Roundabouts are here and more are coming

Florida Weekly 'Outdoors' column, 1/1/2019
danMOSER
bikepedmoser@gmail.com

This spot at McGregor Boulevard and Virginia Avenue near the Edison and Ford Estates will become a major intersection once the empty lot is developed.

A significant and welcome change is coming to many of our intersections in the form of roundabouts, a feature that benefits drivers, cyclists and pedestrians alike, including those with limited mobility, vision issues and other disabilities. Unfortunately, many older roundabouts (also known as rotaries and traffic circles) throughout the country have design flaws that have left a negative impression on some who’ve used them and even for some who haven’t due to bad press and negative word of mouth. But modern roundabouts — especially those designed in the last decade — are much improved and do indeed make using them safer and more efficient for all users.

Acceptance of roundabouts among governments is now commonplace, with FDOT leading the way, at least in terms of encouraging them via funding that flows through them (they report 20 being on state roads, a relatively low number considering that’s statewide). Slowed speeds, reduced conflict points, and lack of right-angle (T-bone) and head-on collision potential are key factors as to why they are so much safer than traditional intersections. According to Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, studies of intersections in the United States converted from traffic signals or stop signs to roundabouts have resulted in decreases in injury crashes by 72-80 percent, fatal crashes by 90 percent, and reductions in all crashes by 35-47 percent, which includes a 40 percent reduction in pedestrian collisions (no statistics for bicyclists were noted). Those are significant improvements in safety that are hard to dismiss merely because of pushback from some who fear them. At least from my perspective, motorists who truly cannot navigate them after traversing them more than once probably shouldn’t be behind the wheel in the first place. As an aside, AARP fully supports roundabouts.

While reduction in crashes and the injuries or fatalities that result are the primary reason why transportation planners are moving in this direction, cost is also an important consideration. When roundabouts are used instead of traffic signals — which is frequently the case — they save taxpayers a significant amount of money in terms of both upfront and ongoing operating costs. Storage space in the form of additional pavement for turn lanes and additional through lanes are also another cost saving element since roundabouts increase both space and delay efficiency compared to signalized intersections. Less obvious but still significant is reduced fuel consumption and air pollution when idling while waiting for the signal to change as well as less time wasted for the same reason. And lest we forget, another benefit of these type of intersections being low-tech is that when a power outage occurs chaos doesn’t prevail. You’ll recall that being the case for days and even weeks at some intersections after our recent hurricanes.

In Lee County there are 10 roundabouts already in place on public roads, 11 programmed, and 30 more planned; this doesn’t even include the many in gated communities and on other private roads. But even though the city of Fort Myers is a leader in their use there’s currently a battle taking place regarding a roundabout that’s proposed for McGregor Boulevard at Virginia Avenue, a rather benign intersection currently, but one that’s soon to be very busy. The long-empty lot adjacent to that corner will soon become City Walk, a major mixed-use development that will include offices, retail businesses, condos, townhouses and a hotel. Also, Virginia will become a primary route between Cleveland Avenue and McGregor once the realignment of Edison Avenue occurs. Based on detailed analysis that’s been undertaken, that intersection will require traffic management; the analysis indicates a roundabout would clearly be the best option versus traffic signals. But because of resistance based on misperception and fear of change among some residents, there’s enough pushback that it’s yet to be formally approved. Protected royal palms will be removed by either option.

A report on roundabout use in Lee County can be found at Lee MPO (leempo.com). Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (www.pedbikeinfo.org) and USDOT/FHWA (safety.fhwa.dot.gov) have information related to how roundabouts impact non-motorists. And because roundabouts are a vital element of Complete Streets, bikewalklee.blogspot.com has more about their use, locally and elsewhere. ¦

- Dan Moser is a long-time bicycle/pedestrian advocate and traffic safety professional who cycles, runs and walks regularly for transportation, recreation and fitness. Contact him at bikepedmoser@gmail.com and 334-6417. 

For Lee County cycling and tri events visit Caloosa Riders Bicycle Club (caloosariders.org); Florida Mudcutters (mudcutters.org); and SW Florida Biking Meetup Group (meetup.com/Biking-SWFL). The Florida Bicycle Association (floridabicycle.org) is your source for statewide happenings. BikeWalkLee’s blog site has all the information you’ll need to stay abreast of advocacy efforts in Southwest Florida as well as statewide and nationally.

