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Published Sunday, May 03, 2009 in Local
Photo by Jeffrey Leo
The roundabout at Greison Trail is wide enough for two lanes. The inner portion is a slightly raised concrete median that provides ample space for trucks to get through.
Roundabout accident free during first six months
The Times-Herald
The naysayers said it would be a disaster and a waste of money. Some said Cowetans could never negotiate it and predicted traffic backups and frequent accidents.
Instead, in the six months it has been open, Newnan's roundabout has been more successful than anyone could have ever imagined.
"To tell the truth, it has exceeded our expectations," said Cleatus Phillips, Newnan's director of community development, and a driving force in bringing the roundabout to the intersection of Lower Fayetteville Road, East Broad Street, Greison Trail and East Newnan Road.
"We were confident it was going to work, but we never expected the results we have gotten out of it," he said.
So far at least, the circular intersection hasn't been the site of a single accident, said Newnan Police Chief Buster Meadows. Not even a tiny fender bender.
Meadows said the biggest problem with the intersection is some people think they need to come to a complete stop before entering the roundabout.
Before the roundabout, getting through the intersection in the afternoons was an exercise in frustration. Especially on the East Broad Street side, traffic could back up far enough to cause waits up to 10 minutes, Phillips sad.
Now, at peak times, "there may be three or four cars lined up, but within 20 seconds, you are through the intersection."
Phillips drives through the roundabout just about every day going to and from work. "We knew it was going to improve the traffic flow in rush hour, but we didn't expect it to completely wipe out the delay," he said.
He's tried to find backups -- by going to the roundabout just after 5. But there haven't been any.
Phillips thinks that opposition to the roundabout being built was mainly based on a fear of the unknown. "It is not your normal traffic improvement," he said.
During the roundabout discussion, The Times-Herald was full of editorial page opinions from people who said Cowetans could never figure out how to drive through a roundabout.
Another big concern was whether large trucks and school buses could navigate the intersection.
There was quite a lot of design and engineering work done to solve that problem. The roundabout is actually wide enough for two lanes. The inner portion is a slightly raised concrete median that provides ample space for trucks to get through. Phillips said the inner portion is raised because he didn't want people thinking it is a two-lane roundabout, but it allows for trucks to "get around it without running through the grass or up on the curb."
And just to make sure, the planning staff marked out the roundabout in tape in a parking lot, and had a truck driver go through it. "We watched the truck maneuver and made a few modifications based on that test," Phillips said. One of those modifications was making the raised median almost twice as wide as originally suggested.
Not only did the roundabout end up costing about 40 percent less than a traffic light, it works a lot better than a signal ever would.
"There are certain situations when a roundabout is going to have definite advantages over a signalized intersection, and this intersection fit those parameters almost perfectly," Phillips said.
So will there be more roundabouts in Newnan's future?
There aren't any plans on the books now, Phillips said. But "any time we have a potential intersection project, we will definitely evaluate whether a roundabout is feasible," he said. "I'm not saying it is going to work perfectly because this one works perfectly -- you've got to have the room to put it in, you've got to have the traffic parameters."
But, "I think the chances are pretty good we may build another one at some point in time."
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there is no sidewalk in the middle of the roundabout. it's called a truck apron. It's not for pedestrians, it's for long trailers to ride up onto. It keeps most vehicles in the paved lane and going slow.
Posted by Scott Batson at 12:26 PM
If everybody would use it right, it would be ok. Aren't you suppose to go like a 4 way stop, but keep moving. I don't think some people know that. All in all, it's ok. I use it every day.
Posted by Teri at 10:03 AM
I bet it is difficult for liberals to go right at the roundabouts. lol
Posted by Dash Riprock at 9:59 PM
I'm impressed, but I do tend to wonder how many near-misses and pounding hearts have occurred..
Posted by Susan at 6:43 PM
I live right by the roundabout, at the Preserves apartments. It is a very excellent idea and it helps traffic go by so so much better,I love it. It was an excellent idea and I thank Newnan done good! :)
Posted by Chris Smith at 2:05 PM
I live right at the intersection in BrownRidge Subdivision and have yet to sit there for more than 20 secs, even at peak times. ROundabouts are successful when ppl obeys the signs. And yes the worst thing is when someone stops for a lengthy amout of time....other than that its very successful. Great job Newnan.
