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Do most communities have traffic lights for exiting onto the main roads or do you have to take your life in your hands to do a left? We'll be staying in Westridge in March and I'm worried already about turning left onto US27 (to head towards Walmart). Thanks.
There are relatively few traffic light junctions on the 27 (certainly not one for every community) but I don't think Westridge is one of them.
The 27 is a dual carriageway (divided highway) and there's a space in the middle to wait before completing your turn, having got half way across, at each crossing point. Just remember to look RIGHT before turning left from that point.
If you're really worried about this (or perhaps for the first few days until you get more used to things) you could always drive down the same side of the road as the Westridge community (ie turn right) and do a U turn at the next set of traffic lights. There are some traffic lights not far past Calabay Parc on the right out of Westridge main entrance.
there isnt lights at every housing junction, i think where the lights are they also help to create gaps in traffic on the main road
if you dont feel confident in left turn when you first arrive there is always the option of right then a u turn over the gap in the "median"/ central reservation do you not think :)
Be especially careful at night for the first few days until you get used to things. Our eyes are unfortunately very bad at judging distance when all that can be seen are point source lights - headlights. The traffic on 27 does travel quite quick on that stretch and the automatic gearboxes on US cars don't make for a quick getaway. Give yourself plenty of time, and if there is a lot of traffic just wait a while. There is a set of lights about 2 miles back up 27 (at the new Publix) that will create big gaps for you so it just needs a bit of patience.
The trick in driving out of the main entrance of the villa communities onto US27 is to remember which side the traffic is coming from. At first it is from the left ie the driver's left hand side - so look through the window nearest to you (the left one). If you're turning right, you obviously turn carefully into the direction of the traffic flow. But to turn left, drive out to the central reservation when safe and position the car so that you can check the traffic coming from the front passenger's side, making sure that their head is not in the way of your eyeline. Either way, allow plenty of time and distance to merge.
theres no traffic lights at westridge and yes you do have to take your life in your own hands, but no more then you do here really! you must always look left! then right when you cross over. we have done it many times on the 27, we stayed at florida pines the next turning along from westridge and practically lived in walmart! happy traffic light hunting!!!
Its really not that bad, no different than the traffic over here. In fact it is alot easier to drive there, even turning onto the 27, than driving in any major British City. Just never forget to check both ways when pulling out.
We stopped at Westridge last year and never found it a problem pulling out. As already pointed out just take your time.
If you are still not comfortable could you not turn right and then do a U turn at the next junction. I am not sure how far the next one is mind.
A friend of mine stayed at Highlands Reserve and he turned straight left rather than cross over first and he had a lucky escape so do be careful
I don't think I'd describe it as a 'life in your own hands' manoeuvre, it really isn't all that bad. I find it far more difficult making a right turn at the top of my road in the UK than I do pulling out onto 27. You've just got to treat 27 as 2, completely seperate manoeuvres. Stop. Look left until there is a gap in the oncoming traffic. Pull across to the central reservation (median in Florida speak). Stop again. Look right. When there is a gap pull out and go.
There are traffic lights not too far in both directions (at publix at Highlands to the north and near Calabay to the south) and both of these create huge big gaps in the traffic. A bit of patience makes the job very easy.
http://www.orlando-guide.info/forums...d-junction.JPG
on a related subject could i ask you all where you would position your car to do the various manouvores(?) through the gap in the junction
ie u turn,left turn, right turn, and through the junction as i think i've tried all of them in the past :)
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by tezz7628
ie u turn,left turn, right turn, and through the junction as i think i've tried all of them in the past :)
[/quote]
If I'm following this diagram correctly and was travelling either left to right or bottom to top :-
U-Turn = 1/2
Straght Over and Left turn = 7/8
Right Turn = Why would I be in the gap ? (or am I missing something)
It would depend on the car itself to some extent, Tezz. Only getting used to a particular vehicle would tell us about the best position for traffice visibility. Some cars (eg convertibles with a closed hood) can have blind spots in the 'conventional' positions while an unusually long or tall car might have to be adjusted accordingly. With the 8-seater Ford E-350 that we had, I'd say arond 9 for turning left, maybe between 9 and 10 for a U-turn for the traffic flow along the LOWER arrow. We would not need to go through the gap for a right turn would we (or is this a trick question)?
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by tezz7628
http://www.orlando-guide.info/forums...d-junction.JPG
on a related subject could i ask you all where you would position your car to do the various manouvores(?) through the gap in the junction
ie u turn,left turn, right turn, and through the junction as i think i've tried all of them in the past :)
[/quote]Turning left: If you're anywhere over the centre of the numbers (6 - 10) when the junction is completely empty, you wouldn't know whether a car would appear travelling in the other direction (top road) to turn left.
So, you'd have to be in positions 1 - 5 when turning left at the junction in the picture because positions 5 - 10 might be taken up with someone on the top road in the picture turning left!
Turning right: You can't, not across a central junction, it's the wrong way! That's the trick part of the question over with then! :)
Straight on: 4 - 7 (in the middle).
For a U turn, you'd follow the numbers above, depending on which way you were travelling.
Is there a footpath on US27? The Publix supermarket looks like it's only about a mile and a half away from Westridge so it seems a shame to drive all the time.
Unfortunately not. Not many places in Florida have a footpath, pavement (sidewalk), etc. The 192 in places and International Drive being the first two places I can think of that do have footpaths.
I don't think that you'd want to be walking along the 27 anyway as it's quite a fast road with lorries and a lot of wind turbulence will be created.
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by blott
Unfortunately not. Not many places in Florida have a footpath, pavement (sidewalk), etc. The 192 in places and International Drive being the first two places I can think of that do have footpaths.
[/quote]
I thought some Americans called the road as 'pavement' cos it's paved (which makes sense in a way)[?]
They do Nostromo, which is why I 'translated' it into sidewalk in case any of our American friends might be reading the thread! :)
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by rainyday
Is there a footpath on US27? The Publix supermarket looks like it's only about a mile and a half away from Westridge so it seems a shame to drive all the time.
[/quote]
It does not have a sidewalk......but I see people walking along on the grass....after living here a while you get used to not having anything to walk on but the grass or the road.....I'm not sure if it would be a very fun walk.....very hot and dusty......
its not a nice area to walk on! grass bumpy verges, use the car!
Having stayed in Westridge, there are no lights to turn into the community, but the road was so quiet, we never saw many others cars, in fact the busiest road we have been on is the I4, and even when they started the roadworks on the 192, it has never been very busy, not like in this country!!!!!
I am going to try driving when out there in Nov and having never driven on the other side of the road, i'm not worried like I would be in the traffic was like at home.
Another funny thing, Americans are courteous drivers[msnsmile2]
Thanks for your replies. If I wanted to go out for a walk/run, is there anywhere near Westridge that would be suitable?
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by rainyday
Thanks for your replies. If I wanted to go out for a walk/run, is there anywhere near Westridge that would be suitable?
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I would have thought most villa communities are big enough within themselves for a jog or walk? I saw plenty of people doing that around Orange Tree.