BikeWalkLee's Letter to Estero Council on Estero Parkway Options

On May 29th, BWL issued an action alert re: Estero Council's upcoming June 6th decision on the Estero Parkway design.  On June 1st, BWL sent a letter to the Estero Village Council with its comments on the Estero Parkway Options (see below).  Communicate your preference to Estero Council members in several ways:  complete the ECCL survey by Monday, June 4th (Estero residents only); attend the June 6th Council meeting (starting at 9:30 a.m.) to speak during public comment period; and/or write, call or meet with Estero Council members before June 6th. For background on the two options, click here.  Click here for letter to Council from Dr. Margaret Banyan, author of the FGCU Estero Infrastructure Study, requested by Estero Council in 2015. Click here for Streets Alive of SWFL's letter to Council, both in support of the complete streets approach (Option 2).

 

June 1, 2018

Village of Estero Council

9401 Corkscrew Palms Circle 
Estero, FL 33928

 

Dear Mayor Boesch and Council Members:

 

BikeWalkLee is a volunteer countywide coalition advocating for complete streets. With Lee County being ranked as the most dangerous area in the country for pedestrians, it is clear that our roadways are “dangerous by design” and local governments must begin to design our streets for safety, which is what the complete streets approach is all about. 

 

As the Village Council gets ready to vote on the final design for Estero Parkway, BikeWalkLee would like to communicate its strong support for Option 2—the 2-lane “complete streets” option.  Our overriding priority is safety and Option 2 is the only option before you that is designed to make the roadway safer for all users—pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers alike.  Option 2 also best supports the new FDOT Complete Streets Implementation Plan and the Village’s original vision of Estero Parkway as a signature project that will serve as a model street for the Village.

 

Streets play an enormous role in determining a place's quality of life.  While people may not know the term "complete street", they know the characteristics of their favorite streets-- streets with tree canopy and attractive landscaping; safe, comfortable and shady places to walk and bikes buffered from traffic; moderate traffic speeds, safe ways to cross the street, and inviting places to be for all kinds of uses.  The holistic and integrated planning of a roadway (the entire right-of-way public space) is context sensitive and reflects balance among the needs of the various users.  Again, we believe that Option 2 best balances the needs of all users.

 

The roundabouts in Option 2 are key components to slowing down the traffic and making the roads safer for everyone.  Research has proven that roundabouts are safer—there is a 35% overall decrease in crashes; a 76% decrease in injury crashes; and a 71% to 81% decrease in fatal/incapacitating crashes for single lane roundabouts. As then FDOT District 1 Secretary Billy Hattaway told the MPO Board and the Bonita Springs City Council in 2015, there is often opposition to roundabouts from businesses and the public before installation.  According to Hattaway, 75% of the public is opposed to roundabouts before installation, and as soon as the roundabouts go in, it flips to 75% support of them. FDOT promotes the use of roundabouts and has developed an informational guide for cars, pedestrians, and bicyclists about roundabouts: FDOT Brochure: A guide to Roundabouts (One-Lane)

 

Option 1—the 4-lane option will essentially make Estero Parkway another highway in Lee County…one designed to prioritize and move vehicles as fast as possible.  Research has proven that speed kills, especially for vulnerable road users.  Not only will the “highway” with virtually no traffic calming features be less safe, it ignores the needs of those bike riders (whether children, seniors, or others) that are not comfortable riding on the road.  Only installing narrow sidewalks (as called for in Option 1) means that the needs of these types of bike riders and their safety are not being addressed.  As the Village continues to grow and change demographically, if Option 1 is adopted, in a few years the Village will inevitably face citizen demands for a wider path so it can be used safely by both walkers and bikers.  It’s much more cost effective to install wider paths now.  According to the MPO, the costs of retrofitting will be 5 to 10 times the cost of doing it right the first time….something that many communities throughout Lee County have learned the hard (and expensive) way.   Finally, Option 1 is essentially “more of the same” which means that the Village will lose its once in a lifetime opportunity to create the promised model street that could help define the Village as a walkable/bikeable/livable community that is a place where people want to live, work, and play. The option that is chosen for Estero Parkway will help define the future of Estero.

