Roundabout Analysis

- Joe Lacetera                                             

The Lutheran School applicants have tried to present the concept of a roundabout at the entrance to the Millstad site in a positive light, touting it as a problem solver, and using the euphemism "traffic calming device" to describe it effects. On January 23d, 2006, they even presented a dubious video of a simulation of the projected traffic flow at peak school traffic hours.  The video didn't show a single car traveling north on Whitaker Mill Road (WMR) being stopped by the school traffic, but then it didn't seem to have properly accounted for the expected peak in traffic from either the 4-way stop at the intersection of WMR and Old Joppa Road, or from the south on WMR.

The video was not allowed as evidence by the examiner, because the model and the input  data could not be validated.

What is the real impact of the roundabout?

In fact, the roundabout will only benefit the users of Millstad. Currently, cars moving along Whitaker Mill Road past the Millstad site have unrestricted flow in the northerly direction and only on rare occasions are held up in the easterly direction by a vehicle waiting to enter the site.  With the roundabout in place, normal traffic flow will be interrupted by vehicles in the roundabout entering the site.  The total effect of the school traffic with the roundabout will be much worse than any traffic flow problems we would otherwise encounter.  Not only that, but the roundabout will also have a negative impact during all other hours.  Presently, when cars are not entering or leaving the site, traffic is unrestricted.  With the roundabout in place, cars that presently traverse the curve at 20mph will be forced to a crawl around the circle.

The roundabout is a bad idea!