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."

Concerns over Perdido Key Roundabout Discussed

The Perdido Key Roundabout is built.  It works as designed. I was at Perdido Key yesterday and it was functioning smoothly.  Some folks are happy with it, others want additional measures implemented, still others want it scrapped.

One thing I can say with certainty:  This traffic feature has been divisive--which is unfortunate.  As an example-- I offer this email exchange from this morning....I've had several like it from both supporters of the roundabout and detractors as well.

"Dear Mr. Jeff Bergosh

 I am a Canadian snow bird and been coming to Perdido Key for over 15 years, watching it grow every year along with downtown Pensacola and for the most part very pleased.

But my main peace now is the round about at Johnson Beach rd. It s way too small I do not even think it complies with US Government recommendations https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/safety/00067/000676.pdf

In my opinion it is about 40-60 ft shy in diameter there is not deterrent for south bound travelers to slow done at all they can enter round about at 50 + per hour and not even have to slow down it needs to be enlarged to be safer and I am surprised you have not gotten any law suites from accidents there but I’m sure you will just saying.. because if I get clobbered there I will bring my dash can video to court and will be suing Pensacola and the driver who hit me.. Been 3 close call just this winter alone from people who fail to yield ….

XXXXXXXXXXXX    XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Canada"

To Which I replied: 

 

Hello XXXXXXXX,

 Thanks for the email of concern.  I have received several just like this one.  By contrast, I have also received several of late that appreciate the county building the traffic circle.  FULL DISCLOSURE:  I am not a traffic engineer, but I am told by the traffic engineers that the roundabout’s size is sufficient.  I have driven it from every angle and have found it to work adequately.  We have applied a number of additional measures to the roundabout to make it even more effective, safe, and efficient—however no amount of engineering can account for unsafe driving behavior of some who speed through the roundabout, drive over it, and are reckless.  This is why we all must drive defensively.

 A little history for you XXXXXXX…..Upon this area reverting to District 1 in early 2022 after a decennial census dictated we had to rebalance our 5 county voting districts---this project had already been designed and funded and was “shovel-ready.”  In addition to this---the citizens of Perdido Key had been consulted with numerous town hall meetings where they were asked which of three options they preferred on this county owned road.  1.  No build of anything—status quo  2.  A traffic signal  or 3.  A roundabout.  Overwhelmingly—the citizens chose option 3, a roundabout.   I agree with you in that it (roundabout) seems to be off-centered and undersized, but as I stated previously, above, the professional engineers who went to school for this and have studied these sorts of things academically have told me, eye to eye and in my face, that the roundabout was built as designed and is working as it was designed to work; slowing down traffic to prevent high speed wrecks while also allowing for a safer left turn solution from Johnson’s Beach Road going West back toward Alabama. Furthermore—do to a number of environmental constraints we face on Perdido Key and a lack of available right of way to expand the size of the roundabout---I am told by the professionals from the county’s environmental and traffic divisions (copied on this email) that enlarging the circle is impossible.  If I am wrong in this, again—they are copied and I’m asking for them to correct my understanding of this.  

 So let me make this perfectly plain.  If we can enlarge the circle, if this would improve safety, I am committed to doing it.  Enough have requested it of me and I have a budget for it.  Chris Phillips and Tim Day—can we do this?  We are still watching the operation of the roundabout and considering a bypass solution which could de-conflict some of the traffic going into the circle.  When I receive a final determination on whether or not we can do that—I will take decisive action and act on the recommendation.

 In closing, XXXXXXXX, I offer this:  What I have learned in nearly 18 years in local public office is that no solution will please all people.  To quote the famous trope from Goldilocks and the Three Bears—The porridge will never be just right—it is always too hot or cold.   With this said, I am always willing to re-assess a decision in light of new input and data from knowledgeable sources so your comments and considerations below are duly noted.  Thanks for your email, and I hope you enjoy your winter down here in America.

 Sincerely,

 Jeff Bergosh

District 1 Commissioner

Escambia Board of County Commissioners

Inside the Circle: What Did State Experts Say about a Roundabout at Perdido Key Drive and Johnson's Beach Road?

