MANSFIELD, Ohio — Opposition abounded to the Straub-Middle Bellville roundabout project when it was first proposed in 2011. But, four-and-a-half years later, public sentiment may have changed.
Joe Baxter, a Middle-Bellville Road resident, opposed the idea when it was first presented.
“We are not in favor of the turn around on Straub and Middle-Bellville Road,” Baxter wrote to the city in 2011.
As of December 2015, however, his mindset has changed.
“We’re happy with what we’ve got. I’ve accepted the decision they (the city) made,” Baxter said in a phone interview. “As long as people understand the right of way,” he added, laughing.
Baxter, a former resident of New Jersey, said he’s navigated through his fair share of roundabouts. Maybe, he indicated, Richland County drivers are still learning.
According to city engineering records, residents responded to the idea negatively, often reasoning the less-expensive installment of traffic lights made more sense.
Traffic lights, said City Engineer Bob Bianchi, are less expensive — in the short run.
“You’re talking $150,000 to $250,000 for the first installment (of the lights). Then you have a monthly electric bill, there’s maintenance, property loss costs, insurance costs. There’s all those insular costs that should be considered that the public ultimately pays for.”
The roundabout at the Straub-Middle Bellville intersection cost around $500,000, Bianchi estimated. The intersection project was part of a larger $5 million corridor reconstruction project on Middle Bellville Road, from Straub Road to Lexington Avenue. He said 90 percent of the total cost was covered by outside grants.
The mile-long improvement project, spearheaded by former City Engineer Jim Desanto, included repaving and widening the road and sidewalk construction.
But the thing to note, Bianchi said, is the difference in traffic safety.
“Pre-roundabout, there were 35 accidents at that intersection in a three-year period. Twelve of those ended in injuries, where people actually went to the hospital. Post … there have been eight accidents. None of those have resulted in injuries, so (they were) fender benders,” said Bianchi.
Roundabouts are known for increasing an intersection’s safety. They are a growing engineering tool for cities nationwide. Internationally, they exist more frequently.
France touts over 30,000; the UK, 25,000. The states trail with 3,700, according to Roundabouts USA.
Roundabouts have been described as intersection structures designed to slow traffic by directing it counterclockwise until the driver makes a turn.
“They’re more efficient because drivers don’t come to a stop like they would at a traffic signal,” Bianchi said.
He referenced Carmel, Indiana, a city that leads the country in having the most roundabouts.
According to their website, Carmel has constructed 94 roundabouts since the 1990s.
“Carmel builds roundabouts because of their safety record, their compatibility with the environments, their aesthetics and their ability to make it easier for pedestrians and bicyclists to navigate,” their website reads.
Their traffic data indicates an 80 percent decrease in injury related accidents and a 40 percent decrease in crashes overall.
Nationally, the numbers are telling.
According to the Federal Highway Administration, roundabouts reduce the types of crashes where people are seriously hurt or killed by 78-82 percent when compared to conventional stop-controlled and signalized intersections.
Despite accolades for roundabouts, Bianchi said Mansfield does not have plans on the horizon to construct more. The roundabout at Straub and Middle-Bellville Roads is the only one in Richland County, according to Bianchi.
“There are no immediate plans in the city of Mansfield because of a lack of funding,” Bianchi said.
