Bus gets caught on roundabout in La Jolla
A bus that failed to negotiate a roundabout sits up on the curb on La Jolla Boulevard. Photo: Dave Schwab
A tow truck operator works to extricate the bus from a Bird Rock roundabout. Photo: Dave Schwab
A Metropolitan Transit Service bus driver headed north on La Jolla Boulevard in Bird Rock on Tuesday about 5:45 p.m. failed to negotiate a roundabout at Forward Street and got stuck, according to witnesses at the scene.
The bus partially knocked over a crosswalk sign and got caught in the median with its rear wheels dug into the curb. No one was injured, and it appeared there were not many passengers on board.
A large pickup truck was on the scene shortly afterwards, working to hoist the bus out.
Traffic heading south toward Pacific Beach was not interrupted. Cars heading north into the Village of La Jolla were being detoured onto La Jolla Hermosa Avenue.
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Short URL: http://www.lajollalight.com/?p=36451
Posted by Dave Schwab
on Mar 1, 2011. Filed under Featured Story, La Jolla, News.
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Before anyone goes blaming the roundabouts, the traffic control crew erred in setting up the right-turn detour at Forward. That turn simply can not accommodate buses or large trucks. The proper place for right-turn detours is at Midway. There is no splitter island at Midway and it can accomodate any size vehicle.
Update: The crews made the same mistake this morning and another truck got stuck at Forward.
IMO (traffic engineer) accomodating a bus is the minimum design vehicle at a modern roundabout. The bus vehicle (B-40) is an analog for a fire truck (fire trucks are slightly more maneuverable). Using the truck apron to facilitate the turn would be the right way to go if there are geometric constraints, as would skinnying up the splitter island near the circular roadway – to make the entry throat wider, but keeping the wider island where the pedestrian crosses.
Good points Scott but this was a temporary detour–not a part of the regular bus route and thus the constructed roundabout is not designed for such a turn movement. In retrospect the bus could make this "turn" by doing a 270-degree through the roundabout (using the concrete apron as you point out) and approaching the side street straight on.
I was in town visiting my daughter while she was in the hospital. On the evening of July 16, I was taking the 30 bus up to her place. Going through Bird Rock the driver excellerated through town throwing us back and forth through the round abouts. I looked at another passager, both of us agrees, this was not right.