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Roundabout proposed for Tower Road
Published Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Drivers on Tower Road could soon be going round and round.
The Fergus Falls City Council on Monday gave its approval to a roundabout at the intersection of Alcott Avenue, Tower Road, County Road 1 and County Road 15. It bypassed plans for a traditional four-way stop at the intersection.
The city council was sold on the safety aspects of the roundabout, a design feature that is growing in popularity around the country. A roundabout is a road junction where traffic enters a one-way stream around a central island. Since vehicles entering the roundabout are required to yield to traffic in the circle, more vehicles can move through the intersection with less delay.
Safety is the most appealing aspect of a roundabout, said Richard Lane, a principal with SRF Consulting, Fargo, the company designing the project.
“It’s a new concept,” Lane said. “A lot of them are being constructed in Minnesota. Grand Rapids has two of them. A standard four-way intersection has 32 conflict points (which create accidents). A roundabout will reduce T-bone accidents and other accidents that happen at intersections. A roundabout will reduce that from 32 to eight.”
Vehicles entering a roundabout yield to circulating traffic on the left, but do not stop if the way is clear. Vehicles in the roundabout have priority over entering vehicles. All vehicles circulate around the central island. Upon passing the street prior to the desired exit, the driver should turn on the right turn signal and watch for pedestrians and bicyclists upon exiting. Traveling around the central island completes left turns.
“I have a fear and trepidation about yields and this is a monster yield,” Council Member Hal Leland said. “If it proves less safe than a four-way with lights, could we go back?”
The cost to do so would be considerable, Lane said. The chosen design also calls for:
• A frontage road for the residential area south of Tower Road — a one-way frontage road on the east and west side of Tower Road.
• One-way frontage roads. On the east side of Tower Road, a northbound frontage road would provide property access. On the west side, access would come from a southbound frontage road. Both frontage roads would include travel and parking lanes.
• A bicycle pedestrian path coming off the bridge on the east side and coming down through the grass median on the east side of Tower Road.
A bridge across the Otter Tail River along Tower Road would decrease traffic on Union Avenue and ease traffic on Alcott Avenue, according to a study by SRF Consulting. The route follows the existing Tower Road, crosses the river and goes north from Tower Road upstream of Pisgah Dam, north to the existing intersection of Lincoln and Tower Road.
Comments
The Daily Journal is happy to host community conversations about news and life in Fergus Falls and the surrounding area. As hosts, we expect guests will show respect for each other. That means we don't threaten or defame each other, and we keep conversations free of personal attacks. Witty is great. Abusive is not. If you think a post violates these standards, don't escalate the situation. Instead, flag the comment to alert us. We'll take action if necessary. It's not hard. This should be a place where people want to read and contribute -- a place for spirited exchanges of opinion. So those who persist with racist, defamatory or abusive postings risk losing the privilege to post at all.Posted by eripsni (anonymous) on December 18, 2007 at 12:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Does Hal not understand they are SAFER than normal intersections? Even if something happens, the speed is much slower than someone blowing a stop sign, so the accidents tend to be minor. They work great where I've had the opportunity to use them!
Posted by Kurtisishere (anonymous) on December 18, 2007 at 12:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I've used roundabouts before, with no problem. They seem quite safe. Though I would have a few concerns about putting them in Fergus Falls. The main concern is the high level of seemingly incompetent, or incapacitated drivers. Those with poor hand / eye coordination, poor dexterity, and slowed reflexes will find roundabouts harder to use than a standard four way stop. When I notice that some people have trouble understanding the flow of traffic on the frontage road in front of Target, I get worried about those same people trying to navigate their way through a roundabout.
But, big props to Fergus Falls for considering them, that is a sign of progress!
Posted by bucksteel (anonymous) on December 18, 2007 at 12:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm a little worried that the same guy that designed the Target intersection is doing the roundabout.
Posted by jetfire63 (anonymous) on December 18, 2007 at 1:38 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Roundabouts work GREAT I hve seen and used them while in Hong Kong. Speaking of the Target intersection lets put a roundabout there as well.
Posted by woundedduck (anonymous) on December 18, 2007 at 2:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Europe Sucks. So do Roundabouts. My car gets forty rods to the hogs head and I like it that way. USA! USA! USA!
Posted by woundedduck (anonymous) on December 18, 2007 at 2:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Jerry, your just another cog in the wheel of global unification. When Europe does invade, which they will, our stop lights and intersections will be the only line of defense. Sure, for now its just a simple roundabout. Soon they'll confiscate our coffee and serving us Earl Grey Tea. Next to go will be our coveted left-side steering wheels. Don't you see, this is only the beginning. This is nation building in its truest sense and this city is a co-conspirator.
