by INFORUM
Group thinks roundabout unnecessary
June 20, 2010 at 5:00 pm in INFORUM
A group of Clay County residents who own land or regularly drive in the area where a traffic roundabout is planned at a deadly intersection south of Moorhead say it is unnecessary because of safety features installed since the last fatal crash.
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Technically, nothing was needed in that intersection to begin with, right? Visibility wass excellent and traffic fairly light, so there was no reason to do any improvements.
But we all know that it was not safe then despite most people (including myself) not seeing any problem with the intersection. I think there is little question the roundabout would make it safer. How much safer and the value are valid questions, but Mr. Nelson seems to be twisting facts for unknown reasons. The article states it is large enough for farm equipment and I don’t know of any reason why it couldn’t still be in place in a city environment. If designed correctly it should be capable of moving more traffic more efficiently than any stoplight setup in town.
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Have the book educated engineers (note I didn’t say they had common sense) go look at the three stupid roundabouts that were installed on Veterans Boulevard between Fargo and West Fargo and see how stupidly planned they were. Its going to be a nightmare this winter to clean the snow around those in that area. Roundabouts don’t work in areas that have to clear snow, other options should be looked at.
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What? Roundabouts work great in places with heavy snowfall. I lived in upstate New York for five years (where they receive 3-4 times more snow!) in a region that utilized roundabouts and there was never an issue.
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It looks like they already have it in their heads that a round about has to go in there. Is it needed considering the price tag? No I don’t think so. It is a very visible intersection now that it is a 4 way stop and the stop signs have lights on them, plus the rumble strips. Not using common sense is why Minnesota is broke to begin with and this project just proves it.
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I’m concerned that people won’t realize there’s a roundabout there and blast right through the intersection. That would be a catastrophic accident (of course their own fault).
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I think people should learn what a STOP sign means. This is possibly the only place in the country with a four way stop on a major highway and a county road intersection. Next thing you know we’ll have four way stops at every intersection in the country because people are to busy talking on their cell phones to pay attention to stop signs, cross traffic, and all the other things you should be aware of while driving.
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I am sorry for the families but the last loss at that spot was a clear day and they stoped befor pulling out in front of a truck. It was not the intersections fault. It is people that do not pay attention to there driving that is the problem.
The 4 way seems to be working fine just leave it alone.
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This looks like a solution in need of a problem. The lighted four way stop is very visible even in fog. The rumble strips might fill with snow and not be as loud but those signs say all that needs to be said. People need to be aware of their surroundings when they are driving.
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I do not see this intersection as a problem. However if it is a problem it should be handled like a freeway with on off ramps from the major highway to the county road. I know this would be costly because it involves building a bridge, but as I see it this intersection wil be a busy one sometime in the future.
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