Thank you for considering our views.  We appreciate the efforts that the Village has made to consider a range of options and to invite public participation throughout the past 2+ years. We hope as leaders that you will take all of this into consideration and choose Option 2 in order to do what is best for the safety of all residents now and well into the future.

 

Sincerely,

 

Darla Letourneau and Doug Saxton
on behalf of BikeWalkLee

 

cc: Steven Sarkozy, Village Manager
      David Willems, Public Works Director

 

Related Links:

Dr. Margaret Banyan's June 4, 2018 letter to Estero Council in support of Complete Streets Option
(author of FGCU Estero Infrastructure Study, requested by Estero Council in 2015)

BWL's June 1, 2018 letter to Estero Council re: comments on Estero Parkway Options

Streets Alive of Southwest Florida's June 5, 2018 letter to Estero Council in support of Complete Streets Option 2.

 

 BWL Blog May 29, 2018: Action Alert: Estero Council decision on Estero Parkway design on June 6th

FDOT Brochure: A guide to Roundabouts (One-Lane)

FHWA brochure concerning roundabouts and 1st responders

 

 

Injury Prevention Coalition creates Roundabout PSA

 Kudos to the Lee County Injury Prevention Coalition for creating this short catchy PSA to educate our community about how roundabouts work.  Help educate the community by sharing this with your organizations and networks.

Injury Prevention Coalition message 3/15/17:

As you my know, a number of “roundabouts” are slated to be built in the region very shortly. However, the community has varying degrees of familiarity with roundabouts.  We therefore decided to create a “Roundabout PSA” not only to instruct people on their proper use, but also to help the community become more comfortable with these interchanges.

To preview the PSA please click on the following link  -   https://youtu.be/ULi3CDTchdE

Mark Tesoro, MA
Injury Prevention Analyst/Educator 
Lee Health

  

Link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULi3CDTchdE&feature=youtu.be

Video of June 9th special public workshop on Bonita Springs' downtown improvement plan

As a follow-up to BWL's June 5th blog post Action Alert about the June 9th Bonita Springs special workshop on Bonita's downtown improvement plan, we are posting the very informative video from the 3-hour workshop.   You'll learn a great deal about complete streets, livable communities, and downtown improvement projects from the consultant team (which included Michael Wallwork, the roundabout and complete streets international expert), and you'll see how one community addresses public concerns about a project that involves a great deal of change.  Kudos to the Bonita City Council for scheduling this workshop (and for posting this video on their website), to the consultant team for their excellent presentation and responses at the workshop, and to all the citizens who participated.  The video that the consultant team showed at the beginning of the workshop includes before and after footage and interviews from several other communities in Florida and beyond that have undertaken similar downtown improvement projects, and the benefits of these changes are compelling.
 
The video is in 2-parts:  The first two hours are in video 1; and the third hour is in video 2.

Video 1:


Video 2: 


 Background

On May 6th, the Bonita Springs' City Council approved ( 5-1 vote) an innovative downtown improvement plan, that has been under development for over a year. The City has committed $16 million to this downtown improvement project along Old 41 from Terry Street south to Oak Creek Bridge.  The planned improvement includes sidewalk and bicycle facilities, drainage, landscaping, utility relocation, parking, streetscape, medians, and two roundabouts, i.e., many features of a complete streets approach.  The City's stated goal for the project is to attract businesses to downtown Bonita and promote urban infill development. 

 

 At the June 3rd Council meeting, based on concerns raised during public comment, Council voted to hold another special workshop to receive and understand questions regarding the project and its components.  That workshop was held on June 9th and the video of the meeting is now on the City's website (and embedded above).

Background:  BikeWalkLee Honors Bonita

In December 2014, BikeWalkLee presented the Bonita Springs City Council and staff with its "2014 Complete Streets Champion of the Year" award for its embrace of a comprehensive complete streets approach, which culminated in its October 2014 adoption of a complete streets policy.  The award recognized several actions taken by the Council in support of complete streets and livable communities, including the design of this downtown improvement project.  BikeWalkLee's Dec. 3rd press release made the following statement about this project:

"The integration of complete streets concepts in the downtown redevelopment project recently awarded to a consultant team for design and construction. The design for this project holistically incorporates complete streets and livable community concepts in a visionary way ― from safe walking and biking facilities, to roundabouts, on-street parking, attractive streetscape designs, innovative storm water treatment, to creating attractive public spaces that will draw people and investment to a vibrant downtown."

