Sarasota, Manatee counties, state rolling out roundabouts in greater numbers

Like them or not, roundabouts and traffic circles have been built in increasing numbers on Sarasota and Manatee county roads in the last five years.

The changes have brought mixed feelings in commuters, many saying inexperienced and uneducated drivers are unsure of how to properly go with the traffic flow.

“I avoid them if possible,” wrote Justin Stuppy on a Facebook post seeking reactions on the subject. “They work great in theory, but people don’t know how to use them. Half the time, no one yields to traffic in the roundabout and thinks they can just enter without even looking. I see several people swerving across lanes inside the roundabout because they weren’t paying attention when they entered and entered the wrong lane.”

Some commuters still see the value of roundabouts, despite difficulties with other drivers.

“They definitely move the traffic more quickly,” wrote Valerie Colmery Rawlings, “but you have to be paying attention to those unfamiliar with using them.”

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“When you know how to use them, they’re far better than a (traffic) light,” wrote Bruce Heidke. “Traffic moves much smoother. They’re not so good for the timid.”

In the last five years, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has completed eight roundabouts in Sarasota and Manatee counties, with seven more scheduled for construction in upcoming years, not counting versions built on county or developer-constructed roads.

Manatee County has added 13 in the last five years, with eight more planned by the county and 10 more by local developers within the next five years.

On the state highway system alone, this investment has reached roughly $75 million, funded through state funds and other taxes. Manatee County has spent $13.62 million on roundabouts, which is roughly 40% of the $35 million budget for County Traffic Signals and Roundabouts.

Proposals are not always successful, though. Opposition to a roundabout on Lorraine Road and Players Drive in Lakewood Ranch prompted Manatee County Commissioners to reject that project.

“A traffic circle, no matter how well it is proposed to be constructed or how much it’s going to cost, I predict there are going to be a lot of accidents,” Glenn Stringer told commissioners at the meeting in mid-November.

Crashes, transportation officials concede, can still happen in a roundabout. But they tend to be less severe.

They offer “great safety and operational improvements,” said Alex Adames, the Florida Department of Transportation’s Construction Engineer.

“The main thing about roundabouts is the safety improvements that it brings to an intersection,” Adames said. “There’s a lot of research that has been done around (the safety) of roundabouts. We see about a 90% reduction in fatalities, about a 75% reduction in injuries with severe injuries, and 10% to 40% fewer pedestrian and bicycle crashes.”

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A key component of the reduction of crashes is the requirement to reduce speed when entering, and lower chances of broadside or head-on collisions. Instead, roundabout collisions are typically sideswipes, which are less damaging to the vehicle and less likely to produce severe injuries.

This is one of the key components that goes into deciding where to place roundabouts, according to Adames and Manatee County Deputy Director of Public Works Clarke Davis.

“One of the main driving factors behind constructing roundabouts is the safety,” Davis said. “In an area where there are known crash histories, especially (dangerous) types of crashes that can be mitigated by a roundabout, it would be looked at as an option prior to implementing a signal.”

Another key component, according to Adames, is the lack of ongoing maintenance for roundabouts. Though the initial investment may be higher, there is no maintenance or utility expense associated with operating a roundabout as there is with traffic signals that break down and require routine operational maintenance.

In order to address the public concerns of drivers being unsure of how to use roundabouts, both the FDOT and Manatee County have created print and digital materials to distribute at events and provide online.

FDOT has an online resource that provides videos and other information to assist with educating drivers on how to navigate a roundabout.

“We are building projects to educate the communities,” Adames said.  “We have education videos on our website. We have a lot of great information, (Frequently Asked Questions, and more). We go directly to the communities and talk to them when we’re building a project … hand them brochures and answer their questions.”

Manatee County's scheduled roundabout construction includes:

· Creekwood Boulevard at 73rd Street East;

· Fort Hamer Road at North River Ranch Trail (developer-built, under construction);

· Two potentials on 75^th Street West at 46^th Avenue West and 51^st Avenue West (developer-built);

· Honore Avenue at Old Farm Road;

· Lena Road at 44^th Avenue East and at Brower Drive;

· Moccasin Wallow Road at U.S. 301 (under construction);

· Whitfield Avenue at Tuttle Avenue (under construction).

Planned roundabout construction on state highways in Sarasota-Manatee:

· U.S. 41 at Main Street and Ringling Boulevard in Sarasota;

· State Road 70 east of Lorraine Road at Uihlein Road, Del Webb Boulevard and Bourneside Road in Lakewood Ranch;

· State Road 64 at Lorraine Road;

· U.S. 41 at 23^rd Street in Palmetto;

· Two are in the permitting process at Wellen Park.

Catherine Hicks is a reporter for the Community News Collaborative. She can be reached at chicks@cncfl.org.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Where are the next roundabouts planned in Sarasota and Manatee counties?