Confusion, Fear and Trains: Driving In Twin Falls Is Dangerous

Driving is one of those things that people either hate it or love it. There doesn't seem to be much in between. I fall on the line of hating it. I don't like being in the car and in my mind, nobody knows how to drive but me. Each state, city, and town has its problems with driving. In some towns, everyone is known for flying down the road, while major cities are known for sitting in traffic for hours. Being a smaller town and in a state I had never been to, I was curious how traffic would be in Twin Falls.

I figured it couldn't be worse than where I am from. Overall my theory has stuck true and it hasn't been so bad yet. It moves pretty consistently, other than Blue Lakes at certain times of the day. There are a few things I have noticed though that make driving in Twin Falls a little confusing and frustrating.

Blue Lakes and Addison

I was warned about this intersection before I moved here. Commonly referenced as "five-points," this intersection confuses me, even after having driven through it dozens of times. Coming from the north, it is frustrating that I can't turn left. The intersection isn't designed the best, so as a newcomer, it is easy to not pay attention and try to turn left. It is frustrating to have to go right or, diagonally right, to eventually turn around and go east. I don't know who thought this was a good idea or a productive street design, but I am not a fan. 

I have not personally seen any wrecks in town as of yet, but I could see this being a place where they happen more frequently than others. It only takes one out-of-towner, or person stubborn enough to go left, despite the signs saying not to, to eventually lead to a bad accident. Make sure to pay attention to the signs at all intersections as a precaution.

Blue Lakes And Kimberly

While this intersection may not be as frustrating from a traffic perspective, there is one major issue I have with it. Coming from the south, I set behind a car the other day, thinking I would be able to get close enough to them to be ok. I was not able to get as close as I would have liked and found myself sitting on the train tracks. 

It seems to be a bad design to have train tracks that close to an intersection. Either take the light down, or move it back, but this is not a well-placed stoppage area. I feared if a train came, I had no options and the end would be near. Pay attention to where the tracks are and make sure you are clear of the tracks or far enough to not be on them. 

Blue Lakes

I am noticing a trend, and that is to just avoid Blue Lakes altogether. That seems to be where the scary intersections are, but also the bulk of the traffic. I had someone tell me the best way advice when going down Blue Lakes is to watch the car in front of the car in front of you. Read that a couple of times, to make sure you follow. 

Cars constantly are slamming their breaks, so it is best to try and watch the traffic as far ahead of you as you can. It will stop on a dime, and there are a lot of distractions when driving down the road. 

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Overall Thoughts

To sum up the issues I have spotted, it is best to avoid the main street in town. This might make it difficult to get to places you need to go, but that seems to be where the main issues are. The traffic isn't nearly as bad as most places are, but there are just a few places to be very cautious and aware of. As long as everyone pays attention and is a defensive driver, then there is nothing too worrisome. The problem is, there is no way to guarantee that everyone will be paying attention to the road. Drive safe and drive smart.