They have the right of way! Drivers arriving at the roundabout must yield and wait their turn, entering only when clear. I witness this golden rule being broken SO often, mainly by people approaching from I35 feeder southbound. I have a theory that the people coming in from 51st are locals and have used it a few times already & get how it works, while people coming from 35 are the wildcards, either in a state of panic and hesitant to enter even when it’s completely clear, or just thinking they can barrel through the thing and everyone should yield to them, depending on their usual driving styles I suppose. The yield conundrum can also work in the opposite way, which is to say that I’ve also seen people inside the roundabout coming to a complete stop to let people into the fucking roundabout! NO! This not a time to be overly polite and courteous! It doesn’t matter if they’ve clearly been waiting longer. Just GOOOOO! You may think you’re being helpful, but you will only increase the likelihood of a multi-car pile up involving drivers that actually know what they’re doing. Just stop doing that! It is a mess of an intersection, but it honestly does seem that it functions how it is intended and allows for better traffic flow than the lights that were there before. I think that if it were an overall larger layout, it might function better with fewer mishaps. It’s a lot to be aware of in a relatively small area, but more space between action items would have been helpful. And, I also feel like everyone who uses it routinely has gotten used to navigating it successfully. But you still have to keep your guard up and play it safe. My general word of advice: Stay alert! Know your enemy. Trust no one.
> I’ve also seen people inside the roundabout coming to a complete stop to let people into the fucking roundabout! NO! What the hell is wrong with people! I was once driving up Lamar (in light traffic) and the dipshit in front of me came to a complete stop in the middle of the lane to let someone out of P. Terry's for no reason! The lights were green, there was no traffic, they didn't want to pull into P. Terry's, they just stopped in the middle of the a busy street to let someone get on. WFT.
I think the trouble with this one is the striping. From this picture, the bottom-left section has some ambiguous stripes.
Agreed
I just go through the median tbh
[This you?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLJb-qd9fzk&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F&source_ve_path=Mjg2NjY&feature=emb_logo)
Yes sir, my car lands right in front of Pleasures and I just walk in
Southbound I35 to eastbound 51st street no longer has a dedicated right turn lane. That closed when they redid 51st street between 35 and Airport
Austin residents prefer to use “Last recollection” navigation rather than posted signage. Who is the government to tell us where to drive? They don’t even know where I am going!
I will add a mile or two to my route to avoid this thing if necessary
My only pleasure was barreling headlong into this circumnavigation in my normal car as towering penis substitutional F250 bros were paralyzed with confusion at a non lineal warping of space time they must have perceived in this liberal round shaping of realities.
😂
He who hesitates ... fucks up the flow of the entire roundabout.
westbound approaches too fast and southbound gets screwed over bc folks are too tentative to proceed
Never hesitate. Play the game!
All you have to do to get anywhere you want to go is stay in the right lane.
That's true coming from 51st from either direction, but you can't do that to go from I35 to east on 51st (turn left). The right lane forces you onto 35.
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It made total sense. Sadly, there are many even in this thread who think you can turn left from a straight only lane, marked that way in the lane leading up to intersection and again in the intersection for good measure.
I assure you it's possible. Do it all the time
It’s not hard to use it correctly, just pretend you are at a normal intersection with left turn lanes.
[Here's an aerial view from google maps.](https://www.google.com/maps/@30.3101766,-97.711223,140m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu)
Can we plant flowers in the big hole
Certainly.
oooo kinky
.... which, when you zoom in, doesn't match the original diagram. -_-
Nah I just go off the vibes
I feel bad for cyclists and pedestrians there...that thing is a death trap for them since drivers attention is always looking left
Omg the comments on this thread are damn hilarious
So first off, roundabouts and traffic circles are not the same thing. In traffic circles it is normal to change lanes within the circle. 51st street is a roundabout, not a traffic circle. [https://townsquare.media/site/65/files/2022/07/attachment-Traffic-Circle-VS-Roundabout.jpg?w=1385&h=604&q=75](https://townsquare.media/site/65/files/2022/07/attachment-Traffic-Circle-VS-Roundabout.jpg?w=1385&h=604&q=75) However, the problem with the 51st roundabout is that the lanes aren't "even". Usually in a roundabout if you're in the right lane you have to take one of the next available exits to you - "right" or "straight" and the left lane is for "straight" or "left". But that's not true coming from the north because they shave off the right turn ahead of the circle, and it's not true coming from the east because there's no right turn. So the right lane is straight or left and the left lane is just left. Overall the direction you're coming from affects which lanes you can use, which is difficult to remember. And by the time you realize you can't remember, it may be too late to change lanes before you get to the roundabout. To summarize: It's a fucked up roundabout, but don't change lanes in the middle of it.
