Dear editor:
Further to the idea of ‘thinking out of the box’, somewhere I read the suggestion of a traffic circle for the Highway 1A & 22 intersection. The writer stated that it would cost almost nothing, and once I subdued my laughter, I’ve thought about it further and looked it over a bit.
I don’t think there is enough room now for a traffic circle of the size needed to accommodate the volume and size of vehicles passing. The train tracks aren’t moving and the bridge over the tracks is a lot of the impediment and cost to an upgrade. I’m guessing a circle about the size of Hwy 8 & 22 would be required. In fact, a study of that circle may find a lot of similarities in volume, predominant directions and shifts in that direction through the day.
If ditches were backfilled to the north of the intersection, an appropriate sized circle might be established and workable. The main issue with the lights as stated above is not enough lanes to accommodate the directions of traffic. A circle eliminates that need. Dedicated right turn lanes could remain for Hwy 22 north to 1A east and 1A west to 22 north. Another advantage is the instant self-adjusting nature when it comes to predominant traffic flow at different times of day, or on the last day of a long weekend. No more wishing the lights were reprogrammed to accommodate flow ‘out of the norm’.
I am generally not a fan of traffic circles per se. Not because they don’t work but mostly because too many people don’t know how they are supposed to work. That number is dropping.
Another issue that has been brought up is the slow nature of heavy trucks coming off a red light and the inefficiency that causes. With fewer trucks coming to a full stop (and low speed limit within the circle) that is less of an issue as seen at Hwy 8. Another point made recently that I had never thought of is circles eliminate head on and T-bone collisions. When collisions do occur they are at acute angles and generally much less severe or injurious as a result. Notwithstanding a recent occurrence of motorcycle and semi, which never goes well.
While far from no cost, I think it could work, cost way less than tripling the width of the bridge over the tracks and be less disruptive during construction to boot. Get out of the box and into the circle maybe. Even ‘rock the circle’ as the cool kids seem to prefer these days.
Jim Uffelmann
