Ann Arbor officials are looking for public input about the proposed construction of the city's first roundabout at the intersection of Huron Parkway and Nixon Road. The city will hold a public workshop of the project at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 22nd.
The city wants to encourage discussion about options to improve the intersection so it can better accommodate pedestrians, wheelchair users, vehicles, bicycles and buses. The safety, aesthetics and effectiveness of the project will also be talked about. The intersection is currently a 4-way stop, but city officials say a roundabout will do a better job of managing traffic than a traffic signal because of other nearby traffic signals and bus stops. The project is set for approval later this year and start and finish in the summer of 2008. The cost of the project has yet to be determined but the city has set aside $230,000 to design the roundabout and roads leading up to it.
Modern roundabouts include a central island to guide the vehicular traffic and splitter islands at each leg of an intersection to provide refuge for pedestrians. Roundabouts involve one-way traffic moving around a central island where entering traffic must yield to the traffic in the roundabout. Roundabouts slow and calm traffic, resulting in fewer accidents. They also decrease delays and cut down on the number of idling vehicles, reducing air pollution.
The workshop will be held in the Community Room at Parkway Meadows, 2575 Sandalwood Circle in Ann Arbor.
For information, call Igor Kotlyar at (734) 994-6087 or at
Ikotlyar@a2gov.org.
Source: Igor Kotlyar, City of Ann Arbor
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