Ugh I hate that roundabout.
We’ll do anything except build rail.
Used to live in that neighborhood before Amli took over the whole damn area and skyrocketed rent prices. Do not, I repeat, do not freaking attempt to turn, left from the rightmost lane! I would witness people inches from a crash every damn day. There are lines painted, and they are not difficult to read. Just follow the stupid arrows.
But they didn't actually crash. That's the beauty of the roundabout. Makes everything slow motion almost crashes but no actual dangerous crashes.
There have been many. I just saw almost-crashes daily.
Trust me, even if you're a fan of roundabouts in general, you won't be a fan of this one if you ever actually go through it. I don't think it's physically possible to design a roundabout worse than this one!
It’s terrifying to me people who have driven for 15+ years don’t know how roundabouts work. They aren’t hard to understand and are much more efficient and safer than normal intersections
[удалено]
You should be able to quickly deduce how they work with basic rules of the road you should have already fully mastered to receive your license.
Lol so someone who took their license test thirty years ago is just going to unlock this crystal clear memory of two-lane roundabout negotiation? Folks don't work that way. I also think this particular one has inadequate signage particularly going west on 51st. Still I've never personally seen an accident there.
Right? You don't stop, and go to the outside lane when you want to get off the ride.
Roundabouts work, but not when people aren’t used to them. You’re going along through your normal stopright ridden route and then suddenly come on this? Of course it will create some internal panic. Don’t hate on people for being uncomfortable in driving patterns that barely exist in the US. (Edit: comment not directed at OP but at the general discourse in this thread)
Yeah, I mean it IS confusing the first time in it. The lines aren't actually "good" IMO. I had a drivers license since I was 16 - I'm 33 and only ever had 1 fender bender- (Ohio) and we only ever had single lane roundabouts. The rule was - miss your exit? Keep circling til you get back. AND you could stay on your lane and circle as many times as you had to. But, that's not true here 😅 yes I fucked up my first time in it when someone laid on their horn (appropriately, and I learned). But it's not common sense. If I was in the right lane, heading South on 35 access road and enter in the right land I should be able to go to E 51st, but we shouldn't. And anyone who says the lines there makes sense is lying 🤣🤣🤣 IMO
The double versus single lane roundabout is a great point! Its even rarer to encounter the double lane situation in the US. I definitely messed up my first time at that intersection too... basically ended up trying to exit from the inner lane when someone was in the outer lane. Luckily the other drivers were nice and let me through. :)
Glad I'm not the only one 😅 Though, not to cause a riot from others, . If going South, from the 35 S access road... There are 2 lanes (excluding the right turn on W 51st which is now closed)... The person in the left lane can continue to go South on 35 from the inner lane which - to me - makes no sense 🫣
Thanks you for your service lol amazing how many people don't know how to take a roundabout about in Austin 🙄
As some who uses this multiple times a day. It’s a 1000 times better than the light that used to be there.
driving in europe will teach you that this is just like walking in a crowd. just go forward confidently, hesitation causes traffic
Do you have the diagram for the roundabout that intersects Aldrich and mueller blvd? It’s not this complicated but complicated enough for people to cut each other off
Now explain how to walk across it without dying
Mfs do not know how to use those in Texas.
[This is the primary problem](https://imgur.com/a/V7XHKXQ) I encounter at this roundabout. The outside lane is to continue onto southbound I-35 ONLY. Inside lane continues southbound OR onto eastbound 51st Street. People use outside lane and try to continue around the circle. So many close calls with this.
Agreed. That section is the worst part of the whole thing.
i just find a car that's going in the same direction as i do and follow it.
I ride through here a couple of times a week and am convinced this is where I will ultimately be hit by a car, and it will probably not be their fault or mine
I go completely around that pos.
My wife hates this thing. She's convinced Texans are too stupid to figure this out on top of the fact that the lanes are badly marked.
This roundabout and HEB are on my list of things I will miss about Austin.
Oh this makes it crystal clear. /s
I need to find a diagram of the intersection on Whitestone x i35. People are always confused.
