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42 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, February 26, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend January 19, 2004 Round and round A roundabout is one of three options the Public Works Department is considering for an East Medford intersection By MEG LANDERS Mail Tribune Some east Medford residents are concerned about a proposal for the city’s first roundabout at their neighborhood intersection. "I was in Australia where they have a lot of roundabouts," said Paul Potts, who lives near the Siskiyou Boulevard/Highland Drive intersection. "I didn’t care for it." Barbara Miller, another neighbor, is of a similar mind. "I don’t know about the roundabout, I just hear that it’s very confusing," she said. "I don’t think much of it." A roundabout is one of three options the Public Works Department will present in a public meeting Tuesday. The other two options incorporate traffic signals. A roundabout is a circular intersection where incoming traffic yields instead of always stopping. Traffic moves counterclockwise through the intersection, exiting in the direction drivers want to go. Advertisement Public Works transportation manager Alex Georgevitch said the city is gathering feedback for modifying the intersection at Siskiyou Boulevard and Highland Drive and construction could begin as soon as summer 2005. Georgevitch said the intersection, which has an odd configuration and handles an average of 33,000 vehicles per day, is not keeping up with increasing traffic needs. The intersection is predicted to "fail" — become too congested — in a few years. Estimates show the roundabout would cost about $800,000 and a typical lighted intersection would cost $900,000. Those estimates don’t include the cost of right-of-way purchases from affected property owners surrounding the intersection. Georgevitch said the preferred signal option and the roundabout option each involve about 2,000 square feet of property the city would have to acquire. The land cost is unknown because the project hasn’t yet been fully designed. Residents in Bend, Ore. have 11 roundabouts to navigate. "When we did the first one it was very controversial," said Deborah Hogan, management analyst in engineering the Bend Public Works Department. Initially the only problem was that people would hesitate a while before pulling into the roundabout traffic. But Hogan said they’re quite successful. "Virtually all of the opposition died away," she said. One advantage, she said, is that a roundabout has fewer "conflict points" where drivers can run into each other. "Instead of having T-bone crashes, it’s a much kinder, gentler crash, like a fender bender," she said. She said the only problem they’ve had is with one roundabout they’re in the process of modifying. Fire engines can’t get through when there’s a line of cars, so they’re looking at widening lanes. Georgevitch said making sure fire trucks can get through the intersection, whether it’s a roundabout or a signaled intersection, is an essential part of the city’s discussion. A fire station is on the southwest corner of the intersection. "The fire department is part of our review process," he said. Georgevitch said normally the city would have notified about 20 properties in the vicinity, but because this is a significant intersection, 250 area property owners were notified. "The purpose of Tuesday’s meeting is to introduce the options of the intersection to the neighborhood and to solicit input," said Georgevitch. Reach reporter Meg Landers at 776-4481 or e-mail [email protected] Public meeting will address intersection concerns: WHAT: Public meeting to discuss the modification of the Siskiyou Boulevard and Highland Drive intersection. WHEN: 6-8 p.m. Tuesday. WHERE: Hoover Elementary School cafeteria, 2323 Siskiyou Boulevard. CONTACT: Public Works transportation manager Alex Georgevitch, 774-2114. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! 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