by Laurie Case, Hamilton
I‘m not against all roundabouts but I am opposed to one on a major highway like 93. Highway 93 is the main highway between Missoula and Salmon ID. Large trucks regularly use the highway as part of their interstate routes. Statistics are (2023 Jan-Dec) there were 425 Trip permits exceeding the legal width of 8’6” or exceeding length limits of either 75’ for a combination or 55’ on single trucks or height exceeding 14 feet. As of May 2024 so far there have been 105 permits issued. It is ludicrous to think that the roundabout will not cause accidents or slow down traffic causing huge backups.
Summertime brings tourists and lots of them. What happens when they come upon the roundabout and slow down or even stop. Some may have never driven on roundabouts and practicing on a major highway is not exactly ideal. I would not want to see one of the out-of-state elderly drivers driving a 40-foot RV towing a boat or another vehicle come upon that roundabout not knowing what to do. They will slow to a stop. They do this on a regular basis in all the roundabouts in Missoula. I would hate to see what will happen when they stop or slow down and get rear ended by someone behind them on the highway or get pushed into oncoming lanes.
Our fire departments are very concerned or opposed to it. Ever try to drive a fire truck, log truck, 18-wheeler in a roundabout in the snow and ice? Not easy. Emergency coverage is bad enough – not blaming our great volunteer fire departments, they do a great job, but slowing their emergency vehicles down could mean life or death.
That area also has a problem with dust when we have wind storms and smoke with zero visibility at times. There have been several occasions when the visibility was 0. I know; I have driven it.
What we need is a traffic light with the blinking bar of warning lights ahead of the signal indicating that the signal is going to change like the rest of the intersections on 93 (Stevensville, Florence, and the rest of 93). Since most of the traffic will be going north and south, when someone wants to enter from the east or west the signal can trigger to stop the traffic going north and south.
If this is federal funding that is tied to some green initiative, then use solar power for the blinking warning lights.
THERE ARE CURRENTLY PETITIONS at the following places and many others businesses have requested one. HAMILTON – The Paper Clip, Backdoor Deli, Lucky Bail Bonds, The Boxx Shoppe, Habitat for Humanity, Freedom Vapes. VICTOR – Thrift Off the Grid, Triad Building Components, Townsend Trucking (both located at Bell Crossing). STEVENSVILLE: Brock’s Barber Shop. If you’d like one or if you want one for your business contact Gina Deschamps – she works at the Paper Clip in Hamilton. Be sure to return all completed petitions to her at the Paper Clip.
Gomez says
Data clearly shows that roundabouts greatly reduce the chances of serious accidents or injury compared to stop lights. If you have data that shows otherwise I’d be happy to look at it. Thanks in advance.
“According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), roundabouts can reduce the number of collisions by 37% overall, 75% for injuries, and 90% for fatalities. They can also reduce the number of pedestrian collisions by 40%.
Roundabouts have fewer conflict points than four-way stop intersections. A four-way stop intersection has 32 possible vehicle conflict points and 24 pedestrian conflict points, while a roundabout has eight of each. Roundabouts can also be safer for beginner and elderly drivers.”