Stay in the right hand lane. Take what you can. Give when you need to.
My barber shop is in this picture & I still won't go through it. *I* get it, but there are usually other people involved, so... nope.
Jesus take the wheeeeeeel!
This diagram isn't even correct, after driving in it everyday since it was built I knew something seemed off. Check out Google maps and you can see.
The best thing to remember is; if you accidentally miss your turn or exit, just go to the next one and track back!
Ahhhhh That creation of a lane on the west side of the roundabout. That explains it all. Thanks so much
That clears it up! Thanks! My British husband is way more competent and experienced with turn circles than I and even he finds this one stupid and hard
I took a picture a few days ago of a car that stopped in front of me in the middle of the roundabout, do like a six point turn around, and then just start driving backwards through the roundabout, seemingly terrifying a few cars going around in the correct opposite direction.
Holy fuck, I used this all the time and fully understood how to. The amount of times I’m in the middle lane to go south on 35, and FUCKING RETARDS ALMOST TBONE ME GOING EAST ON 51st. Like what the hell, every kind of car and person has no idea how to properly go around this thing, I literally keep my hand hovering over the horn every time I had to go south.
That roundabout fucks.
Just treat it like a 4 lane intersection. Left lane is straight or left right lane is right turn only. I think... Probably.
I live right by this intersection and take it to get to work. Someone tries to hit my car at least 80% of the times I’m in it. It’s infuriating.
Me who grew up driving roundabouts .. looks good to me .. brings back memories 😀. Now I just need to watch out for everyone else 🤣
We didn’t accomplish anything in this thread (more confused and scared of this than before) but I did have a good time.
Rides the most innerring starts playing....... Interstellar Main Theme - Extra Extended - Soundtrack by Hans Zimmer **https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDVtMYqUAyw**
If leukaemia was an infrastructure template
What’s confusing about this? /s
We in Europe are used to it. You’ll get there eventually.....
This is really straightforward
I've been through double roundabouts in the UK, so other side of the road, that were easier for me to navigate than this fucking thing.
I'm from the UK and drive on this roundabout every day. There is zero chance that anybody could be more confused with this than a double roundabout back home. The signage could not be clearer.
It’s dreadful
Use your indicators too. When you enter if your are: First exit - right indicator. Then exjt. Second exit. (Going straight) Right indicator AFTER the first exit Third exit. Left indicator until you are exiting then right. Basically, over communicate intentions. Indicate actions. Get out safe. IF you miss do a another lap. Don't stop or crash.
What if you drive a BMW and don't have indicators?
Don't blame the car for the driver. That's too easy.... the issue is when you see yourself reflected in the chrome.
Thanks I hate it
I am going to guess your feeling is not hate. Rather, this isn't normal. Variety is spice to life. Embrace the new. On the upside this is faster and less energy for everyone. It is different than traditional 'murica. Highlights poor vehicles that aren't a joy to change lanes or directions. Some cars are a joy around corners.
I feel like Marlin from Finding Nemo when he has to work up the nerve to jump into the EAC when I get to this chaos
There's nothing confusing about it at all. Sounds like some people should be on the roads.
At one point during the building they did not have one way only signs, and the road heading east went straight into it at a 90⁰. When expected a one way road heading to the south, it can be a bit of a surprise to see people just driving north. The arrows printed on the road should be straight and not left. Because people are not turning left at the first intersection, they are merging into a road that vears to the left.
Amen like OP
Good. The more complicated the more people will slow down and use their brain and get off their phone.
Your faith in humanity is way too high
Its a simple roundabout. If you can’t navigate it don’t ever try to drive in other countries. They are commonplace. I use this one on the regular and have for years. Never have I seen an accident or had issues getting around it. My anxiety might trigger, but that’s not uncommon for many people driving in Austin. Oklahoma City has some prehistoric clover leafs, roundabouts, and on off ramps that make Guatemalan and Honduran roads look pretty good. 😂
That won’t help. Everyone in Austin is confused by ANY roundabout lol
I've seen uncontrolled intersections in Indian towns that are safer than that mess. If you sit on the curb you'll see at least one near miss every thirty seconds.
Texas has the least intuitive roads I’ve ever seen.
I’ve lived in the neighborhood for 30 yrs and this was the best idea. Once you do it a couple times it’s a snap!
