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Midtown traffic study recommends roundabouts; council to weigh aesthetics, right‑of‑way and emergency access
Summary
Consultants presented a Midtown traffic study and conceptual roundabout designs for Edison Avenue and nearby intersections, arguing roundabouts give better long‑term safety and crash‑cost outcomes but will require right‑of‑way and design tradeoffs.
A traffic consultant briefed the council on a 20‑year Midtown traffic study that modeled future traffic volumes and analyzed intersection control options. The consultant showed conceptual single‑lane roundabout designs for a string of intersections on Edison Avenue and other Midtown locations and said roundabouts generally yield better long‑term levels of service and lower severe‑crash costs than signals or all‑stop treatments.
“What all of this shows is that generally, roundabouts, work the best,” the presenter said, summarizing the comparative analysis of signals, stop control and roundabouts. The consultant emphasized roundabouts can produce A/B levels of service even under 2045 traffic projections and reduce fatal and severe injury crashes by removing right‑angle, T‑bone conflicts.
Council members raised questions about right‑of‑way, emergency vehicle turns, pedestrian crossings and how changes would interact with planned redevelopment and the River District CRA. The consultant said auto‑turn simulations showed 40‑foot buses and fire apparatus could negotiate the proposed single‑lane roundabouts, but 53‑foot semitrailers might face limits in some locations.
The council asked staff to refine Phase 1 and Phase 2 geographic boundaries for Midtown infrastructure and to provide more detailed cost and right‑of‑way analyses before any final design decisions.
