Paris Town Board members tabled consideration of a formal resolution expressing opposition to placement of a roundabout intersection at Highways 45 and 142 until after state Department of Transportation officials agreed to attend the Sept. 24 board meeting.
At that meeting, Paris officials expect the DOT representatives to explain options for improving traffic control at the intersection.
Currently, the intersection is a four-way stop.
Earlier this summer, town officials learned that the state was planning a roundabout for the intersection, they said Tuesday night. That was a surprise, they said, after years of attending meetings on the overall Highway 45 project. Up until recently, the only roundabout shown on plans the Town Board had seen had been at Highways 45 and K. Paris has not opposed that roundabout.
But the proposed Highways 45 and 142 roundabout is different, said town Chairman Virgil Gentz, chiefly because as proposed it would eliminate two businesses.
‘The two businesses on the west would be greatly effected — they’ll be gone,” Gentz said.
DOT alternatives to the roundabout that have been shown to town officials also would eliminate the tavern and auto repair business on the west side of the intersection, Gentz said. Supervisor Ron Kammerzelt said the non-roundabout alternative might be even worse.
“No matter what they do it’s going to have an impact,” Gentz said. “This would definitely be an intrusion; it’s unacceptable at this time.”
Kammerzelt also related how it seemed like the town board members’ opposition to the roundabout, though expressed to state officials, didn’t seem to be being acknowledged.
“Someone’s not listening,” Kammerzelt said.
That difficulty in getting their message through was what prompted the resolution in opposition to the roundabout proposal.
But after state officials agreed to come to the Sept. 24 Town Board meeting to discuss alternatives, board members thought better of passing the resolution beforehand.
The motion to table the resolution passed unanimously.
This round-about would make the intersection a lot safer. I would say to keep the auto business if possible. If the two bars go, so be it – the town board wants to keep the bars, but last year wanted to get rid of the drag strip. I think the drag strip does more business in 6 months than the bars do in a year.
When Highway 50 was widened more that a dozen years ago the state paid for the land in the new ‘Right-of-Way’. Some new homes were then built further back off of the road.
With the 50/94 interchange reconfiguration, the Brat Stop won in court, a lot of money to make changes due to the new roads and entrances.
The road is coming through and there is no reason that the State should not compensate these businesses in Paris as well no matter what they are. Whether they can stay and rebuild nearby ( read-Benson Corners) or if they choose to leave, the money to buy them out should be appropriate for the building and business lost.
The FHWA has a video about modern roundabouts that is mostly accurate (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhHzly_6lWM ).
Modern roundabouts are the safest form of intersection in the world. Visit http://tinyurl.com/iihsRAB for modern roundabout FAQs and safety facts. Modern roundabouts, and the pedestrian refuge islands approaching them, are two of nine proven safety measures identified by the FHWA, http://tinyurl.com/7qvsaem
The safety comes from the ‘slow and go’ operation instead of the ‘stop or go fast’ way a stop light works. 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 3,000 modern roundabouts in the US today and many more on the way.
Slow and go modern roundabout intersections means less delay than a stop light or stop sign, 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.