This study was conducted by FDOT in 2018, a year before the county swapped Perdido Key Drive for Beulah Road in 2019--and four years before the county funded and built a million dollar roundabout at this intersection.  So, what did the State's study say about a roundabout at this location?

Ever since we completed the project to construct a roundabout on Perdido Key in District 1 a few months ago--the voices of angst I hear about this project, specifically, generally fall into one of the following three camps:

1. "The roundabout was a terrible idea, it should have never been built and it won't work"---- 49%

2.  "I like roundabouts and support the roundabout in Perdido Key"--2% (if you can even find these folks now, post construction)

3.  "Yes, I supported the roundabout but this roundabout was built "too small" to work"---49%

Of course, these are rough numbers and anecdotal.   And by and large these are not expert opinions.

We have had a number of snafus with this traffic circle which is churning and exacerbating this discontent

So I have been digging and investigating how it came to be that we actually decided to build a roundabout here at this intersection instead of a traffic light or a "no build" option?  

When this portion of the county reverted to District 1 in January of 2022, about a year and a half ago, I was told the design was completed, the project was funded (out of D2 discretionary funds) and that the PEOPLE in Perdido Key voted and WANTED the Roundabout.

Being agnostic on traffic circles, I moved forward with the project--with the caveat being I would study the intersection if there were problems and implement new solutions if necessary.  That's what I said, and that's what I'll do.

After two weekends of traffic backing up all the way to Sorrento atthe Wal Mart on Blue Angel Pkwy--I directed staff to commission a professional engineering study of this roundabout--with no bias but only "Spock-esque" logical conclusions.  

Right now, in the heart of the season, this study is underway.  Cameras have been set up in key locations to film this roundabout in action at multiple times during the day.  And un-scientific as it is--I have gone through that roundabout from all angles multiple times with no issue.  Nevertheless--I want cold hard facts and answers from a professional firm commissioned to provide just such information.

  And that is underway and will come back to us in two week's time.

Meanwhile, I'm looking backwards as well--because sometimes one must look backwards to go forward.  You see, up until September of 2019 this roadway, Perdido Key Drive, was a state road.  Surely FDOT must've studied that intersection (Perdido Key Drive and Johnson's Beach Road) when it was under their jurisdiction----right??  I mean, the commissioner at that time as well as some large developers really, really, really badly wanted a roundabout.  Which begs the question:  What did state experts say about a roundabout there, at that intersection?  

I know what they said.  

They specifically recommended against a roundabout at Johnson's Beach Road and Perdido Key Drive  in their detailed traffic assessment of that intersection that they performed in September of 2018---a full year before this roadway was swapped for Beulah Road in District 1 in 2019.

See the recommendation in this screen shot from the report, below. (highlighted in yellow)

So I had not seen this report until late last week.  Neither did I know if its existence.

But now that I know about it--it does beg several quetions...and I am not putting staff on blast because when this all took place we had a different traffic engineer, a different county engineer, and a different County Administrator.  We also had a different commissioner in charge of that part of the county and we know he and others desperately wanted this roundabout there.  I wonder if he knew about this report?  I wonder if he knew and pressed forward anyway for the roundabout?  We may never know the answer to that--and at this point it does not matter.  We are in the solutions stage now.  And we will get this solved.

But as I look back on the road swap that happened a year later (which I supported for numerous reasons at that time as it represented a good deal for the county and the taxpayers, and I explained why in a blog post at that time)--I cannot help but wonder if the swap was pressed so that this roundabout could be built to mollify some special interests that really, really, really badly wanted a roundabout there--knowing full-well the state would never go along with it if the roadway remained theirs--- as their own report recommended against it?

Could that have been the impetus for the whole thing and for why D2 didn't pull his funding and support for this project even after it reverted back to D1 after the redistricting?  Too many questions.  I mean, if in 2018 state experts realized the roundabout here wouldn't work---and it has only gotten busier and more densely populated in Perdido since then---surely someone should have realized it wouldn't work with more cars and more people, right?

