Posted by Brent Finnegan on July 9th, 2008
In 2006, I wrote about the slim possibility of having a roundabout in the city. Today the city announced a ribbon cutting ceremony on July 15 at the opening of the new extension connecting Linda Lane and Smithland Road.
At the center of the intersection: a roundabout.
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I drove that way a few days ago and was really impressed with all of the work that had been done to that road. I didn’t take the roundabout and to be honest, I’m not sure I really knew how to take it. I’ve been told these things are great, but I think they look like a big mess waiting to happen. This location seems ideal for one, but I see too many people who have trouble driving in a straight line so I think limited use is best.
Emmy, Here’s some great information on roundabouts, including usage instructions: http://www.roundaboutsusa.com/intro.html (checkout that way cool conflict points diagram), http://www.virginiadot.org/info/faq-roundabouts.asp (they even have a video!)
To learn more specifically about the Linda Lane roundabout, try an interactive simulation (to visualize how a motorist, bicyclist, and pedestrian should use this specific roundabout), and see brochures in both English and Spanish, visit: http://www.harrisonburgva.gov/index.php?id=1087
Hard copies of the brochures will be delivered to the new Smithland Elementary and Skyline Middle Schools for parents, faculty and staff. They will also be made available to the public at the Municipal Building and Public Works Department.
“- Safety – Roundabouts have been shown to reduce fatal and injury crashes as much as 75 percent. The reduction in crashes is attributed to slower speeds and reduced number of conflict points.
- Low maintenance – Eliminates the maintenance and electricity costs associated with traffic signals, which could possible be as much as $5,000 per year per intersection.
- Reduced delay – By yielding at the entry rather than stopping and waiting for a green light, delay is significantly reduced.
- Capacity – Intersections with high volumes of left turns are often better handled by a roundabout than a multi-phased traffic signal.
- Environmental – A reduction in delay corresponds to a decrease in fuel consumption and air pollution.
- Aesthetics – The central island provides an opportunity to beautify the intersection with landscaping.”
Yay for roundabouts.
There’s also a shared-use path along the length of the new Linda Lane extension.
I too am excited about the roundabout’s possibilities and using the shared use path. I had the opportuity recently to view the future plans for improving Rt. 33 east, and it includes roundabouts at every intersection. Unfortunately these improvements may not happen in our lifetimes.
Thanks – Charlie
Charlie, it is good to see you riding around the track. I am still riding to Waterman Drive but at various times, so I can’t always say “HI” but know that you are not alone in your cycling ways!
I like the illustrations to show how to PROPERLY use the roundabout, but will be curious to see how many cyclists dismount to use the crosswalks if they are riding on the sidewalk. I see many people using the road to get around town but I find 42 a little daunting especially rolling WITH traffic, so I like the next street towards Dogwood, and I like the fact that the neighbors are outside sitting and keeping an eye out on their block.
It’s a good-news, bad-news joke for me. I learned to drive a roundabout, but in Ireland. They drive clockwise over there.
Feel free to contact me privately to find out which vehicles to watch out for.
I too became familiar with clockwise roundabouts in Ireland. And by “familiar” I mean tense, as I was shifting with my left hand, trying not to run over any large rocks or sheep.
I also learned to drive roundabouts in Ireland. I had a hangover on new years morning and was driving through Dublin to the airport to come home. Lucky for me all of Ireland was still sleeping their hangovers off, so I had the roads to myself.
Although I eagerly await the roundabout, part of me worries that I will get stuck in it until the end of the world comes, and I still will not be able to get out. Perhaps I will then be spared the warmer regions of the netherworld.
Charlie
“Look kids! Big Ben! Parliment!”
Your post reminds me of an old song, Charlie…
“He’ll never return, no he’ll never return and his fate is still unlearned. Poor old, Charlie. He will ride forever on the HBurg Roundabout. He’s the man, who never returned…”
I apologize if that was slightly out of tune.
Ah yes, the “Ballad of the M.T.A”. Very appropriate!
