A reputation attaches to the intersection of I and 22nd streets northeast in north Auburn.
A bad one.
A wide, four-way-stop-controlled intersection, it is characterized by numerous approaches from each direction that create turning conflicts and sow confusion in the minds of drivers and pedestrians.
That confusion, City traffic engineers say, is behind the relatively high rate of collisions there, a significant number of which involve pedestrians.
Now engineers are confident they’ve found a solution. One they say may just spare future broken bones and dented vehicles — a traffic roundabout.
The City was recently awarded federal grant money for the design phase of the roundabout, and it expects to apply for future grants.
“We plan on getting the design completed probably by (the middle of) next year and to be in a position to go after future grant funding for construction,” Traffic Engineer Pablo Para recently informed City leaders.
Auburn installed its first roundabout in 2008 at the intersection of Southeast 304th Street and 124th Avenue on Lea Hill.
As City Councilman Rich Wagner recalled, the City OK’d roundabouts at that time only for moving traffic, not for pedestrians. He worried about safety of students coming to and from nearby Cascade Middle School.
“I would ask you to be sure to analyze the safe-walking routes for students as you design this,” Wagner said.
Para said the City plans to coordinate the project with the Auburn School District and with the nearby community. In fact, the grant the City actually has requires it to hold neighborhood meetings.
“There’s a lot of misconceptions about roundabouts in general, but they do actually have an improved safety record over the four-way-stop control that is there now,” Para said.
“For vehicles, not necessarily for pedestrians,” Wagner suggested, returning to his point.
“For both,” Para responded.
Para said school buses have been factored into the conceptual layout
He said the general layout fits into the right of way at that location, so the City probably won’t need to buy more right of way. Replacing an old four-way traffic signal or signs, a roundabout moves vehicles through an intersection without a signal by directing them counterclockwise around a center island, rather than requiring a full stop.
There are several advantages to such a setup: traffic continues flowing without backing up; such an intersection can carry 30 to 50 percent more vehicles than like-sized intersections during rush hour; and with a posted low speed, any accidents that do occur would be much less severe. Roundabouts also cost less to maintain.
