Roundabouts may be coming to Fort Wright and Fort Mitchell as part of the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor project.
Representatives from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet presented information about potential roundabouts at Fort Wright’s city council meeting on Nov. 20.
Fort Wright and Fort Mitchell, among other local municipalities, looked at potential overpass designs as part of the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor in June of last year.
Then, the transportation cabinet was looking for feedback on the aesthetics of the designs. This year, the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor project representatives were looking for preliminary feedback about proposed roundabouts which would be on either side of the overpass.
The cabinet has installed several roundabouts in Northern Kentucky over the past decade. Nikki Boden, Kentucky Design Lead with the Brent Spence Corridor Project, explained that research shows that roundabouts are more efficient and safer for drivers and pedestrians.
“The biggest thing is that roundabouts are traffic calming,” Boden said. “They require reduced speeds because of the geometry.”
LINK nky asked traffic expert Dr. John Ash, Assistant Professor at the University of Cincinnati, about the “traffic calming” effect.
“[Roundabouts require drivers] use yield control versus signal control, and limit the movements an individual can make/directions they can travel when entering the roundabout,” Ash said.
Boden and Ash said that roundabouts operate around the concept of yielding. Some argue that yielding requires more careful attention than a 4-way stop light, or “signalized”, intersection.
Boden also said that the slower speed and limited options of a roundabout result in fewer crashes.
“In a signalized intersection, there are 32 potential locations for crashes,” Boden said. “In a roundabout, that gets reduced to just eight. It eliminates ‘t-bones’ and head-on collisions. Many of the crashes that happen at roundabouts are sideswipes, so it’s normally property damage only.”
Her department has data to support those claims. The transportation cabinet analyzed performance at 11 newly constructed roundabouts in Hardin County over the last three years. Naitore Djigbenou, Executive Director of the Office of Public Affairs at KYTC, provided those statistics to LINK.
“The results [in Hardin County] have shown a 31% reduction in total crashes and an 81% reduction in injuries,” Djigbenou said. “Preliminary monitoring by engineering staff also found a reduction in traffic delays for motorists.”
Hardin County data reflects national statistics which shows that when a roundabout replaces a “traditional intersection,” there is a 37% reduction in all crashes and a 90% reduction in fatal crashes.
Ash also described the ways in which roundabouts can be more efficient.
“[There is a] decreased number of stops and delays since drivers are yielding versus stopping, as well as environmental benefits due to lower emissions from idling vehicles,” Ash said.
Fort Wright council member Justin Weber voiced concerns about how rush hour traffic would affect the proposed roundabouts.
“When everybody is coming home, when everybody is backed up on the ramps, what happens then?” Weber said.
According to Boden, that won’t likely be a problem.
“There will be queues, but [research shows] the queues do not reach mainline traffic,” Boden said. “These intersections are able to move traffic through.”
Boden and Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project manager, Stacee Hans, told Fort Wright city council that they expect city leaders and residents to be hesitant towards the roundabouts at first. Many communities, including Hardin County, have been initially resistant to eventually successful roundabout installations.
Ash gave LINK some advice for drivers worried about potential roundabouts.
“Just like anything else, increased exposure to [roundabouts] will likely make you more comfortable,” Ash said. “While they may seem confusing at first, roundabouts have a lot of benefits and the engineers who advocate for their installation typically have good reasons for doing so.”
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has made no final decisions on the roundabouts or the Brent Spence Corridor overpasses.