View Larger Map
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation host a meeting on April 24 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Kenosha County Center, Highwasy 45 and 50, Bristol, a proposal to locate a roundabout at the Highway 45 and K intersection.
Roundabouts along Highway 45 have been proposed by the state at several intersections along Highway 45. The Bristol Village Board opposed placing roundabouts at Highways C and WG as part of the Highway 45 reconstruction expected to start in 2015. The board has not taken a formal position on the Highway 45 and K roundabout, which would be located in Bristol and Paris.
Roundabouts, says Wikipedia, are “a type of circular junction in which road traffic must travel in one direction around a central island. Signs usually direct traffic entering the circle to slow down and give the right of way to drivers already in the circle.†Traffic engineers say they are significantly safer than intersections that require some of the traffic to stop.
THE DUMBEST THING IVE HEARD TODAY!
Modern roundabouts are the safest form of intersection in the world. Search http://www.iihs.org for FAQs and safety facts. The safety comes from the ‘slow and go’ operation instead of the ‘stop or go fast’ way a stop light works (or the ‘keep going fast’ large traffic circle fantasy). The smaller size of the modern roundabout is what makes them safer and keeps speeds in the 20 mph range. This makes it much easier to avoid a crash or stop for pedestrians. It also means that if a crash happens the likelihood of injury is very low. Safety is the #1 reason there are over 2,400 modern roundabouts in the US today and many more on the way.
Slow and go also means less delay than a stop light, especially the other 20 hours a day people aren’t driving to or from work. Average daily delay at a signal is around 12 seconds per car. At a modern roundabout average delay is less than five seconds. Signals take an hour of demand and restrict it to a half hour, at best only half the traffic gets to go at any one time. At a modern roundabout four drivers entering from four directions can all enter at the same time. Don’t try that with a signalized intersection.
If you want to see the difference between a traffic circle, a rotary (UK roundabout) and a modern roundabout, search http://www.k-state.edu to see pictures. http://www.fhwa.dot.gov has a video about modern roundabouts that is mostly accurate (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhHzly_6lWM )