Appleton is proposing to put a roundabout in front of Richmond Elementary School and Mead Pool. The city is claiming this controlled intersection is a high accident area, a speeding zone and the flow of traffic is routinely disrupted.
The safety of the kids crossing the street at that intersection during the school year and for the pool patrons that cross at that intersection during the summer has many people concerned.
Currently, the intersection is controlled with 3-way stop signs and a crossing guard. The intersection is safe and traffic is stopped effectively.
School children are dropped off safely immediately in the front of the school with plenty of room for drivers to signal and pull out safely into traffic.
The roundabout will limit visibility of drivers to be able to see the crossing guard and children crossing the intersection. It also prevents drivers further back from observing a stop is in progress.
The roundabout will remove the drop-off zone in front of the school. Richmond School would also lose about 10 parking spots in front of the school. This will force more congestion at the school since there will be less roadway surrounding the school to drop off or pick up children.
It also increases the risk of rear-end collisions as well. In a roundabout, the line of site for a driver to the crossing area is obstructed. This could cause sudden vehicle stops when the crossing guard is in the road with kids. In turn, this could cause a rear-end collision from the next car in line.
Paula Vandehey (Director of Public Works) thinks sending a pamphlet home with the students will be enough education on how to manipulate the roundabout. However, there is no education provided to the general public (ie non-Richmond families) regarding school crossings in any roundabout. With her line of thinking, each year the school brings in newkindergartnersor other students, the school will need to educate again.
Mead Pool will lose their berm (hill with landscaping), which will also put the roundabout within 65 feet of the pool.
Dean Gazza, Director of Parks and Recs is requesting compensation for the loss of the park’s land. However, no compensation is being granted in regards to Richmond losing their capability of dropping off children.
Updates
January 19, 2015
Spent the morning talking to neighbors about the intersection plans. The feedback confirms that nobody actually wants this change.
January 19, 2015
The momentum is undeniable. This city needs to realize that our kids are not traffic experiments.
78 Comments
There will be a crossing guard at the intersection even after the roundabout is in place? This seems adequate while school is in session, but does not address the pedestrian traffic for Mead Pool in the summer. Additionally, we should not grab more green space in the park to put in more concrete. Rebuild the intersection as it is and enforce the current laws to control traffic.
As a parent of Richmond Elementary the drop off/pick up situation is disastrous now I shutter to think what it will be like with this happening. My children walked to scholl, but after the College Avenue round about went in i didnt feel they were safe crossing at that three way stop anymore so I took them.
As a pedestrian using roundabout, I actually found it to be more dangerous. Drivers are often preoccupied with traffic only to the left and fail to look right for pedestrians. At least with a stop sign, you have some control when you cross. I feel like the excessive cost to create this round a bout is not at all justified.
I feel this would be very unsafe for the school zone. I also do not think Richmond can afford to lose any more parking around the school.
Roundabouts should not be anywhere near school crossings!!! I have almost been hit at the roundabout on College, and have seen the crossing guard there nearly hit several times!! The cars can't see the crossing guard from the other side and don't have time to react.
I clicked on almost every single google map you posted, you can't even compare those roundabouts to the proposed site in front of Richmond Elem. I didn't see one roundabout that came close to the front step/sidewalk of those schools-those schools have a lot of space and one roundabout looked like it was a mile from school. By the way, I don't mind roundabouts, in fact I like the one on College Ave.
please reconsider. There isn't room for a roundabout, and it isn't the safest option.
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Appleton is proposing to put a roundabout in front of Richmond Elementary School and Mead Pool. The city is claiming this controlled intersection is a high accident area, a speeding zone and the flow of traffic is routinely disrupted.
The safety of the kids crossing the street at that intersection during the school year and for the pool patrons that cross at that intersection during the summer has many people concerned.
Currently, the intersection is controlled with 3-way stop signs and a crossing guard. The intersection is safe and traffic is stopped effectively.
School children are dropped off safely immediately in the front of the school with plenty of room for drivers to signal and pull out safely into traffic.
The roundabout will limit visibility of drivers to be able to see the crossing guard and children crossing the intersection. It also prevents drivers further back from observing a stop is in progress.
The roundabout will remove the drop-off zone in front of the school. Richmond School would also lose about 10 parking spots in front of the school. This will force more congestion at the school since there will be less roadway surrounding the school to drop off or pick up children.
It also increases the risk of rear-end collisions as well. In a roundabout, the line of site for a driver to the crossing area is obstructed. This could cause sudden vehicle stops when the crossing guard is in the road with kids. In turn, this could cause a rear-end collision from the next car in line.
Paula Vandehey (Director of Public Works) thinks sending a pamphlet home with the students will be enough education on how to manipulate the roundabout. However, there is no education provided to the general public (ie non-Richmond families) regarding school crossings in any roundabout. With her line of thinking, each year the school brings in newkindergartnersor other students, the school will need to educate again.
Mead Pool will lose their berm (hill with landscaping), which will also put the roundabout within 65 feet of the pool.
Dean Gazza, Director of Parks and Recs is requesting compensation for the loss of the park’s land. However, no compensation is being granted in regards to Richmond losing their capability of dropping off children.
Updates
January 19, 2015
Spent the morning talking to neighbors about the intersection plans. The feedback confirms that nobody actually wants this change.
January 19, 2015
The momentum is undeniable. This city needs to realize that our kids are not traffic experiments.
78 Comments
I have tried to cross on foot the roundabout at John and College just down the street from this proposed roundabout. Drivers do not stop even though there are bright yellow signs reminding them of the state law requiring them to yield to pedestrians. Losing even one life is not worth the benefits of reduced traffic congestion.
There will be a crossing guard at the intersection even after the roundabout is in place? This seems adequate while school is in session, but does not address the pedestrian traffic for Mead Pool in the summer. Additionally, we should not grab more green space in the park to put in more concrete. Rebuild the intersection as it is and enforce the current laws to control traffic.
As a parent of Richmond Elementary the drop off/pick up situation is disastrous now I shutter to think what it will be like with this happening. My children walked to scholl, but after the College Avenue round about went in i didnt feel they were safe crossing at that three way stop anymore so I took them.
As a pedestrian using roundabout, I actually found it to be more dangerous. Drivers are often preoccupied with traffic only to the left and fail to look right for pedestrians. At least with a stop sign, you have some control when you cross. I feel like the excessive cost to create this round a bout is not at all justified.
I feel this would be very unsafe for the school zone. I also do not think Richmond can afford to lose any more parking around the school.
Roundabouts should not be anywhere near school crossings!!! I have almost been hit at the roundabout on College, and have seen the crossing guard there nearly hit several times!! The cars can't see the crossing guard from the other side and don't have time to react.
I clicked on almost every single google map you posted, you can't even compare those roundabouts to the proposed site in front of Richmond Elem. I didn't see one roundabout that came close to the front step/sidewalk of those schools-those schools have a lot of space and one roundabout looked like it was a mile from school. By the way, I don't mind roundabouts, in fact I like the one on College Ave.
please reconsider. There isn't room for a roundabout, and it isn't the safest option.
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I have tried to cross on foot the roundabout at John and College just down the street from this proposed roundabout. Drivers do not stop even though there are bright yellow signs reminding them of the state law requiring them to yield to pedestrians. Losing even one life is not worth the benefits of reduced traffic congestion.