Bend Police are putting out a reminder about how to properly use the two-lane roundabout at Butler Market, Empire Avenue and 27th Street — a place police say results in “a lot of confusion and motor vehicle accidents.”
One recurring issue happens when drivers change lanes within the roundabout. You’re not supposed to do that.
The other is drivers not knowing if they can continue through the roundabout or if they have to turn out of it — depending on the lane they are in.
“It boils down to this — if you enter in the right lane, you can turn right or go straight,” Bend Police said on Facebook. That means you can take the first exit out of the roundabout or the second one. You can’t continue driving around past the second exit.
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“If you enter in the left lane, you can go straight or turn left,” Bend PD said. This means you can go to the second exit or keep driving around if you need to get to the third or fourth exit. You can’t take the first exit to your immediate right after your enter.
“Don’t change lanes in the roundabout, and watch for other vehicles, especially if you’re exiting from the inside lane,” Bend PD said.
Also, don’t enter the roundabout next to large trucks. They may need to use both lanes.
And then the universal rule no matter if you’re using a one-lane or multi-lane roundabout: Signal out.
Bend Police linked to a City of Bend video explaining how this multi-lane roundabout works. You can watch that in the player above.
Why does Bend have so many roundabouts? Central Oregon Daily’s Allen Schauffler looked at the city’s love-hate relationship with RABs back in 2021. You can watch that below.
