Michigan Lefts

[Hellfighter]

Here, most new avenues and divided highways have michigan lefts. Some of the older avenues, and some maintained by the local municipality don't have any, simply because there isn't enough traffic.

[rawr apples]

I think Metro Parkway in Macomb County has the widest median i've ever seen, in Detroit at least..with michigan lefts of course

[DanTheMan414]

Actually, I think that distinction could go more so to M-59, 4 miles to the north, between M-53 and I-94.

[rawr apples]

^ thats the road I was thinking of actually 
   And there's a creek in the middle east of 94

[Hellfighter]

I think Metro Parkway in Macomb County has the widest median i've ever seen, in Detroit at least..with michigan lefts of course

Metro Parkway is old, considering that it's widening happened sometime in the late 40's.

[interstate696]

Yeah since I am a Michigan native and Resident, I do enjoy the Michigan Lefts.  The only problem that i have with them is that since I live near a major road that you have to turn right and then go about .3 of a mile out of the way if you want to go north.  so it adds about .6 miles to your commute.  In addition when coming from the northbound, I have to drive an additional .5 mile out of my way just to make the left.  Sometime I just use the nearest local road and drive though the subdivisions to go onto the main roads.  But yea, I do like when you get all the green lights and you can just cruse on a divided highway for miles at 50-55mph without stopping like an expressway if you time the lights right and keep the right speed.  It increases my fuel economy drastically, since I don't have to hit the break often as compared to a regular two lane road with normal intersections. 

[froggie]

Sorry to resurrect a dead thread, but on the subject of Michigan Lefts (which I have very limited experience with, having only really driven on the UP and in far southern Michigan excluding Monroe County), are they often signed like this?

http://classic.wunderground.com/wximage/viewsingleimage.html?mode=singleimage&handle=Hornak&number=29&thumbstart=1&gallery=CURRWEATHER

[Brandon]

Sorry to resurrect a dead thread, but on the subject of Michigan Lefts (which I have very limited experience with, having only really driven on the UP and in far southern Michigan excluding Monroe County), are they often signed like this?

http://classic.wunderground.com/wximage/viewsingleimage.html?mode=singleimage&handle=Hornak&number=29&thumbstart=1&gallery=CURRWEATHER

Yes.  That's very common for signing a Michigan Left from a cross street.

[billtm]

I was driving in Fishers, Indiana recently, and when I wanted to make a left at the intersection of 96th and Allisonville Rd. I was shocked to find out that you could no longer make any left turns and that you had to take a right and then make a u-turn. I thought this was the stupidest thing ever! After doing some research I found out that this was a Michigan left. This is the first one I have ever seen in Indiana.
Moral of the story, Michigan lefts are stupid!

[tdindy88]

As a Hoosier, I can say that Michigan lefts are fine as they are. Simply put, the 96th/Allisonville intersection wasn't the best location for them. They seem to work best on divided highways.

[mhh]

I was driving in Fishers, Indiana recently, and when I wanted to make a left at the intersection of 96th and Allisonville Rd. I was shocked to find out that you could no longer make any left turns and that you had to take a right and then make a u-turn. I thought this was the stupidest thing ever! After doing some research I found out that this was a Michigan left. This is the first one I have ever seen in Indiana.
Moral of the story, Michigan lefts are stupid!

Anyone who has spent any amount of time in Michigan (I live in Michigan) will disagree. Yeah, they make left turns inconvenient, but they sure help traffic going straight or turning right since signals can be two-cycle instead of three- or four-cycle. They also cut down on the number of accidents and reduce the possibility of gridlock.

[Brandon]

I was driving in Fishers, Indiana recently, and when I wanted to make a left at the intersection of 96th and Allisonville Rd. I was shocked to find out that you could no longer make any left turns and that you had to take a right and then make a u-turn. I thought this was the stupidest thing ever! After doing some research I found out that this was a Michigan left. This is the first one I have ever seen in Indiana.
Moral of the story, Michigan lefts are stupid!