BikeWalkLee Blog Dec,3, 2014: Bonita Springs honored as 2014‘Complete Streets Champion of the Year’

Below are links to articles about this project as it has progressed through the process: 

NDN June 10, 2015: Bonita leaders, residents take another look at downtown redevelopment

·         NDN May 7, 2015:Bonita's downtown plan takes another step forward, by Patrick Riley

·         NDN, April 20, 2015: Planned $16 million downtown Bonita improvements along Old U.S. 41 split business owners, by Patrick Riley 

·          Florida Weekly, March 12, 2015:  Creation of a Downtown Destination, by LAURA TICHY-SMITH

(This in-depth article provides extensive information about the various features of the project and their potential benefit in terms of walkability, safety, economic development, etc.)

Report by Darla Letourneau

Benefits of Modern Roundabouts: Topic of discussion at MPO Board meeting

 Thanks to Secretary Hattaway for being such an effective champion of roundabouts. BikeWalkLee strongly supports roundabouts as an effective way to improve bike/ped safety.

At the Jan. 16th MPO Board meeting, Billy Hattaway, FDOT District 1 Secretary, made a presentation about the benefits of modern roundabouts.  Based on questions raised about roundabouts at the December meeting, Secretary Hattaway was invited to make this presentation. 

Background

 FDOT has placed added emphasis on the development and construction of roundabouts statewide and directed each district office to include 2 projects on state highways in their 5 year work program annually for implementing roundabouts.  Since 2013, the Lee MPO has been working with FDOT on developing a roundabout feasibility study, which was approved this Fall, funded by FDOT in the amount of $400,000, and will soon go out to bid.  The Lee MPO identified a comprehensive list of 20 intersections to conduct roundabout feasibility analysis.

The case is well stated in the scope of work for the Lee Roundabout Study:

"With traffic moving inside a roundabout between 15-25 mph, and with significantly less number of conflict points than a conventional traffic signal, roundabouts have been found to increase safety by reducing potential fatal crashes at an intersection by 90%, injuries by 7%, and all crashes by 39%.  Research in the US and elsewhere in the world has also indicated that roundabouts provide annual savings of $5,000 in electrical and maintenance costs vs. a traffic signal, and that they provide a service life of 100 years or more vs. 10-20 years for a traffic signal.  Unlike signalized intersections they are also not impacted by power outages caused by hurricanes and tropical storms, a phenomenon that happens with some regularity in Florida.  They also reduce vehicle delays by around as much as 50% as traffic flows continuously through an intersection."
 

Billy Hattaway

As part of Secretary Hattaway's PowerPoint presentation (click here), he emphasized safety as the most important reason for roundabouts.  He also clarified that modern roundabouts are NOT the same as traffic circles (aka "rotaries" in New England).  A big reason that modern roundabouts work better is that there are less conflict points--for motorists the number drops from 32 to 8; while for pedestrians the number drops in half.  
 Fewer conflict points means safety is improved.  He highlighted the benefits of roundabouts:

While roundabouts have been around in other countries for several decades, they didn't take off in the US until the mid-1990's, when the US began to have data from US cities with roundabouts, proving the safety benefits of this treatment.

Board Discussion

Board members expressed their appreciation to Billy for his excellent presentation and expressed their support for roundabouts.  Fort Myers Councilman Flanders pointed out that Lee County is behind other Florida communities in installing roundabouts and we need to catch up.  He emphasized the value of this approach for emergencies such as hurricanes when the power is off.  Councilman Burch said he was now a believer in roundabouts, and asked that there be before and after data analysis of the safety benefits when they are installed in Lee County.  Commissioner Hamman commented that roundabouts are aesthetically pleasing, and asked about public outreach when a roundabout is going to be installed.  Hattaway responded that public outreach is key and that FDOT is doing more of this.  Studies show that before a roundabout is installed, 75% of the public oppose the roundabout, and then after it's installed, that number flips, with 75% supporting the roundabout.  Commissioner Mann talked about his experience in Lehigh over the past 3 years where two roundabouts have been installed, and confirmed Hattaway's comments about how public concern disappears as soon as it's installed and they become familiar with how it works.

