Residents take closer look at Five Corners roundabout
Open house attendees take a closer look at the roundabout design. City transportation engineer Bertrand Hauss is at the upper right.
Story and photo by Kristine Haroldson
Nearly two dozen Edmonds residents interested in learning about the Five Corners Roundabout turned up for a city-sponsored open house Wednesday evening.
Those attending expressed both excitement and concern for the five-way intersection at 212th Street Southwest and 84th Avenue West, which serves as a main entry point from Highway 99 heading west into downtown Edmonds.
City of Edmonds Public Works Director Phil Williams told the group that Edmonds has had its eye on a roundabout for over a decade. The city recently acquired grants to proceed with the project, Williams added.
A grant of $463,000 came from the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) Program. This grant is focused on reducing pollution, and was used for design and right-of-way acquisitions.
“The roundabout will greatly reduce congestion and wait time at the intersection,” Williams said, in turn reducing the cities carbon footprint.
The city also received a nearly $2 million grant from the Puget Sound Regional Council to build the roundabout.
Residents have been divided over whether the roundabout is necessary, and those points of view were expressed again Wednesday night. Those against the roundabout say the five-way stop works fine, and that putting in a roundabout is a waste of money.
However supporters state that, the five-way intersection is impractical and drivers have too many places to look before proceeding.
With the roundabout drivers would only have to look to the left before proceeding, William said.
Now that the city had heard residents’ opinions about the roundabout they will finish the design. The city hopes that construction will begin spring of this year and be finished before winter 2013.
I just cannot believe this unneeded project is proceeding. Why couldn’t this tax money (yes, it is funded by the taxpayers in the US) go to a more worthy project somewhere in the country?
Jim:
You are so right! This is just one tiny example of the Feds spending money we don’t have on things we don’t need.
Having done some limited driving in Europe, I find roundabouts very practical. Traffic flows better, wait time (idling, using gas!) is reduced and safety seems better. I would like to see roundabouts replacing most four-way stops eventually. Once people get used to them, traffic seems to flow better.
While there is complaining about “wasting tax dollars,” I see this type of work more as “investing in our community and our citizens.” The money spent will be for people to work. Let’s move forward with progress.
Thank you Bruce, I agree with your philosophy. Another positive point: with an improved infrastructure it will attract new development and business which will only enhance and support our economic development, therefore helping to support our city revenues. Change is often hard but necessary for economic vitality.
Hi Gail:
How does a roundabout attract new development and business, and what would that development be, and what kind of businesses?
I question the economic development link also. If this project is meant to keep traffic flowing, then it will likely flow right past 5 Corners businesses. Also, as others have noted of late, if you want a taste of ’roundabout mayhem’ try the traffic around the fountain. Folks don’t know which way to go, pedestrians walk anywhere at anytime.
Jim, you’re right about the fountain roundabout. But that’s poorly designed and poorly marked … not a typical “roundabout” but rather a mishmash. And it’s a four way stop with an impediment in the middle of the intersection.
Changing the subject, Edmonds should “go European” and make Main from 3rd to 5th and 5th from Main to Dayton into a pedestrian mall and retaining car traffic on 5th north of the fountain and Main east of the fountain. The area northeast of the fountain could be available to cars transitioning the corner, and the area southwest of the foutain could be part of the pedestrain mall. Add a small parking garage to offset the lost street parking and I think there’d be a really great tourist attraction.
Just my two-bits worth.
I agree with Bruce and would expand his suggestion to include Bell to Walnut for the 5th street pedestrian mall, with Main Street going from 3rd to 6th.
Why do people bring up the traffic circle at the fountain as a roundabout? It is a fourway stop and I mean stop! How many have almost been run over by people who don’t stop?
That said, go look at the small roundabout up on Ash Way and !8th off of 164th. I drive through there 8 times a day with a school bus and it works great.
Here in the US we don’t like change. That is why we have antiquated railways and mass transit.
On the parking garage, have you looked at the cost of building one? Where would that money come from. Close the streets and they will not come.
Ron and Jim – I agree with both of you, but it’s not just federal money being spent, it’s also city money(of which we have precious little)!!