Posted by bucksteel (anonymous) on December 18, 2007 at 3:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The most important tool of global unification is the Internet - so to avoid being taken over by Europe, I encourage all of you to stop using the Internet immediately.
Posted by eripsni (anonymous) on December 18, 2007 at 4:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I'd get that tidbit to the editor...now THAT would make a story...
Posted by tsy86h (anonymous) on December 18, 2007 at 5:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
If it is not true what the bigwood event center did, then they should tell thier side of the story instead of crying to the Journal and having all of these posts removed! I think this story with info from both sides should be printed tomorrow. There are other places this family could have gone if they would have know that this was not a donation like they were led to beleive. I know that a lot of area churches would have agreed to help find some place for the fellowship following Cayden's Celebration of Life.
Posted by tsy86h (anonymous) on December 18, 2007 at 5:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)
manofwords,
was the family told that this was a donation? The full cost or just part. I know that I will be sure to go to Viking Cafe the next time my family decides to go out to eat. I can not believe $1200.00! It is not like they had a dance and a bar. I am sure it was not that big of a mess to clean up!
I KNOW THAT I WILL BE SURE TO GO TO THE VIKING CAFE NEXT TIME OUR FAMILY DECIDES TO GO OUT TO EAT. I CAN SEE THAT THEY DO CARE ABOUT THE CUSTOMERS AND COMMUNITY THAT THEY SERVE.
Posted by GoogleYourself (anonymous) on December 18, 2007 at 5:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Roundabouts work very well and don't hinder start/stop traffic like you see at a light. Traffic has continual flow.
The main issue would be PUBLIC EDUCATION!!!
The City must be ready to inform the public and be willing to have "training sessions" for our elders whom request it.
Posted by chipmunk (anonymous) on December 18, 2007 at 8:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)
If a “roundabout” is the same thing as a turning circle or traffic circle, it will never work in Fergus Falls. The technology involved is too new and untested, it will have to be tried in Fargo and Alexandria first, then after a through review by a committee of retired farm combine drivers introduced on a limited experimental basis around lake Alice. Then if less then one hundred drivers are killed in a one year period the city council will hire an outside consultant to conduct a three year study to determine if a turning circle should be round or square. If everything’s a go, the final test of the concept will be to have Bob Williams take a day off to prepare himself at Zorbas, then on the second day, attempt to navigate the turning circle with reckless disregard for his own safety. If Bob is successful the city will give him a medal then fire him for gross misconduct. If he dies in the attempt he can still keep the medal but will not be fired.
Posted by 1125thmp (anonymous) on December 18, 2007 at 10:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Just put in a four way. Stop trying to be cheap, and opt for the proven, controlled, and predictable control mechanism. I would like to know as well, did the city pay a company the titled 'study' fee to figure this out, for god knows how much?
Posted by andtongs (anonymous) on December 18, 2007 at 10:30 p.m. (Suggest removal)
You have got to be pulling my leg chipmunk, but I guess we should be thankful you did not get into the gutter this time.
Posted by chipmunk (anonymous) on December 18, 2007 at 10:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Yes church lady, I pulleth your legs. Those long lithe lissome Christian legs normally bent in prayer are now marred by the paw prints of chipmunk. Those legs so long the subject of dreams in the fifth fleet are now fondled by a rodent. Oh be still my quaking heart, would that I could continue to praise those stalwart supports, those supple alabaster pillars, the envy of womanhood worldwide, but I have to go eat some nuts.
Posted by BobWilliams (Bob Williams) on December 18, 2007 at 11:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm in!
Posted by nyman (anonymous) on December 19, 2007 at 2:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I have lived in Maine for almost 50 years & have used the Augusta, ME rotary/roundabout many hundreds of times. Augusta has 2 of them, 1 on each side of a long bridge. I have never seen an accident, but am sure there have been some. Augusta/Winslow has a population of about 24,000. This rotary has 5 streets entering it on each of them. The rotary is in the center of town with the West one only a few thousand feet from the state capital building. The East one is near Cony HIgh School which has almost 1,000 sudents. This rotary is downtown whereas the area in question isn't. I think that the city planners should contact the Maine Department of Transportation & ask them about their thoughts about the safety of roundabouts. Just look at a map of Augusta, Maine to see them.
Here is what Eddie Wren says about them.
