Now that the two roundabouts constructed by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) at the intersection of Locust Way and Larch Way on Filbert Road (SR 524) have been in use since late October, are they working?

A reader recently asked if WSDOT was conducting an analysis on how effective the new roundabouts have been for drivers, noting he was concerned they actually decrease the flow of traffic and make it difficult to anticipate the actions of other drivers.

“The entrance from Filbert from the east, and the exit to Filbert going east are too close together,” he wrote. “This makes traffic entering yield to traffic that is exiting (versus staying in) as it’s too hard to tell if traffic will stay in the roundabout or exit.”

He said he was initially exited about the new roundabouts, but now thinks they might be a hinderance.

Frances Fedoriska, from WSDOT, said in the weeks since contractors completed the roundabouts, WSDOT staff have observed conditions at the roundabouts and have found drivers are changing their behavior to adapt.

“Namely, they are slowing down to safely navigate their way through the roundabouts,” she said. “We will continue monitoring conditions through spring 2019. If any design adjustment is deemed necessary, any work will likely not happen earlier than late spring.”

Fedoriska said the new roundabouts were designed to improve safety, not reduce traffic congestion. She said a congestion-relief project would include widening Filbert Road — a more substantial project than current funding would allow.

She said WSDOT looked at six different options for improving safety at Locus Way and Larch Way.

“Due to the fact roundabouts have a proven record of reducing collisions, and two of them could be designed and built within the funding limits of this project, this option was recommended for SR 524,” Fedoriska said.

According to the WSDOT website, an average 16,000 drivers use the aforementioned stretch of SR 524 every day, and from 2011 to 2015 there were 81 collisions at these intersections. Thirty-six people were injured in these collisions.

“Safety is our first priority,” Fedoriska said. “The Lynnwood roundabouts are a safety improvement project designed to reduce the risk of collisions at the intersections of SR 524 at Larch and Locust Ways.”

The lanes into and out of the roundabouts are a minimum of 14 feet wide, she said. Westbound traffic entering the Larch Way roundabout is required to yield to eastbound traffic in the roundabouts, the westbound traffic is free to enter the roundabouts at will.

“Drivers who are following the posted speed limit and paying attention to eastbound traffic should be able to negotiate these easily,” Fedoriska said.

— By Cody Sexton