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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0496.006 2004-2006 TESTIMONY -COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC WORKS & INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS -Resolution 193-05 (Communication 496) Prepared by: Robert Ward 77-6526 Ho'olaupa'i St Kailua Kona, HI 96740 Thank you for the opportunity to share my concerns. Should the County of Hawaii consider the use of roundabouts? YES, there are locations on our island where they can provide the most efficient and safest means of moving vehicular traffic, pedestrians, and cyclists. Locations along Ali'i Drive such as Hualalai Road and the proposed Pua'a connector are places where the roundabout could be the ideal solution. There are several other locations on the Big Island where accidents can be reduced by roundabouts. Should the County Department of Public Works develop warrants to determine where and if roundabouts should be considered as a viable solution at intersections? YES, there are many unique and often complex factors that will determine if a roundabout is an acceptable design. Our geography has provided us with challenging combinations of grades and traffic flow. Should the County Council dictate that roundabouts are the preferred intersection design? ABSOLUTELY NOT. Legislated engineering solutions have a long history of failure manifested by unintended consequences. We should not rely strictly on some of the global success that has occurred in Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand. These countries have had a long standing tradition of demanding conformance to "give way to vehicles on the right." In these countries that drive on the left side of the road, this is the exact behavior required when entering a roundabout. In Hawaii we must reverse our thinking and "yield to the left" when we enter a roundabout. This is not impossible to accomplish, but in a multicultural environment filled with multitudes of diverse driving experiences, we have to consider the consequences of mandating conflicting behavior. The Hawaii DOT does not include roundabout protocols in their Driver's Manual. In fact, DOT does not endorse the use of roundabouts on state highways and defers to grade separations as their exclusive means of improving intersection performance. Countries such as New Zealand have found it necessary to pass laws that enhance driver behavior for roundabouts (such as signaling intentions to exit to the right or to the left.) It would be prudent to have traffic laws passed in Hawaii that will accommodate the safe operation of roundabouts. ~~QQ// rr__ Comm. No Ref. To: Pi w li~..c. Ref. Date There are several situations where a roundabout may not be the safest or most efficient engineering solution for a new or redesigned intersection. These include: 1. Locations where existing or projected traffic delays are within an acceptable Level of Service. 2. Locations where through traffic moves at a safe speed and does not need to be slowed. 3. Locations where the traffic volumes are so great that grade separations are warranted. 4. Locations where the normal movement of traffic generates very few left turn movements. 5. Intersections that are unbalanced where one route has significantly more traffic. 6. Locations where there is insufficient space for an acceptable outside diameter. 7. Locations where it would be difficult to provide flat (2% or less) entries into the roundabout. 8. Locations where the maximum grade is excessive (greater than 4%) around the circle. 9. Locations where pedestrians cannot be safely accommodated through the desired placement of crosswalks. 10. Locations that would present a hazard to cyclists due to design speed or alternative safe routes. 11. Locations where normal traffic volumes consist of a high percentage of large trucks. 12.Intersections that must be located either at the bottom or in close proximity to the bottom of a steep grade. 13.Intersections that must be located either at the top or in close proximity to the top of a steep grade. 14. Locations that are in close proximity to traffic signals, and would be inefficient due to intermittent traffic flow. 15. Some locations where the entry angles are too uneven and designs can not be modified to equalize entry speeds. 16. Locations that are immediately adjacent to a bus stop or desired on-street parking. IN CONCLUSION, roundabouts should be considered where warranted, but not mandated as the preferred design in all situations. ENGINEERING must dictate the best design for intersections, but we also need EDUCATION and ENFORCEMENT for them to operate safely and efficiently. Pabe 1 of 1 Murashige, Laura From: Bob Ward [rgward007@hawaii.rr.com] Sent: Monday, November 07, 2005 1:20 PM , To: Council Testimony I,.'~' ~~i`I f~ Subject: Commitee PW&IR I have attached my written testimony related to Resolution 193-05 before the COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC WORKS B INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS. Robert Ward Kailua Kona 11/7/2005