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52 °F Forecast | Road Cams Saturday, November 6, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds 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 Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend November 5, 2004 Medford approves roundabout By MEG LANDERS Mail Tribune After two delays, Medford’s first roundabout project is back on track. The Medford City Council voted five to one to award a $91,385 contract to Parametrix Inc. of Oregon and Washington for engineering plans for a roundabout at the intersection of Siskiyou Boulevard and Highland Drive. Although the project was approved three months ago, the council recently delayed the engineering contract award after residents expressed concerns about the roundabout’s safety. John Pearson, speaking on behalf of the Eastside Neighborhood Association, asked the council Thursday to reconsider the placement of a roundabout at that location. He said after researching roundabout safety, he has concerns that bicyclists cannot safely navigate the roundabout and that the rate at which traffic is increasing means the roundabout will fail in a few years. Advertisement Councilman Jim Key shared some of the concerns of the Eastside Neighborhood Association. "As I have stated all along, this is not the right place for a roundabout," said Key. "We’re experimenting in an area where the unknowns are just too great." Claudette Moore read an e-mail from Councilman Bob Strosser, who was absent, stating that he, also, was in favor of a realigned signaled intersection, not a roundabout. But City Attorney Ron Doyle reminded the council that it already approved the project, and while members could change their minds, the question on the table was whether to award the engineering contract to Parametrix. Councilman Jason Anderson said he encourages discussion of issues, but it was time to heed the skilled professionals who have said the roundabout will work. "When the experts and the engineers tell us something, I’m going to listen to the experts and the engineers," he said. Councilman James Kuntz agreed. "I don’t think they would set out to build a failed intersection," he said. The $750,000 roundabout project, approved in August, will have one 18-foot-wide travel lane with a counter-clockwise traffic flow. Pedestrian walkways will be marked and the center island raised. Bicyclists may travel in the roundabout with traffic or use the wide multi-use path, shared with pedestrians. The intersection is considered by city engineers to be confusing and dangerous as it is now. Twenty thousand cars daily navigate the misaligned intersection with four-way stops as well as two additional stop signs at turn lanes. The design completion date for the roundabout is July 21, 2005, after which the city will begin acquiring public right of way. Project completion will be mid-2006 at the earliest. Reach reporter Meg Landers at 776-4481 or e-mail [email protected] . 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 ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities