— from Orcas Recycling Services —
One of the most notable changes coming this month will be a completely revised traffic pattern. This change, mandated by San Juan County, will keep vehicles from circling on and off Orcas Road. Most importantly:
EVERY driver will enter at the western gate, and EVERY driver will leave via the eastern gate.
Staff and volunteers will be on-hand for the first several weeks to assist. Please pay careful attention to signs and directional arrows. The pattern isn’t perfect—the site has inherent limitations that we had to work around. But with a little practice, everyone will get the idea, and we will all be safer for it!
CAUTION: All of us who travel north toward the Exchange on Orcas Road need to keep in mind that, as we approach that last right turn in the road just before the new Exchange entrance, there could be vehicles stopped in the road ahead of us, waiting for oncoming traffic to pass before they can turn left in to the Exchange grounds.
You won’t see them stopped there until you have made the turn, because visibility is restricted by the hillside at that turn. It’s a potentially dangerous situation for those travelling north, especially during tourist season when out of towners race their sports cars along our roadways. I myself will go past the Exchange and turn around, then approach the Exchange as if I’m coming from town.
I urge the County to reduce the speed limit at that corner, OR (better still) create a left turn lane. But until they do . . . I urge caution!!