The Board also discussed concerns about how the disabled were able to navigate roundabouts.  In response to a question from Cape Councilman Carioscia, Secretary Hattaway stated that there is less exposure because the distances between the sidewalks and the refuge islands are smaller and there are ADA ramps.  During public comment, Mike Ulrich of the Florida Council of the Blind spoke about the difficulties of navigating a roundabout if you're blind.  He asked that the concerns of the blind be taken into consideration during the feasibility study, and invited anyone to join him in a blind-folded walk through a roundabout.  

Report by Darla Letourneau 

Previous BikeWalkLee Blog report on roundabouts:
Nov, 25, 2012:  Lee MPO hears from international roundabout expert and discusses Lee County opportunities

Invite to Billy Hattaway's MPO presentations: update on FDOT bike/ped/complete streets initiatives

 Here's your chance to hear Billy Hattaway speak about issues near and dear to BWL'ers hearts.  If you live in Lee County, your opportunity is Sept. 19th and in Collier County, Oct. 10th.

Billy Hattaway

 Billy Hattaway, FDOT District 1 Secretary, will be making a presentation at both the Lee and Collier County MPO Board meetings to update officials on the statewide bike/ped safety initiative, the new FDOT complete streets policy, and the use of modern roundabouts.  This is an opportunity for BikeWalkLee advocates and citizens to hear from one of the most important champions of bike/ped safety, complete streets, and the new transportation paradigm in our universe.

What:  Lee MPO Board Meeting
When: Friday, Sept. 19th, 9:00 a.m.
Where: Cape Coral Council Chambers, 1015 Cultural Park Blvd., Cape Coral
Agenda Pkg will be posted on Sept. 11th.

What: Collier MPO Board Meeting
When: Friday, Oct. 10, 2014, 9:00 a.m.
Where: Collier County Board of County Commission Chambers, 3299 Tamiami Trail East, Naples
Agenda Pkg will be posted on Oct. 3rd.

Billy Hattaway is the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District 1 Secretary and leading the department’s statewide initiative to improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety and the implementation of the Department’s new Complete Streets Policy.  Since 2011, he has been working with Lee County, which was one of the top 10 most dangerous areas in Florida (Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, Broward, Orange, Volusia, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Duval, Lee and Polk), targeted in the "Alert Today, Alive Tomorrow" bike/ped safety initiative.  Besides being a professional traffic engineer, Billy is a certified planner who has worked in both the public (FDOT twice) and private sector. Prior to returning to FDOT, he worked for a transportation consulting firm well known for its bike/ped/transit work. 

Complete Streets in Florida Webinar
Mark your calendars and register now for an important Nov. 12th webinar, sponsored by 1000 Friends of Florida, on "Planning for Complete Streets in Florida".  Billy Hattaway is the featured panelist, along with BikeWalkLee's Darla Letourneau, AARP and a Broward County city that has implemented the state's first complete streets design manual.

Announcement:

REGISTER NOW!  November 12, 2014, Noon to 1:30 p.m.
Planning for Complete Streets in Florida

NEW!  This event has been approved for 1.5 AICP CM (#e.27940) for Planners and 1 CEC for Certified Floodplain Managers.  1000 Friends has applied for CLE (Florida attorneys) and CEHP (Certified Environmental Health Planners) but cannot guarantee credits will be approved.

Billy Hattaway, FDOT’s District One Secretary who is leading the department’s statewide initiative to improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety and the implementation of the Department’s new Complete Streets Policy, will discuss how a context based “complete street” design approach will provide for pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and public transportation users of all ages and abilities and enhance accessibility, safety and public health. The first community in Florida to adopt Complete Streets guidelines is the City of Deerfield Beach, and Director of Planning and Development Services Amanda Martinez will review the process they have used to adopt and implement those guidelines. BikeWalkLee’s Darla Letourneau, a founder and steering committee member of that coalition, will focus on the role of citizen advocacy in promoting complete street policy.  AARP Florida’s Laura Cantwell will discuss that organizations’ perspectives on complete streets.  The cost for this webinar is $10. 