Posted by Jeremy Hogan at 11:36 AM
See what progression does to your small city. Now lets not have wasteful spending on lawyers and maybe Newnan will be a better town.
Posted by Wes at 10:51 AM
When we went on vacation there were roundabouts everywhere and I wondered why we don't use them.They worked great and they are easy to use. Maybe this will open the doors for more of them here in our area.
Posted by dre at 10:18 AM
my favorite was when someone drove on the side walk in the middle of the roundabout.
Posted by na at 9:44 AM
Great solution! Too bad roundabouts aren't looked to more often instead of traffic lights. Way to go Newnan for giving one a shot!!!
Posted by John at 8:45 AM
The fact that cars aren't having to stop & go saves a lot of gas and exhaust fumes and therefore is better for the environment. Also, if a car ran off the roundabout into a ditch that's the driver's fault, not the setup of the intersection.
Posted by jc at 8:26 AM
There will always be naysayers on anything. I'd like to hear Cynthia Jenkins admit that she was wrong. She was the main naysayer on the council. I don't understand why people think we are all so stupid to figure out a roundabout. Glad it proved them wrong.
Posted by Common sense at 8:19 AM
I go through this roundabout 5 days a week and love it! The only issues is people who don't know how to use it and STOP at the YIELD! Overall, it is great!!
Posted by J at 8:10 AM
I didnt think It would work with the very stupid drivers we have running around this county but I was wrong and am very pleased. I hope it will last and I wouldn't mind seeing more around town.
Posted by Scotty at 6:29 AM
A gentleman during the first month of operation ran right through the middle of the roundabout and busted all four tires.....I seen it first hand
Posted by I know at 6:04 AM
I would love to see more roundabouts in Newnan. They are much prettier and much quicker to get through than normal intersections. I wish one would have been put in at Sullivan and Lower Fayetteville, rather than a traffic light!
Posted by A Newnan Driver at 2:09 AM
not a single accident? Three weeks ago I was approaching the roundabout when a lady didn't yield and hit the back of another car in the roundabout. I've also heard of at least one incident of a car going off the roundabout into a ditch over the police scanner during a storm. So to say that the roundabout was accident-free with "not a single accident" is quite frankly a bold faced lie!
Posted by Ken at 12:41 AM
Now that you said that.A wreck will happen,I hope not
Posted by Justme at 11:47 PM
I can honestly say I am in love with this roundabout. Ever now and then there a few drivers that don't handle it well, but all in all it is a great fix to a bad traffic issue. It beats another traffic light any day. Thanks Newnan City Council!
Posted by Julie at 10:47 PM
I drive in the roundabout 5 days a week and have a near miss at least 3x a week. Some people speed through it and even more come to a complete stop and let numerous cars go through. It's really frustrating to be behind someone who doesn't know that YIELD does NOT mean STOP when no one is in the roundabout. In all, it is 100% better than the previous 4-way stop.
Posted by cmg at 10:34 PM
The roundabout is great, and new it would be before hand seeing how Whitesburg handles the amount of traffic with a smaller roundabout. Now if we can get some of these people to quit stoping when they approach the roundabout, and yield only to the left. Why the heck do people look to the right?
Posted by Joe Schmoe at 10:01 PM
I was one of the naysayers, too. And, like one of the other poster, I'm glad to be proven wrong as well!
Posted by Brad Meyer at 9:32 PM
Good job old Cleatus. LOL
Posted by giggling at 9:25 PM
Hi. Roundabouts can be great in sorting out traffic at busy intersections but there is a caveat about that raised center section that trucks must negotiate, especialy tanker trucks. It's called resonance roll and can overturn tankers even at low speeds. The solution is to depress the center of roundabouts, not raise them. But that costs more because of the need for new stormwater drains and that negates much of the cost advantage over traffic lights.
Posted by Bob Murphy at 7:38 PM
I was one of the naysayers.....I am delighted to have been wrong. The raised inner lane makes it so much better. I was thinking of how hard it is for semis to get around the roundabout in Whitesburg. Greison's is so much better.
Posted by bernice at 7:24 PM
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roundabout
5/6/2009
Link To This Comment
A roundabout is not like a 4 way stop you 'yield to traffic in circle' not to traffic not yet entered. If you drive up you look to the left if no one is comming you go you dont wait for someone on the other side to go if they got their first
Posted by Suzi at 5:46 PM