Roundabouts
As published in the Desert Dispatch, Letters to the Editor, February 23, 2012--
“The City Council voted Tuesday to approve designing Barstow’s first roundabout.” That is how an article in the Desert Dispatch on Jan. 20 began. My first thought, like many others in the community, was that it sounded like a goofy idea. However, as I took a closer look at the issue, I began to realize that this might just be an idea whose time had come.
The roundabout replaces the traditional intersection of streets with a circle. No stoplights, no stop signs: instead a circle, where vehicles enter the traffic flow, drive counter-clockwise to a desired point and exit. No stopping and no waiting.
Moreover, while continuing to drive with no waiting, drivers save fuel. Most will only drive through the roundabout a couple times a week so individually drivers will probably not see a noticeable savings. However, consider the reduction in fuel consumption as a community over time, and with that reduced fuel consumption there will be less pollution pumped into our air. I think most of us can agree that clean air is one of Barstow’s most important qualities.
These reasons, no waiting and reduced fuel consumption, is why UPS does not make left turns — or at least they do not make left turns if they can avoid it. A roundabout in affect makes every intersection a right turn, even if the ultimate destination is left or even back where the driver started, all roundabouts begin with a right turn.
Some have expressed concern about safety, but according to articles I have read, by people who track such information, roundabouts increase vehicle and pedestrian safety. As pedestrians use the roundabout crosswalks, they will only contend with traffic traveling in one direction at a time. As they reach the middle of the street, they will stand on an island designed for pedestrians, a safety zone if you will, so they can wait until traffic on the other side is safe for them to proceed, rather than trying to cross a street and being stranded on the double yellow waiting for traffic to yield.
And consider the aesthetics of a roundabout. Roundabouts are designed and landscaped to enhance the overall appearance of an area. Most of us agree we need to improve the appearance of our community. With a new roadway surface and roundabout on Mountain View, our civic center will take on a whole new look and will be a step toward improving the appearance of our entire community. After all, a journey of one thousand miles begins with the first step.
Increased safety, less waiting, less fuel use, less pollution, improved aesthetics. What is not to like? Change. Change is the thing we do not like. However, if we continue to do what we have always done, how will we ever reach a better place? Realize it or not change is the only constant in the universe — and change may be just the thing we need to start moving Barstow forward.
--Rich Harpole, Barstow
“The City Council voted Tuesday to approve designing Barstow’s first roundabout.” That is how an article in the Desert Dispatch on Jan. 20 began. My first thought, like many others in the community, was that it sounded like a goofy idea. However, as I took a closer look at the issue, I began to realize that this might just be an idea whose time had come.
The roundabout replaces the traditional intersection of streets with a circle. No stoplights, no stop signs: instead a circle, where vehicles enter the traffic flow, drive counter-clockwise to a desired point and exit. No stopping and no waiting.
Moreover, while continuing to drive with no waiting, drivers save fuel. Most will only drive through the roundabout a couple times a week so individually drivers will probably not see a noticeable savings. However, consider the reduction in fuel consumption as a community over time, and with that reduced fuel consumption there will be less pollution pumped into our air. I think most of us can agree that clean air is one of Barstow’s most important qualities.
These reasons, no waiting and reduced fuel consumption, is why UPS does not make left turns — or at least they do not make left turns if they can avoid it. A roundabout in affect makes every intersection a right turn, even if the ultimate destination is left or even back where the driver started, all roundabouts begin with a right turn.
Some have expressed concern about safety, but according to articles I have read, by people who track such information, roundabouts increase vehicle and pedestrian safety. As pedestrians use the roundabout crosswalks, they will only contend with traffic traveling in one direction at a time. As they reach the middle of the street, they will stand on an island designed for pedestrians, a safety zone if you will, so they can wait until traffic on the other side is safe for them to proceed, rather than trying to cross a street and being stranded on the double yellow waiting for traffic to yield.
And consider the aesthetics of a roundabout. Roundabouts are designed and landscaped to enhance the overall appearance of an area. Most of us agree we need to improve the appearance of our community. With a new roadway surface and roundabout on Mountain View, our civic center will take on a whole new look and will be a step toward improving the appearance of our entire community. After all, a journey of one thousand miles begins with the first step.
Increased safety, less waiting, less fuel use, less pollution, improved aesthetics. What is not to like? Change. Change is the thing we do not like. However, if we continue to do what we have always done, how will we ever reach a better place? Realize it or not change is the only constant in the universe — and change may be just the thing we need to start moving Barstow forward.
--Rich Harpole, Barstow
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