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Postal Customer ECR-WSS PRST STD U.S. Postage Paid St. Paul, MN Permit #1962 I n s i d e Arden Hills, MN . 55112-5734 Tax levy finalized Freeway Park Energy resiliency at TCAAP Cable Franchise Agreement extended Notes from the Mayor The latest trend in traffic design to hit the US in years is the roundabout. It seems they are not just for Europe anymore. I have seen them pop up here and there, at lower traffic volume intersections. Not often do you see the large ones that are common in Europe, like the one portrayed in National Lampoon’s European Vaca- tion where Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) can’t merge left and keeps going round and round, seeing the same tourist site over and over. So why are roundabouts becoming so popular, and why are two roundabouts be- ing proposed for Arden Hills? First, there is the obvious advantage: nobody has to stop unless there is traffic. When traffic is light, it is easy to continue on without coming to a full stop. Besides the simple convenience of not stopping are savings on brake replacement and increased fuel economy by not having to stop and start moving again. With the increased fuel economy comes less emissions making the roundabout a bit greener than a traditional intersection. The second reason leading to the increased use of roundabouts involves safety for both drivers and pedestrians. Entering a roundabout is a merge process for every- one, and as such, people slow down when entering and driving on a roundabout. Slower speeds mean vehicle accidents tend to be less severe. Pedestrian safety is also increased by being able to cross inter- sections where cars are traveling at much slower speed than traditional intersections. Perhaps most importantly, since round- abouts are designed around a yield and merge into and out of a traffic circle, one of the most serious of all intersection ac- cidents, the dreaded T-bone, is eliminated. Another consideration in favor of round- abouts is possible design limitations due to lack of space or the number of roads that must connect at an intersection. Most of us have experienced intersections where five or more roads converge at one intersection. Just what are the rules at that intersection? The first roundabout being proposed is at the County Road H entrance to Rice Creek Commons (TCAAP). This would be a dual lane roundabout, making it one of the larger ones in the Midwest. The primary reason that this needs to be a roundabout is one of design. The Rice Creek Com- mons entrance needs to have five roads converge at one intersection. Those roads are: County Road H, County Road H northbound 35W exit, County Road H northbound 35W entrance and a road for Rice Creek Commons going north and Rice Creek Commons going south. While five-road intersections do happen occasionally, it is impractical for the esti- A roundabout topic for Arden Hills mated 29,000 average daily trips needed at this intersection. The current dual lane design roundabout includes the ability to accommodate bus and semi-trailer traffic. The outside lane is extra wide allowing for the increased turning width needed for semi-trailer traffic. The inner lane is a standard width, but allows longer vehicles to surmount an inner curb apron with their rear tires if needed. The second proposed roundabout is locat- ed at a new intersection on County Road I used to accommodate a new access road leading into and out of the northern area of Rice Creek Commons. This would be a single-lane roundabout and should allow County Road I traffic to flow well in its current east-west direction, while enabling access by the new road. You can view the proposed designs by visiting the Arden Hills website. Sincerely, David Grant Mayor