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January-February 2015
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January-February 2015
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Postal Customer <br />ECR-WSS <br />PRST STD <br />U.S. Postage Paid <br />St. Paul, MN <br />Permit #1962 <br />I <br />n <br />s <br />i <br />d <br />e <br />Arden Hills, MN . 55112-5734 <br />Tax levy finalized <br />Freeway Park <br />Energy resiliency at TCAAP <br />Cable Franchise Agreement extended <br />Notes from the Mayor <br />The latest trend in traffic design <br />to hit the US in years is the <br />roundabout. It seems they are <br />not just for Europe anymore. I <br />have seen them pop up here and there, at <br />lower traffic volume intersections. Not <br />often do you see the large ones that are <br />common in Europe, like the one portrayed <br />in National Lampoon’s European Vaca- <br />tion where Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) <br />can’t merge left and keeps going round <br />and round, seeing the same tourist site <br />over and over. <br />So why are roundabouts becoming so <br />popular, and why are two roundabouts be- <br />ing proposed for Arden Hills? First, there <br />is the obvious advantage: nobody has to <br />stop unless there is traffic. When traffic <br />is light, it is easy to continue on without <br />coming to a full stop. Besides the simple <br />convenience of not stopping are savings <br />on brake replacement and increased fuel <br />economy by not having to stop and start <br />moving again. With the increased fuel <br />economy comes less emissions making the <br />roundabout a bit greener than a traditional <br />intersection. <br />The second reason leading to the increased <br />use of roundabouts involves safety for <br />both drivers and pedestrians. Entering a <br />roundabout is a merge process for every- <br />one, and as such, people slow down when <br />entering and driving on a roundabout. <br />Slower speeds mean vehicle accidents <br />tend to be less severe. Pedestrian safety is <br />also increased by being able to cross inter- <br />sections where cars are traveling at much <br />slower speed than traditional intersections. <br />Perhaps most importantly, since round- <br />abouts are designed around a yield and <br />merge into and out of a traffic circle, one <br />of the most serious of all intersection ac- <br />cidents, the dreaded T-bone, is eliminated. <br />Another consideration in favor of round- <br />abouts is possible design limitations due <br />to lack of space or the number of roads <br />that must connect at an intersection. Most <br />of us have experienced intersections <br />where five or more roads converge at one <br />intersection. Just what are the rules at that <br />intersection? <br />The first roundabout being proposed is at <br />the County Road H entrance to Rice Creek <br />Commons (TCAAP). This would be a <br />dual lane roundabout, making it one of the <br />larger ones in the Midwest. The primary <br />reason that this needs to be a roundabout <br />is one of design. The Rice Creek Com- <br />mons entrance needs to have five roads <br />converge at one intersection. Those roads <br />are: County Road H, County Road H <br />northbound 35W exit, County Road H <br />northbound 35W entrance and a road for <br />Rice Creek Commons going north and <br />Rice Creek Commons going south. <br />While five-road intersections do happen <br />occasionally, it is impractical for the esti- <br />A roundabout topic for Arden Hills <br />mated 29,000 average daily trips needed <br />at this intersection. The current dual lane <br />design roundabout includes the ability to <br />accommodate bus and semi-trailer traffic. <br />The outside lane is extra wide allowing <br />for the increased turning width needed <br />for semi-trailer traffic. The inner lane is a <br />standard width, but allows longer vehicles <br />to surmount an inner curb apron with their <br />rear tires if needed. <br />The second proposed roundabout is locat- <br />ed at a new intersection on County Road <br />I used to accommodate a new access road <br />leading into and out of the northern area <br />of Rice Creek Commons. This would be a <br />single-lane roundabout and should allow <br />County Road I traffic to flow well in its <br />current east-west direction, while enabling <br />access by the new road. <br />You can view the proposed designs by <br />visiting the Arden Hills website. <br />Sincerely, <br />David Grant <br />Mayor
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