Who gets to proceed first? There has to be someone with a right of way. I think Brian T is right, maybe to the "yield" we add a sign that says "to traffic already in circle". I have seen something to that effect elsewhere (Massachusetts?).
The rotaries have done what they where designed to do, which is slow down traffic. They could have been better designed, but have been key to slowing things down on Woodward. I hope they come to Townsend Ave next!

By the way guys, if you have never been, please come to the East Shore Management Team Meeting and bring this up. We meet at 7 PM, every second Tuesday of the month at the Fire House, 2nd floor on the corner of Townsend and Light House. The group helps to resolve issues like this by contacting and working with the appropriate agencies and we are also trying to do some other great things for the neighborhood. I hope to see you, your families and neighbors -open to any who live in the East Shore.

Brian (s), What you bring up is valid... if you live in a state where people are accustomed to traffic circles... the two on woodward are probably the only 2 in a 100 mile radius, and I argue are not even traffic circles. This is clear by all the folks that don't seem to even know how to make a turn at these intersections (cut off the circle rather than enter the rotary). Additionally, it adds to the confusion that the Hervey intersection has stop signs. Nonetheless, I would not even consider these true traffic circles. True traffic cirles are a way to convey traffic through an intersection of nearly-equally travelled roads of usually similarly travelled speeds. These are creative speed mitigators for Woodward. The park exits should be a stop, and right of way given to those travelling on Woodward. Westbound traffic on Tuttle should also have a stop for the same reasons (as does Hervey). Of course, people making turns at these intersections need to follow the rotary, but that may take a few more years for people to catch on. Thanks for the meeting invite...
C

BTW, I am in no way advocating Stop signs for Woodward traffic ... just for the cross streets.

At the risk of getting a little too wonky, I see a subtle difference between a true roundabout and a traffic circle—traffic circles are employed at the convergence of several streets of considerable size (often multi-lane arterials); roundabouts, on the other hand, are generally smaller than traffic circles (1 lane only) and are employed as an alternative to four-way stops when one of the intersecting roads is too large to realistically expect everyone to come to a complete stop. Nevertheless, single-lane roundabouts are governed by the same traffic laws as their larger cousins.

Details aside, Chris, I agree with your assessment that—given the improper construction of the mountable lip, which allows people to take the roundabout at high speeds—the roundabouts on Woodward should probably be converted to “mini traffic circles” (two-way stops with a circular obstruction at the center of the intersection). To do this, the city will have to replace the cross street yield signs with stop signs, remove the Woodward Ave yield signs, and replace the roundabout signs on the Woodward approaches with keep right symbol signs.

This is unfortunate because it will mean forfieting much of the speed reductions that the roundabouts were designed, but unfortunately not constructed, to achieve.

Oh shoot…I thought about it some more and now I can't help but get even more wonky by correcting myselft. The actual difference between a roundabout and a traffic circle is that with a roundabout, all traffic entering the intersection has only a yield sign, while with a traffic circle, all traffic entering the circle has a stop sign and must stop even if the circle is empty; number of lanes apparently makes no difference. My bad.

4 way yields on the small circles just lead to confusion, I see it every day. On a large circle it may work but on such a small one most drivers just don't know what to do or simple ignore them and enter them without yielding. People going into east shore park often don't go around the circles and just make the turn before it. The whole "traffic calming" setup in that area is inane! I have seen so many instances of confusion and near crashes. There are also some tall bushes on some of the cross street entrances to the circle near the playground that are also very dangerous and limit visibility.

The roundabouts were improperly constructed by the city. The granite curb should have been higher, which would have led to much slower speeds.

Fixing the roundabouts would help reduce the perceived level of danger that Christopher is writing about.

Also, as more roundabouts are installed throughout the city and also throughout the state (where they are being rolled out as rapidly as possible, due to the enormous safety and cost benefits that they provide), this should become less of an issue.

Please see http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Safety/roundabouts/benefits.htm (or any number of other state and federal websites) for a summary of roundabout benefits.

The signs posted at this traffic circle are in accordance with MUTCD standards and will remain yield signs.

I agree that the yield signs are probably appropriate. However, if this is still a dangerous condition please consider opening a new issue that calls for the roundabouts to be properly constructed and/or other traffic calming measures to be used.