One of the most under-utilized road features in the USA is the rotary -- a.k.a. a 'traffic circle' or roundabout.
Would one be appropriate for the intersection in question? That is for engineers to answer, but if viable the answer should be 'yes'.
Our reasons for this suggestion are two-fold. Firstly, it is impossible to drive straight ahead, through a well-designed roundabout at high speed, so much of the danger is reduced. And secondly, it is less common -- in our opinion -- for drivers to flagrantly breach the right-of-way rules at rotaries the way some people do at four-way stops.
But in those states where rotaries are rare or non-existent, please don't tell us that people don't know how to use them safely. Tens of millions of people around the world use rotaries every day and they have almost always been found to much safer than standard intersections.
Turning left off a busy highway is at least as challenging and potentially far more dangerous than using a rotary. People can soon be educated to use them properly and anyone incapable of doing so arguably shouldn't have a driver's license.
Eddie Wren, Executive Director, Drive and Stay Alive, Inc.
Posted by anjen (anonymous) on December 19, 2007 at 9:41 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I just got out of the Army last year. I was based in Vicenza, Italy for 3 years 8 months. You can not drive a mile in any direction without driving through a roundabout. They are very easy and yes I would say much safer. People in Iraq and Afghanistan can figure them out so why can't people figure them out here? I think they should get rid of all 4 way stops and stoplights and use them. They really are much more efficient.
Posted by Kurtisishere (anonymous) on December 19, 2007 at 10:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)
With all of the talk of "shopping local", and all of that. I think I'm beginning to see how the city will make it a reality. First, they will install roundabouts on every road leaving Fergus. but these will be special roundabouts with only one entrance to the roundabout, and one exit from the roundabout (going back into Fergus). This will really help the city in getting it's residents to "shop locally"!
Meanwhile when the residents try to get some answers from the city regarding the nature of their "special" roundabouts, the city will give the residents the "roundabout".
Get out while you still can!!!!!!!
But seriously, roundabouts would be pretty fun, especially if you have problems deciding where to turn. Just keep going around until you make up your mind.
I would ponder how pedestrian friendly are roundabouts? It doesn't seem to me that they would really have anwhere for a crosswalk. Not everybody likes to drive. And in a community as small as Fergus shouldn't we be thinking about alternative means of transportation, and making our city more pedestrian, and bicycle friendly? Money spent on roundabouts could be spent on improved inner-city walking and biking trails.
Posted by dralr (anonymous) on December 19, 2007 at 10:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Grand Rapids has two roundabouts in use for a couple of years. Its interesting how the original skeptics have now become supportors of more implementaion. In addition to improved safety they have eliminated the delays exhibeted at 4 way stops and signalized intersections. The signage in Grand rapids is all graphics- very simple- like they say" are you smarter than a fifth grader?"
My congrats to Fergus Falls, its a move forward!
Posted by wayne (anonymous) on December 19, 2007 at 5:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Here's a good web site to check out if you'd like more info on modern roundabouts:
http://www.wcroads.org/news/articles/rou...
It's from the Washtenaw County Road Commission in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The web page linked above is specifically about the safety aspects of modern roundabouts, but if you look at the links to the right on that page, there's a great wealth of information about roundabouts.
The page I linked above has info on pedestrian access and reduction in crash rates/severity. About mid-way down the page, there's a good photo showing how the crosswalks in a properly designed roundabout are situated.
Also, some of the safety numbers that jumped out at me the first time I saw them (a few years ago) can be found on the page. . . these numbers are from a 2002 Maryland DOT study of 15 single-lane roundabouts (which is what is proposed for Fergus). Quoting from the page linked above:
"At locations where roundabouts had been installed, there was a 60 percent decrease in the total crash rate and a 100 percent decrease in fatal crash rates.
There was an 82 percent reduction in the injury crash rate and a 27 percent reduction in property damage only crash rates."
It should be noted that there is a difference between a modern roundabout and a traffic circle or rotary. Instead of getting into all the details here, I'll provide another link, this one from Alaska:
http://www.alaskaroundabouts.com/mythfac...
Posted by DogLover (anonymous) on December 20, 2007 at 10:24 a.m. (Suggest removal)
No offense to the elderly, but I can see a lot of confusion happening around this (pun intended.) Looks like some businesses and home owners are going to loose some land. These things look larger than the normal intersection space.
But, as I've seen for years... It doesn't matter what you want, the City will do whatever they want, Like it or not. Don't believe me.. Look at the Liquor Store building or the Bigwood Event Center. Both of which were voted down by tax payers!
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