Saratoga News

Restriping at intersection leaves drivers confused

By Michelle Alaimo

City officials hope a sign installed this week will help ease confusion caused by recent restriping at the intersection of Saratoga Avenue and Highway 9. It's easy to see why drivers are confused--the intersection has been restriped three times in two months, leaving them unsure as to whether they are in a turn lane or a through-traffic lane until the last moment.

The striping has led to a couple of close calls as some drivers attempted to go straight into the Saratoga Village from the left-turn lane, while at the same time drivers in the through-traffic lane also go straight. Erman Dorsey, senior engineering technician for the city of Saratoga, said he hopes supplemental signs indicating the new striping will help solve the problem. The signs will be placed at the crosswalk near the Village post office on Saratoga Avenue.

The initial restriping, which was completed in October, had to be redone after firefighters at the Saratoga Fire Department had problems making right turns out of the fire station. The striping, under the city's orders, created three lanes--instead of two--in Saratoga Avenue's westbound lanes. In adding a third lane, the double yellow line had to be moved toward the fire station, which left fire trucks without room to turn right.

Saratoga Fire Chief Ernie Kraule said fire engines would have to pull into the westbound left-turn lane to turn right. Kraule said he took his concerns to the city, which then changed the striping to two lanes, one for straight and left-turning traffic and one for right-turning traffic.

Dorsey said a third restriping change was made--making a left-turn-only lane and another lane for through traffic or right-turning traffic--shortly before Christmas. The city had to wait until changes were made to the traffic signal at the intersection. Without it, drivers going straight or turning right would be endlessly stuck at the red light.

Dorsey added that once the old stripes are completely removed from the street, the new striping should work out well.

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