Besides being an awesome word, especially when said with a British accent, a roundabout is a circular intersection with design features that promote safe and efficient traffic flow. Now, before you anti-anything European haters out there offer your rebuttal, hear me out.
A study performed in 2005 in Minnesota states that traffic signals could be a major reason for traffic, road rage, and even pollution in heavily populated areas. They are not monitored closely enough and most traffic signals are set in place before a viable plan for their use has been conducted and set in motion. Some people blame the inefficiency on signal timing, and that might be one factor, but no matter how many studies are done on the most appropriate timing of traffic signals at certain intersections there is still going to be stop-and-go traffic. However, roundabouts can be a solution to that problem at many intersections including the McDonough Square.
Right now, there are four intersecting roads at the Square that run on traffic signals, leading to a very hectic and slow-moving quarter of a mile. But, if a roundabout was in place then it could potentially eliminate a majority of the traffic and make the Square an enjoyable place to visit. Since it is the nucleus of the city and a picturesque unavoidability when traveling locally, commuters that do not plan to stop at the square but must drive through it in order to reach their destination will find the experience much more pleasurable.
The biggest resistance to roundabouts comes from the population of the public that are unfamiliar with how they should be used. Dan Winn, a retired Superior Court Judge who lives in Cedartown, wants to see the Georgia Department of Transportation come around to the idea of roundabouts and to have them implemented as the first step in new city planning around the state. In an article, he uses Elijay as a case study, highlighting the graceful aesthetic a roundabout produces in a city center. However, studies have shown that constructing a roundabout can also reduce the usage of millions of gallons of gasoline a year as well as the amount of energy used to power traffic signals. Estimates claim that roundabouts reduce the amount of fatal and incapacitating injury crashes by 90%! Ultimately, there just doesn't seem to be a reason not to use a roundabout.
Roundabouts are appropriate in locations with large traffic delays (i.e. the McDonough Square), complex geometry (i.e. the McDonough Square), and frequent left turns (i.e. the McDonough Square). In fact, the Square is already shaped with the intention of producing a constant, counterclockwise motion, but there are just traffic signals in place that inhibit any sort of quick travel. With multi-land roundabouts, as what I would propose be in place in the McDonough Square, signs and lane markings should help drivers choose the appropriate lane when entering and exiting a roundabout. Unlike old traffic circles, modern roundabouts give the right-of-way to vehicles inside the perimeter of the circle, while those on the outside must yield. Still, there should never be a stalled motion of travel inside the circle. Some more information about roundabouts and all their greatness can be found here.
The Washington State Department of Transportation offers a good tutorial on how to drive in a roundabout since most Americans are not used to having to deal with crazy European contraptions and the city of Brookefield, Wisconsin offers some good information about roundabouts as well. I am going to have to do a lot of innovative planning and thinking about how to orient the lanes and signs of the roundabout in order not to force vehicles to change lanes as they approach their destination turn. Roundabouts are good speed monitors because drivers must negotiate a sharp curve to enter and are forced to travel at slower speeds. Another factor about the roundabout that I am going to have to brainstorm about is the fact that pedestrians are normally not supposed to cross the roundabout into the middle of the circle. Right now, McDonough has a small park with benches and a statue in the middle commemorating General MacDonough, which is a good place to walk your dog or take wedding photos. Therefore, I would not want to shut off access to that completely. I am all for underground tunnel or bridge building, but am not quite sure how the Henry County Zoning and Planning Commission would feel about that one...
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