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Resident urges new roundabout signs after five wrong-way incidents
Summary
A North Bend resident told the City Council she witnessed drivers enter a roundabout the wrong way five times this year and urged the council to install roundabout-specific signage to reduce risk to pedestrians.
Elizabeth Gunther, a North Bend resident, told the City Council during the public-comment portion of its work session that she has seen multiple wrong-way entries at a local roundabout and urged the city to install clearer signs.
Gunther said she has lived at the Hotel North Bend for about a year and a half and that “since the start of this year, I have witnessed 5 incidents of people driving the roundabout in the wrong direction. 2 of those incidents could have caused major harm to pedestrians if they hadn't been aware of the situation and seen the incoming vehicle.” She told the council the current signage leaves room for driver interpretation and recommended “a sign on each entrance that was made specifically for roundabouts” to make the correct course of action clearer.
The comment was made during the public-comment period; city staff acknowledged the concern and a council member asked that the item be passed to the traffic committee. A staff member said the matter will be forwarded to Rob Dunham for the traffic committee agenda.
The council did not take action on the spot; the transcript shows the item was routed to the traffic committee for possible inclusion on a future agenda. Gunther also raised safety concerns for people who use Grant Circle and nearby streets as places to rest, saying that increases the potential for tragedy if a wrong-way vehicle approaches.
The council did not vote or adopt any new signage in the work session. The matter was recorded for consideration by the traffic committee and for a future council agenda.
