Jordan Independent - City considers roundabout - Comments

I found this powerpoint from

Ray Sandey — Thu, 08 May 2008 15:30:05 -0500

I found this powerpoint from MNDot. It is a very interesting read about roundabouts. I find the pages about Vail, Colorado very interesting, plus the different crash statistics.

http://www.oim.dot.state.mn.us/PlannersWorkshop/Ken%20Johnson_Planners%2...

Vote on this poll that I

Mathias Baden — Thu, 08 May 2008 14:46:34 -0500

Vote on this poll that I recently posted online: Is a roundabout the answer?

http://www.jordannews.com/news/city-politics/roundabout-answer-7515.

(Mathias Baden is the editor of the Jordan Independent. He can be reached at editor@jordannews.com.)

I think fear of the unknown

bucky — Thu, 08 May 2008 14:16:30 -0500

I think fear of the unknown is a basic human emotion, one many of us have difficulty overcoming. Many of my family and friends have overcome fears of seemingly complicated things like voicemail and email. Roundabouts are not going to be any different. Once you learn them, you can't un-learn them.

The biggest positive (and likely the major contributor to fewer accidents) is that as you enter you only have to watch for traffic from one direction, not three.

The roundabout also provides several benefits at this intersection:

1. we will potentially get co-op from MnDOT sooner (which we need or we can't afford ANY improvement to this intersection)
2. cross-traffic motorists will endure shorter waits than at traditional signals
3. studies have shown 70-90% fewer accidents

Traffic counts and funding are going to dictate whether this intersection even qualifies for a roundabout, but I think it is silly to pass it off simply because it's new to you.

Have roundabouts been

Mathias Baden — Thu, 08 May 2008 13:14:43 -0500

Have roundabouts been successful at deterring unnecessary truck traffic to other, better thoroughfares?

(Mathias Baden is the editor of the Jordan Independent. He can be reached at editor@jordannews.com.)

I drive through New Prague

Jason Allen — Wed, 07 May 2008 20:36:32 -0500

I drive through New Prague and the Hwy 13/2 intersections about daily and can say this. I have never seen a problem at any of the 3 in the county. Ray has said it....if you can figure out the signs at a roundabout you should not be driving at all.

A roundabout is a great idea for that intersection.

I think if we did a little

Ray Sandey — Wed, 07 May 2008 13:14:49 -0500

I think if we did a little research we will find that not only will the accident rate decrease, but the severity of the crashes will be greatly reduced because cars are generally going in the same direction.

As far as people learning to drive in a roundabout, if they can't follow the street signs to navigate through this then I worry about them at a stop light or driving at all.

I think driver's ed classes will benefit from having a roundabout locally so they can teach the young drivers how to navigate through them. I hope now that the instructors take the kids to New Prague and show them how to use them.

I think we will find in a hurry that the cost of upkeep for a roundabout is a lot cheaper than the upkeep for a stoplight.

I think that a roundabout would get done much sooner than a stoplight because MNDot loves roundabouts.

Roundabouts are dangerous

swansonmej — Wed, 07 May 2008 10:51:52 -0500

Roundabouts are dangerous because people do not know how to use them. You have one driver who stays the same speed and thinks he/she has the rightaway regardless of what other cars are coming towards the roundabout. You have another who is scared and goes 5 mph into the roundabout. You have another who goes around-and-around several times before exiting (I've seen this at Hwy 13 and Cty Rd 2 near New Prague).

The best solution is a stoplight, in my opinion.

I think a roundabout is a

Ray Sandey — Wed, 07 May 2008 09:27:38 -0500

I think a roundabout is a great idea at Creek Lane and 282 because it eliminates the sight line problem coming across the bridge. Roundabouts also keep traffic moving.

I used to struggle with the idea of roundabouts. I did not care for the one on HWY 13 and Co Rd 2 because it brings you from 55 mph to 15. I really like the ones in New Prague. They allow traffic to flow no matter which direction you are going.

As far as learning to use a roundabout, if you know where you want to go, they are easy.

As a young driver, I circled

Ruth Anne Maddox — Tue, 06 May 2008 16:47:05 -0500

As a young driver, I circled the roundabout in downtown Indianapolis several times before I could figure out what I was supposed to do and how I should do it. Frankly, I was scared.

More than 20 years later, I encountered many roundabouts during a trip to Australia and I could more easily see the benefits of the roundabout -- especially since all the other drivers knew what to do in it so it moved quite smoothly. (It should be noted here that I was a passenger and not a driver, which was probably helpful to the other motorists, as well).

I would suggest that as long

KoolD — Tue, 06 May 2008 15:01:23 -0500

I would suggest that as long as someone is willing to train most people to use it. Best to stay with the traffic lights. People are generally confused at best with round abouts. Try the one out on 13 and watch people. Confusion is apparent. They work because no one knows what to do. Either that or people avoid them and use alternative ways of getting somewhere. J-town is really accustomed to Red, Yellow and Green. It is a better plan. For my money keep it simple.

KoolD

I was against the idea of a

Brandon — Tue, 06 May 2008 11:11:27 -0500

I was against the idea of a roundabout at first, but now I think it might be a good idea. I definitely agree that something needs to be done about that intersection, and maybe this is it.

City considers roundabout

Mathias Baden — Mon, 05 May 2008 21:41:00 -0500

At the increasingly dangerous intersection of Creek Lane and Highway 282, one option the Jordan City Council has considered is a roundabout.

The council authorized spending up to $7,500 to complete turning movement counts, analyze data, and prepare a presentation to be given during an eventual public meeting.