Man, anyone else feel like they’re at Murphy’s Pub in Old Town Alexandria with all this talk of folk music and roundabouts in Ireland? LOL
Wow, I’m impressed with the little animation to show people how to use the roundabout, that’s a nice touch :)
Wow, what a great website put out by the city! Kudos.
Stacy – you are correct, this website is pretty incredible, and it importantly is in spanish as well.
I have read all this stuff about how they are supposed to be safer and more efficient and all that, blah blah blah. But I must say that my experience with them in many locations has left me hating their guts, so to speak.
As a DC girl, I’m ridiculously excited to hear about this. Now I know what I’m doing this Friday night! :)
but how many times have we cursed the traffic light for changing for no one, taking too long to change, or changing for someone simply taking a right hand turn?
after living in a part of Germany for a year that made pretty good use of roundabouts even in the countryside, I learned to love them.
Having lived in Harrisonburg all my life and dealing with more and more traffic lights going up all over town, this is so refreshing. I was once told by the first traffic engineer the City hired a few years ago that he felt there was no traffic problem on Reservoir Street! Can you believe that one?
It will take less tax dollars – BONUS!
I won’t have to wait at a light for 4 minutes – BONUS!
We, the City, have decided to try something new (for us) – BONUS!
I can’t think of a downside at all. Good job City Planners!
I’ve lived here my whole life too and I think I’m the lone Harrisonburg resident who has no real problem with most of the lights in this town. I rarely venture out of town, but when I do I’m always reminded of how good we have it, so maybe that’s why I’m not bothered by the traffic situation. I’ve managed to avoid Port Republic almost all together for years now so that helps.
Any trip into any city bigger than Harrisonburg is enough of a reminder of how good small town traffic is. I grew up in Front Royal, lived in Harrisonburg and now own a home in Grottoes (the one flashing yellow light town). I’ve considered living in Philadelphia and D.C. and every time I go to those place I realize exactly why most people take trains and walk.
I don’t know if round-a-bouts are the answer to bad traffic problems but they are nice. And people will complain about them, just like I complain about people who don’t “right-on-red” when they can (or do when the shouldn’t). Everyone has to learn sometime. There will always be people who don’t.
Harrisonburg is always going to grow. This is just smart traffic design.
The roundabout is now completely open to traffic!
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Well all this explains the odd thing I found around a season ago: some Harrisonburg dept (maybe Public Works?) seeking bids on specialized stencils for roundabout use. My thought then was “where?” Haven’t seen any except for tiny attempts in private developments like that cluster of townhouses in the Spring streets off of Boyers Road in the eastern fringe of the city. Anyway I’ve got to try to find again wherever on the web it was I saw the roundabout stencil item –can watch that place for more clues about future projects.
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Here are some stories from DNR and WHSV about the roundabout:
http://www.dnronline.com/news_details.php?AID=29921&CHID=2
http://www.whsv.com/home/headlines/25479884.html
http://www.whsv.com/home/headlines/25480644.html
Additional Linda Lane Facts:
Linda Lane is a 4 lane roadway with median divided highway.
The new extension features three main entrances to the new schools. One to service visitor and staff entrances to a parking area for each school, and one shared signalized bus entrance.
There is a 8′ shared use path for pedestrian and bicyclist along the length of the project.
The speed limit on Linda Lane is 25 mph. It is suggested that vehicles travel at 15 mph inside the roundabout.
The roadway project features stormwater management and quality control structures, including installation of hydrodynamic separators (stormwater quality units) to filter pollutants out of stormwater, and a connection to the old quarry lake for holding of treated stormwater runoff.
The Smithland Rd railroad crossing has been improved featuring flashing lights and automatic flashing warning lights, and a concrete road surface for smoother vehicular crossing.
The project included upgrading and relocating sewer mains, and an extension of a 16″ water main to serve the new schools.
In the near future, improvements will include landscaping and trees, and installation of street lighting.