City struggles to get drivers to use new jughandle

<p><strong>I</strong>f you’ve turned left onto U.S. 31 from eastbound Smith Valley Road in the last couple of months without using the city’s new jughandle, you’re lucky you didn’t get a ticket.</p><p>At least four drivers weren’t so fortunate.</p><p>Since the new intersections at Smith Valley and U.S. 31 and Smith Valley and Madison Avenue opened last fall, Greenwood has struggled to get drivers to understand the new maneuver. The new intersections require that drivers traveling east on Smith Valley who want to go north on U.S. 31 drive straight through the light, then use a “jughandle” ramp on the right to loop around to the north.</p>[sc:text-divider text-divider-title="Story continues below gallery" ]Click here to purchase photos from this gallery<p>If they miss the jughandle, drivers also have the option to use the roundabout at Smith Valley and Madison Avenue to circle around and turn right onto U.S. 31.</p><p>The problem is drivers are still turning left onto U.S. 31 from eastbound Smith Valley Road despite there no longer being a turn lane, which holds up traffic.</p><p>The issue has been brought up in several city meetings, including with the city council. At the heart of the problem is what could be done to make the 50,000 drivers who use the intersections daily more aware of the changes, especially those who don’t live or work in the area or drive that route regularly.</p><p>The city has added signs — arrows on the pavement — since the new intersection opened in October. And they’re considering adding more, said Daniel Johnston, city engineer.</p><p>But that will have to wait, he said.</p><p>“If there are still issues, we do have the option to install ‘No Left Turn’ word markings on the pavement, but that will need to wait until spring when pavement surface temperatures will allow for adequate adhesion between the pavement and the marking’s materials,” he said.</p><p>“We will certainly continue to monitor the situation.”</p><p>Police monitored for illegal left turns initially when the new intersection was open and handed out several warnings, said Matt Fillenwarth, Greenwood police assistant chief.</p><p>“For the first few days we just wanted the officers issuing warnings to drivers. It wouldn’t be fair to start hammering them with tickets right away,” Fillenwarth said.</p><p>They have not had any officers assigned specifically to the intersection since October, he said.</p><p>It’s hard to say exactly how many tickets and warnings have been issued for making the illegal left turn onto U.S. 31, Fillenwarth said, but the department found at least four citations issued at that intersection since Oct. 1.</p><p>Some Greenwood residents can’t believe only four people have gotten tickets.</p><p>“My son and I go to Dunkin’ Donuts about once a month and shortly after it opened we were sitting there and saw three vehicles get pulled over in 20 minutes,” said Tania Cree, who lives in Greenwood.</p><p>Cree, who lives north of Main Street and east of Madison Avenue, used to use that intersection a lot. Now she tries to avoid it, she said.</p><p>“I’ve been behind people trying to turn north from eastbound Smith Valley and people have stopped from the other direction after noticing the turn signal on and said something, and I’ve honked and pointed and usually get the finger,” Cree said.</p><p>“We avoid it at all costs. Never seen anyone use the jughandle. Never heard of anyone using it.”</p><p>The purpose of the roundabout and jug handle is to keep traffic moving.</p><p>Heather Linn, who owns Hair &amp;amp; Now Salon located in the shopping center at Smith Valley and Madison, has seen it working. She said it’s certainly unclogged traffic in front of her store. People used to have to wait through several lights at those intersections, especially during rush hour, due to their proximity to one another.</p><p>A social media post on the Daily Journal’s Facebook page Friday warranted mixed reviews.</p><p>Several people said it’s confusing and they avoid it entirely, while others praised it and said it has helped with traffic flow. One person said they’ve stopped eating and shopping in Greenwood altogether because of it.</p><p>“It is extremely confusing. It took me (three) times to figure it out,” a Franklin resident commented.</p><p>“The entire intersection gives me anxiety. I now avoid it like the plague,” another commented.</p><p>Greenwood resident Andrew Short doesn’t mind it, but said it needs to be explained better.</p><p>“If everyone knew the intersection and how they are supposed to navigate it, it would be great for traffic flow, and for the most part it is. But if you don’t know the intersection, there is almost nothing about it that is intuitive. I feel like I am still learning it myself,” Short posted.</p>