Remember:  This was chiefly funded by D2 discretionary LOST funds.  It is part of the reason I went along with it once I assumed responsibility for this part of the county.  His money from his district.

But if our new study suggests this is not a proper traffic feature for this location--I WILL PULL IT QUICK and we will constuct what is best for this location, not what a small voice of support or what small voices of support advocated for.   

A person very familiar with this whole issue gave a terse, cautionary assessment:  "Jeff, always remember it is dangerous to listen to 46 people out of a group of around 74 and assume that number is a majority or a consensus while also disregarding technical advice that goes against what 46 people say they want"

That just about sums it up in a nutshell.  Look for much more to come on this topic going forward.....

Is the Perdido Key Roundabout Helping or HAMPERING the Flow of Traffic there?

Traffic was backed up from the Wal Mart at Sorrento and Blue Angel all the way to the "Roundabout" at Johnson's Beach Road and Perdido Key Drive on Perdido Key Saturday....

Extra signage.  Extra rumble strips.  Additional lighting.  And still even more signage.

Yet the complaints about the Perdido Key roundabout (which was supposed to improve safety and movement in, out, and through Perdido Key) appears to be a problem.  Now I am wondering---Is this roundabout helping or HAMPERING the flow of traffic into and out of Perdido Key?

I've spoken to our traffic engineer this weekend and we are going to get to the bottom of the issue and answer that question---scientifically---over the next several weeks.  Then, we will decide a potentially new course to take.

Because once this portion of the district reverted back to D1 in January of 2022 after redistricting in 2021--the roundabout was already engineered, designed and funded by the previous commissioner from this area.  On top of that--I was assured that the roundabout was the preferred option that was voted upon by the citizens by a large margin after multiple open house meetings out there prior to 2022.

So upon assumption of this area I moved forward with construction which is now completed.  And I have been out there multiple times and driven through the roundabout from every direction with no problem. But others are having problems..... 

And now that it is constructed---I am having a hard time finding anyone, literally anybody who will publicly claim they "like" the roundabout or "support" the county's construction of it.  And I can't even find anyone from this supposed "majority" who supported it initially.  They've pulled a D.B. Cooper on me.

I am finding complaints though.  Lots.  "It's not big enough" is one common one I am hearing.

"It's backing things up" is another.  "There are a lot more wrecks now!" is yet another.

Yes---there have been a number of wrecks, and also multiple persons have blown through the roundabout, straight through it, damaging signage and plantings which had to be replaced at county expense.  According to one angry citizen: "I  hope they [the county] figure it out.  I got a feeling until the turnabout is gone and some alternative turn lanes is put in the problem will continue.  The 35' ACE Hardware delivery truck that's route takes it through there twice a week had to stop and back up and eventually just crossed striaight over the mediun in order to get through.  Impossible for any emergency vehicle or delivery truck of any size getting through without resorting to doing the same.  The ACE driver has reported it to the owner of ACE hardware who also told me the same thing."

An official very familiar with the issue summed it up succinctly: "There isn't much we can do when both roads are backed up and headed in the same direction..we can't do anything to make people move quicker across the bridge and not back up through the intersection.  Too many people on too narrow of a road."

So we are going to do an analysis and apply an appropriate  fix.  That's what we are going to do.

stay tuned.

Good News Update on the Perdido Key Roundabout Project!

Early last week the latest estimate on the completion of the Perdido Key roundabout project at Perdido Key Drive and Johnson's Beach Road came back as a Spring completion--with final striping and signage completion by May 25th.

Fast forward to this weekend and I am hearing of some remarkable progress by the contractor on this project.  Apparently, it looks as if this project may be completed months ahead of schedule---perhaps even by the end of this year.  From staff:

"Just received some new info on the roundabout.  The contractor is planning to be 100% finished by year end which is quite ambitious but would be fantastic.  Also, there will be one additional permanent "mouse compliant" light installed in the general vicinity of the current Johnson's Beach detour, and an existing light right at the roundabout will be converted to amouse compliant fixture.  There should be plenty of light at the finished roundabout.  Contractor is still working on temporary lighting"

more to come on this.....