Here is the latest Discover Janesville in the Janesville Messenger column.
I admit: I like roundabouts. Not when you see one for
the first time and not at every intersection, and certainly not three in a row,
but they do save time and lives. Roundabouts
are also admittedly safer than the alternatives such as stop lights and stop
signs.
Roundabouts are no longer just a nuisance; they are the way
of the future. Wisconsin Department of
Transportation states that "Wisconsin has over 200 roundabouts installed
and operating at this time. Roundabouts move traffic safely through an
intersection because of: slower speeds, fewer conflict points, easier
decision-making. The safety studies by the UW TOPS lab shows that
roundabouts provide 52 percent reduction in fatal and injury crashes
and 9 percent reduction for all crashes. Roundabouts are also
bringing about a significant decrease in severe crashes.” Besides being a safer option, roundabouts are
also a less expensive alternative:
according to WisDot, a roundabout can cost between $750,000 and $1.5
million, which is about the same as an intersection with lights or four-way
stop signs but the federal government usually pays 80% of the cost of a
roundabout, with state funds paying the other 20%, so yes, it’s also about the
money.
Now, I do not think that every roundabout at every
intersection is what we need. When on City Council, I voted against
roundabout at the intersection of East Milwaukee and Wuthering Hills drive.
As a resident of that area, I think that the city public works department
solved the existing traffic problem by narrowing East Milwaukee to one lane
each way with a wider median, and a bike lane on each side. I am,
however, a strong proponent of examining possibility of a roundabout at the
other "5 point" intersection in Janesville: where North Wright road
and East Milwaukee meet, and is joined by Mt. Zion. Just the other day, I witnessed another
accident in that area involving two pickup trucks.
There are other places where an odd or a quirky intersection
might be improved by a roundabout, such as off of Centerway street by Milton
Avenue, and I'm sure there are others. You may also want to prepare yourself for two
new roundabouts on Racine street once the 90/39 ramp is redone and changes its
shape from a clover leaf to a diamond.
In fact, getting people used to the idea of roundabouts is
probably the biggest challenge facing traffic engineers in getting the
roundabouts accepted by the public and I found it interesting when I learned
that the roundabout in front of the new Menard’s was put there by the city for
that very reason. Still, it’s the opponents of this form of
traffic control whose voices are usually heard the loudest. To them, I suggest that the city, if it so
strongly believes in advantages of roundabouts, should erect one in front of the
City Hall. The intersection of Wall and
Jackson seems like a great intersection to benefit from this kind of traffic
management device. What’s good for the
goose is good for the gander, right?
Going forward, rather than fighting about whether
roundabouts are a good thing or not, why not just agree that they are safer,
and find some good locations where they will help us navigate our city better
and easier. Besides, requiring drivers
to navigate around a large unmovable object requires a certain amount of attention
and concentration, which most would agree is in short supply on today’s roads. You may have heard the joke about a person who
failed their driving test - when the question was asked "what do you do
when you stop at an intersection?" the student replied "I check my
email, update my Facebook status, and text". If this is going to be
our new reality, roundabouts make all the more sense.