Anyone who has spent any amount of time in Michigan (I live in Michigan) will disagree. Yeah, they make left turns inconvenient, but they sure help traffic going straight or turning right since signals can be two-cycle instead of three- or four-cycle. They also cut down on the number of accidents and reduce the possibility of gridlock.

Much agreed.  I love Michigan Lefts, and even create my own as necessary to make left turns on or off a divided highway.  I do wish IDOT would get their act together and use them here in Illinois.

[hbelkins]

Sorry to resurrect a dead thread, but on the subject of Michigan Lefts (which I have very limited experience with, having only really driven on the UP and in far southern Michigan excluding Monroe County), are they often signed like this?

http://classic.wunderground.com/wximage/viewsingleimage.html?mode=singleimage&handle=Hornak&number=29&thumbstart=1&gallery=CURRWEATHER

I couldn't get the image to load.

[thenetwork]

I sometimes do my own "Michigan Lefts" at certain intersections in my town where a quick right and a U-ey at the first legal turnaround will get me through the intersection (and the synchronized intersection thereafter) faster than waiting at the left turn signal.

https://mapsengine.google.com/map/edit?mid=zkCtXrcLsabc.kGxHc1LN5Scg

[thenetwork]

Sorry to resurrect a dead thread, but on the subject of Michigan Lefts (which I have very limited experience with, having only really driven on the UP and in far southern Michigan excluding Monroe County), are they often signed like this?

http://classic.wunderground.com/wximage/viewsingleimage.html?mode=singleimage&handle=Hornak&number=29&thumbstart=1&gallery=CURRWEATHER

I couldn't get the image to load.

Here's one for you!


And how they are placed in the wild:

[getemngo]

There's also the overly diagrammatic version: http://goo.gl/maps/59HMn

And the simple version: http://goo.gl/maps/WwC3H  (If you back up, you'll see "NO LEFT TURN AT BROADMOOR AVE" followed by "BROADMOOR AVE KEEP RIGHT" before the intersection.)

I sometimes do my own "Michigan Lefts" at certain intersections in my town where a quick right and a U-ey at the first legal turnaround will get me through the intersection (and the synchronized intersection thereafter) faster than waiting at the left turn signal.

https://mapsengine.google.com/map/edit?mid=zkCtXrcLsabc.kGxHc1LN5Scg

Says I need permission to access it... maybe because that looks like the URL to edit it?

[JREwing78]

Wisconsin is just starting to catch on to these, but they could use a lot more of them, particularly when they more heavily use divided streets in cities.

[thenetwork]

There's also the overly diagrammatic version: http://goo.gl/maps/59HMn

More like overly generic.

And the simple version: http://goo.gl/maps/WwC3H  (If you back up, you'll see "NO LEFT TURN AT BROADMOOR AVE" followed by "BROADMOOR AVE KEEP RIGHT" before the intersection.)

I sometimes do my own "Michigan Lefts" at certain intersections in my town where a quick right and a U-ey at the first legal turnaround will get me through the intersection (and the synchronized intersection thereafter) faster than waiting at the left turn signal.

https://mapsengine.google.com/map/edit?mid=zkCtXrcLsabc.kGxHc1LN5Scg

Says I need permission to access it... maybe because that looks like the URL to edit it?

Should be fixed...

[US71]

Osceola, MO has one
https://www.google.com/maps/@38.073409,-93.700182,3a,75y,282.61h,72.41t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sdnAelncouqmpKnJqzbJWzg!2e0

[Stratuscaster]

Much agreed.  I love Michigan Lefts, and even create my own as necessary to make left turns on or off a divided highway.  I do wish IDOT would get their act together and use them here in Illinois.

The IL-56/Butterfield Road upgrade included a couple "unofficial" (read: unsigned) Michigan lefts. They really should be used more often.