The Way I See It!
I am an Ultra-Conservative, Alpha-Male, True Authentic Leader, Type "C" Personality, who is very active in my community; whether it is donating time, clothes or money for Project Concern or going to Common Council meetings and voicing my opinions. As a blogger, I intend to provide a different viewpoint "The way I see it!" on various world, national and local issues with a few helpful tips & tidbits sprinkled in.
Roundabouts Can Be Killed!
Roundabout plan may be dead
Cost, opposition likely doom proposal for
Construction of the roundabout would cost about $1 million - nearly double the $550,000 to $600,000 cost of installing better traffic signals and making other improvements at the intersection of
"And there was pretty stiff opposition at the information meeting" last week, Grulke said.
At that Aug. 4 meeting at City Hall, residents were shown two options for the intersection and asked to give their opinions on both. About three-quarters of the people there opposed the roundabout, Grulke estimated.
Despite the cost, every time the county does significant work on an intersection, the state Department of Transportation wants it to consider a roundabout, Grulke said.
"But in this case, it is probably falling apart," he said of the roundabout option. Funding for the project - regardless of which option is selected - already has been approved.
The county wants to make the intersection safer because the number of accidents has been increasing as traffic volumes have risen, Grulke said. Along with that, planners want to improve safety for high school students walking in the area, he said.
Both options have special provisions for pedestrians, he said. The new traffic signals would have push buttons for walk signals, while a roundabout would have crosswalks.
From school officials' point of view, either option would be an improvement, said Muskego-Norway Superintendent Joe Schroeder. But the district prefers the new signals, he said.
For one thing, the signalized intersection would be cheaper, he said. Also, the district would lose a sign and some land if a roundabout is constructed.
"It would knock down our sign," Schroeder said.
A business on the northeast corner of the intersection also might lose some property if a roundabout is built.
But perhaps the district's greatest concern is that having inexperienced drivers - high school students - navigate through a roundabout is probably not as safe as having them use a more traditional intersection with traffic signals, Schroeder said.
THE NEXT STEPS
What's next with plans to improve
• Mid-September -
• October - A public information meeting will be held at which more details will be given about the selected option.
• Summer 2011 - Construction will be completed.
http://www.mymuskegonow.com/news/100345824.html
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