 Below are previous BikeWalkLee blog stories on previous presentations by Billy Hattaway and BikeWalkLee's statements on FDOT initiatives:

1/6/14:  BWL letter to FDOT Secretary Prasad in support of bikewide bike/ped safety campaign 

12/15/13:  FDOT Work Plan investments in bike/ped, complete streets, and transit highlighted at Joint Charlotte/Lee MPO Board Meeting

2/27/13: FBA Annual Awards recognize two of our champions (including Billy Hattaway)

1/20/13: Lee MPO hears from FDOT District 1 Secretary, Billy Hattaway, on State's bike-ped focused safety initiative

Imagining Bonita Springs in new ways--Commentary by Peter O'Flinn

Kudos to Peter O'Flinn of SW Spotlight Magazine for this outstanding commentary imagining the future of Bonita Springs.  It's exciting to see ideas such as complete streets, balanced transportation that's affordable and sustainable, mobility fees, integration of land use and transportation planning, roundabouts, walkable and bikeable and livable communities taking hold in Bonita Springs. 

  
SW Spotlight Sept. 1, 2014 Commentary

Imagine 

By Peter R. O’Flinn

prof@swspotlight.co

 Imagine Bonita Beach Road as a beautiful and distinctive gateway to the beach, a signature street defining Bonita Springs. Imagine tree-shaded pathways welcoming bikes and pedestrians, not just a funnel for cars.
In other words, try thinking of a very special place that will burnish Bonita Springs’ reputation as a great small city.

Great streets define great cities, and stimulate economic progress, wrote Prince Charles in his introduction to Dover and Massengale’s classic book, Street Design: The Secret to Great Cities and Towns.

That age-old concept was recognized by most of the City Council when they recently decided to conduct a visioning study of Bonita Beach Road, and dropped a plan for city funding of further six laning of Beach Road, from Old 41 to Vanderbilt Drive.

On city council there is now talk of mobility fees to replace road impact fees; and “complete streets” designed for pedestrians and connectivity, as advocated by BikeWalkLee.

These voices are great to hear — and they have plenty of company.

In almost a thousand responses to a Lee County MPO questionnaire this year, “biking and walking” and “less driving” were ranked as top priorities, including in Bonita Springs.

In Rep. Curt Clawson we have an advocate in Washington supportive of these concepts.

And, significantly, we have a forward thinking state transportation department. “I was encouraged that City Council was looking to undertake (the visioning study) inclusive of all the users of that roadway — bicycle, pedestrian and transit,” said Carmen Monroy, FDOT’s Southwest Area Director, at the recent meeting where she recommended termination of the $1 million flyover study contract.

An overpass at Beach Road and US 41 could have cost upwards of $50 million, and more six laning of Beach Road an additional $22 million.

Let’s think of something a lot cheaper and a heck of lot nicer.

So imagine…perhaps a street with safe, tree-shaded pathways for pedestrians and bicyclists of all ages; where a mom bicycling with baby buggy in tow can pull up to Dolly’s for coffee and pie; where an ever more cool corridor, hopping with eateries, evolves west of US 41; where remote beach parking provides access for residents and takes traffic off Little Hickory Island; and where, yes, cars can also travel, but at speeds where drivers will actually notice stores and restaurants, not whiz by.

Imagine what a place it could be.

Previous BikeWalkLee blog posts on Bonita developments: 

August 26, 2014: BikeWalkLee calls for comprehensive transportation planning at Aug. 22nd MPO Board meeting

August 10, 2014: Recent developments in Bonita Springs signal support for complete streets and livable communities vision

Other related SW Spotlight 9/1/14 articles this month re: Bonita developments:

Old 41 Revitalization: Storm Drains, Roadwork, Bamboo and More  

MPO Halts Beach Road Flyover Study  

Other related articles:

News-Press 9/4/14 article: Bonita Council picks contractor for downtown improvements

Watch the Bonita Springs City Council Sept. 3, 2014 presentation by contractor re: downtown redevelopment project (near beginning of agenda)