Editor:
I was very pleased to read the Winnemucca City Council is considering a proposal to install a roundabout at the intersection of Bridge and Haskell streets. The one that was constructed in Forest Lake where I work at the local newspaper has been received well despite protests from a small group that was against the roughly $4 million project which was funded by the city and Washington County. There have been only minor fender benders at the Lake-Broadway roundabout. A traffic signal was removed in 2010 to alleviate congestion in the downtown district, especially at peak times.
What I have learned about roundabouts is this: They improve safety because speeds are reduced to 15-20 miles per hour, and all cars travel in the same direction, eliminating dangerous right-angle, left turns. Pedestrians also benefit because they cross slow-moving traffic traveling in only one direction, and the crossing distance is short compared to traditional intersections. Because roundabouts require less stopping and starting, they also reduce vehicle emissions and fuel consumption. Finally, roundabouts enhance aesthetics by providing opportunities for green landscaping.
A 2002 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study in three communities where single-lane roundabouts replaced stop sign-controlled intersections found that support for the new drive pattern increased from 31 percent before construction to 63 percent shortly after. A year later, that number went up to 70 percent, proving that safety is something we can all wrap our arms around.
Jennifer Mevissen
Anoka, Minn.
(The writer is a former resident of Winnemucca)
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