The Roundabout is a Failure.

.....And later in the morning at the review meeting I will state this publicly---along with what I hope will be an appropriate fix.  The roundabout that was the brainchild of former commissioner Doug Underhill (who pressed for it and actually paid for it with D2 discretionary LOST funds) ----and a few of his fans----- has been installed and has simply been an abject failure.

Engineers designed this, and a construction crew built it.

But it is not functioning well, nor is it functioning properly.

It is too small, and it is not properly centered.  Westbound/Southbound traffic is essentially going straight through the roundabout because they barely have to swerve a little to get all the way through the circle.  There have been a number of fender-benders already.  When it even marginally functions, it slows traffic to a crawl as folks are using it essentially as a three-way stop.  Because the circle is too small.

I spent three days out in Perdido watching the cars try to navigate the roundabout and it is readily apparent it is not working.  I see tire marks all through the middle of the circle where trucks just plow right through it.

In an effort to alleviate this issue, we have reduced speed limits and even recently added rumble strips.

Now folks are upset about the rumble strips because they are effective at slowing cars down.

We added signs, the signs have been knocked down.  The plants in the middle are dying and look bad.  The whole thing is, to use a colloquialism, an epic fail.

So I am tired of tweaking at the margin and trying to put lipstick on this pig.  I've received major backlash on social media, angry emails, and phone calls.  Enough.

Here's the way I see it.  Sometimes the folks that engineer stuff get it wrong.  Look at the Elon Musk Starship that keeps on exploding during the launches.  Sometimes the engineers get it wrong and it is obvious.  As is the case with the Roundabout.

So I'm going to solve it once and for all.

I've asked the engineering department to bring two concepts and we will implement the one that is the best, most cost-effective solution.

1.  Cost to enlarge the roundabout to an appropriate size, and to center it properly so that all three roads are entering the circle at a center point.

2. Cost to demolish the roundabout, and add a traffic signal.

Least expensive option will be implemented.  (Subject to a BCC vote)

To those that love the roundabout--I say this.  "We tried, it hasn't worked."

To those that hate the roundabout--I say this   "We'll enlarge and center it and make it work, or we will put a traffic signal there."