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| | Dear Road Wizard: On State Street at Mercer Street, the Starbucks coffee shop has become a hazardous area. Westbound cars on State enter the center lane at Mercer and make a U-turn instead of turning into Mercer. The hazard is to drivers exiting Mercer, who must worry about another potential collision. Is the U-turn legal? If so, could ACHD make it illegal? D.Y.@ |
| | Here are three things you won't like to hear: The U-turn is legal. ACHD won't post it "No U-turn." And Mercer drivers are at the bottom of the right-of-way food chain. Everyone on State Street has the right-of-way before they do, including the U-turners from the center lane.
Both Boise and Idaho codes say this is an OK place to make a U-turn. It's at a non-signalized intersection and it can be seen from at least 500 feet. (See Boise 10-13-04 and Idaho 49-645.)
ACHD declines to post it as illegal because it provides westbound commercial access to Starbucks, otherwise blocked by the concrete median.
I drove your route, however, and I see your point. On Mercer and waiting to turn right onto State, I saw a westbound car in the center lane. Would it head for Mercer or do a U-turn? Warned by your letter, I chose to wait and see. It turned into Mercer. Phooey. I waited "for nothing."
Like a lot of other defensive (or just plain correct) driving practices, it was time-consuming, annoying, boring, and safe. |
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