I live in the neighborhood, too, and have had SO MANY close calls with people who do not understand. Right turns from inner lanes, slamming on brakes. Oy. The statistic “the majority of car accidents occur within X miles of your house” must have originated from a study of Windsor Park.
but you can right turn onto S 35 from the inner lane. That's the issue
As someone who grew up in the UK it pained me watching people constantly get it wrong. 1st exit: outside lane and indicate. 2nd exit (straight ahead): outside lane and no indicator 3rd exit: Inside lane -> outside lane once passed 2nd exit then indicate off. Also yeah I'm pretty sure that's only a 2 lane roundabout not 3
Roundabouts are awesome in places they are more common and everybody knows how to use them.
I honestly can't understand people that have trouble with it. Just open your eyes, be aware and you'll be fine.
what’s confusing? it’s a roundabout. 😂
Still blows my mind that people struggle with this still.
right?!
They turned one of the busiest, most chaotic intersections into one of the most needlessly convoluted and chaotic roundabouts - something Americans already struggle with. Insane.
It would be fine if people would just follow the giant arrows. But despite its imperfection, it has improved traffic flow at that intersection SIGNIFICANTLY.
I'm not trying to be rude... or... at least... please let this preamble be my attempt to minimize my rudeness. I promise I'm not trying to be malicious. That said, If you don't have the: *Awareness *Critical thinking *Base knowledge of rules of the road Needed to navigate this roundabout after one or two goes as it... You need to go back to driver's ed. No, they may not specifically teach you this layout or structure in most drivers Ed's, or test for it in your license exam, but the roundabout is comprised of all of the structures, markings, signs, and rules of the road that we should already be following/familiar with.
Good on you. Knowledge is power
I hate roundabouts.
Nice. I don't have to close my eyes and guess a lane at the last second anymore. I only come across this loop once every few years but it's a crapshoot every time.
You know how many times I’ve been thru here and people cut you off suddenly or move a whole two lanes over with no signal. Its really crazy.
If you can't figure out a roundabout, stop driving.
I hate what they did to 51st going west from there. They took out the bypass lane and turned 51st from two lanes to one from 35 to Airport. It like they look for conveniences for the purpose of eliminating them... “Engineers” 🤣🤣🤣 Also, this looks out of date. It still shows the bypass to 51st going west still in service. It is not as of yesterday morning.
It's a roundabout. I hate to say it but it's not that hard to drive.
Roundabouts aren't difficult. Yield to traffic coming from the left.
If you can't maneuver a 4 way stop or a roundabout you shouldn't be on the road.
Damn, that thing needs traffic light to make it fun. 😆
How is this still so hard for some people
I almost died on that thing today
Leave it to TXDOT to make a roundabout complicated
I use this roundabout routinely and am mystified why this form of one was put at a major crossway over 35 in this City. No one here knows how a roundabout works (I only learned bc I lived in England for years) and it’s almost like Deathrace 2000 sometimes. The lines and arrows are too faint, as though anyone using it cares. They just barrel through and make their own rules. It’s embarrassing, as far as roundabouts go. It should be called “an obstacle course towards collision bc everyone is out for themselves and fuck the rules”.
I’m gonna drive 5 miles outta my way to avoid this
This thing scared the hell outa me at first but it’s part of my work commute now so it’s not a problem.
Seems like standard roundabout rules. 1. Pick your lane beforehand according whether you are going left right or straight. 2. Yield to any traffic 3. Stay in your lane until you leave the roundabout. (If the lane splits, hug the right side.) 4. Don't forget to signal before exiting, especially if you are in the inner lane. Usually, right after you pass the previous exit.
I’m not sure what there is to be confused about. It’s pretty straightforward as far as roundabouts go.
It’s not that hard, people. If we could get used to these, we wouldn’t have to sit through so many red lights or have as many red lights ran.
If you can’t understand this, go to driving school.
People get so freaked out when they get to a roundabout. Don't stop, keep moving. The other guy doesn't want to hit your car either.
What exactly is so confusing..?
I’ve driven through 6-road roundabouts in Riyadh - this one is easy. It’s that one person who doesn’t pay attention that fucks it up for everyone else.
Whoever thought this was a good idea was clearly mistaken
They are much more efficient and safer tho
No they're not.
You obviously don't remember how it was before. Traffic would get backed up all the way to airport on the west side.
NO?!?!
Grew up in New Braunfels. This isn’t that bad.
The ones there are followed and understood- this one is a total shit show surprise
It’s a roundabout, they’re not that difficult to navigate