Council pauses work on select roundabout designs, orders updated traffic analyses

The council asked staff to pause certain construction or design activity and to obtain updated traffic counts and intersection analyses for a set of roundabouts proposed as part of the 2022 road bond program.

Lou Zhang (public-works presentation) told council staff identified 12 roundabout sites for updated review and recommended excluding three locations from the study where projects are complete or otherwise removed from scope. Staff said it will select an independent consultant from the city’s 2026 rotation list that did not have prior involvement in the projects, gather weekday traffic counts with schools in session and bring back a task order describing scope and fees to council on Aug. 18.

Councilmembers raised pedestrian-safety concerns and emphasized the need for updated counts and corridor-level context. Several members said roundabouts can be safer but must be evaluated with current data and with pedestrian crossing and school traffic in mind. Staff said certain design steps (PS&E) remain in progress and noted that some right-of-way purchases and alignment work have already occurred on specific intersections.

The council did not approve a design change at the meeting; it directed staff to return with updated analysis and cost information.