The roundabout — the second on a county roadway and the first with more than one lane — opened to drivers last week when the road striping was completed. The other county roundabout is near Woodbridge.
Najee Zarif, San Joaquin County Public Works engineering services manager, said the $2.7 million roundabout took 80 days to construct and has a 160-foot diameter. It replaces a four-way stoplight.
Watching cars navigate the traffic circle from the edge of 11th Street, Leroy Ornellas, who represents the 5th District on the county board of supervisors, was pleased with the results.
“While this was being talked about in meetings and in construction, I had a lot of people unhappy with this project. This is something new,” Ornellas said. “Now that it is done and in use, they are saying it’s not too bad.”
Tractor trailers and cars merged as two lanes of traffic circled through the roundabout.
“I think, in the end, this is going to work out pretty well,” Ornellas said. “Caution is required, but the traffic keeps flowing — it lets vehicles keep moving instead of sitting at the lights.”
Also watching the traffic Thursday, local resident Martha Kitchen, 84, was happy with the roundabout.
She has lived just east of the intersection since 1971 and has seen many crashes near her home.
“It’s going to useful,” she said. “There has been so much traffic on this highway and there have been so many accidents, they have to be mindful and careful on the road.”
While the roundabout appears confusing, Kitchen said she expected drivers to get used to it.
“Seems everyone is being careful as they are going through,” she said “It’s something that’s really necessary — just have to learn how to do it.
The main goal of the roundabout’s design, according to San Joaquin County Public Works Director Tom Gau, is avoiding “90-degree crashes” — when one car pulls out in front of another at an intersection and is struck broadside.
“Once you get comfortable with it, the traffic flows a lot better,” Gau said.
Traffic is expected to move quickly through the area with no signal lights to impede drivers.
“It’s a nice flow of traffic,” Gau said. “Roundabouts are a new concept in San Joaquin County. We’re getting away from the traditional intersection to free-flowing traffic. It gives more traffic volume with no cars stopped idling at traffic lights.”
Drought-resistant landscaping and LED street lighting are among the roundabout’s green features.
Three more roundabouts could replace signals on the stretch of 11th Street east of city limits, if funding allows.
• Contact Glenn Moore at 830-4252 or gmoore@tracypress.com
Yes I'm sure it is more safe than someone running a red light at 70mph. But I agree with Icare, more accidents, less injury. So I guess that's good????
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. Search 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. 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 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.
Disclaimer: I grew up navigating these in another country.
Disclaimer: drive safely, please dont try this with children and when other traffic is present, or not at all, in some cases.
Disclaimer: Excercise your better judgement, or in some cases just ask your spouse, and when in doubt, don't.
But the second time through was a lot easier for me. I like that we no longer have a long wait anymore.
-BM