by ANDY SEVIILLA
A safety and mobility improvement design may be headed to the “dangerous” FM 1626 and Kohler’s Crossing intersection in Kyle, though the proposed plans deviate from the city’s norm and the public’s input has yet to be solicited.
Council members unanimously gave a green light to the Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) pursuit for a roundabout at that intersection, as opposed to the more traditional traffic light drivers are accustomed to approaching at Kyle intersections. Council members Samantha Bellows-LeMense and Brad Pickett were absent for the discussion.
“The Institute of Transportation Engineers recognizes the safety, operational and sustainability benefits of roundabouts, and recommends transportation professionals and owning jurisdictions include roundabouts as an option when intersections are being planned and designed,” a 2011 Institute of Transportation Engineers draft policy statement was reported as saying in a Kyle Planning and Zoning (P&Z) executive briefing on Feb. 26.
But considering a roundabout instead of a traffic light was not the chief concern for some council members. Instead, they were hinged on the lack of public involvement on the directive.
“I’m here trying to make a decision, but I’d sure be interested in knowing what the public has to say about this,” said council member Ray Bryant as he struggled with a decision to recommend TxDOT’s pursuit for a roundabout.
Council members were told that three city advisory committees — P&Z, mobility and emergency services — had been presented the roundabout versus traffic light information and two of them recommended moving forward with a roundabout, while the mobility committee’s members voted three in favor and three against a roundabout, with one member abstaining, according to City Engineer Steve Widacki.
TxDOT does not want to set policy at the local level and therefore is seeking the council’s recommendation to move forward with a roundabout and hold public hearings, and if the community “can’t stomach” the plan, then a traffic light could go in its place, said Assistant City Manager James Earp.
TxDOT representative Victor Vargas said the state would cover the costs for either a roundabout or a traffic light at the intersection and said TxDOT was soliciting the council’s “blessing” to move forward with plans for either option.
Vargas said a roundabout is expected to cost about $350,000, compared to a traffic light that runs about $250,000. He said the city would not be responsible for any design and constructions costs, and that the state agency would build either plan out of their own pocket.
Still, council member Diane Hervol wanted to delay a council recommendation to April 16 to allow for public comment, since Vargas said under questioning that the state was not under deadline.
“Being that taxpayers will not be paying for this roundabout, then I see no reason to have (public outreach) workshops with the citizens,” council member Becky Selbera said. “I believe that we should approve TxDOT to move forward with the other steps necessary that they need to start designing the roundabout on this dangerous area that people complain about all the time.”
Council member David Wilson, too, felt the time to move forward on the project was at their April 2 meeting.
“I’m interested with TxDOT getting on with something that’s going to make our citizens safer, and they’ve committed to do some design work here. I think it’s wise to move it and encourage them to move something like that as quick as possible,” Wilson said, all the while understanding the necessity for public input and adding that 50 Kyle residents have seen the information already – 21 individuals at the three city boards, seven council members, and meeting audiences for P&Z and the April 2 council meeting.
Wilson said he thought the city boards’ recommendations also would be representative of the larger public.
Gary Schatz, who, according to his hour-long presentation to the city council, is a Professional Engineer for Austin’s transportation department, told council members his recommendation would be to move forward with the roundabout.
“What I’m hearing from staff and TxDOT is, ‘would you give us your blessing to go forward and sell this idea.’” Schatz told council members in his recommendation. “And I think it’s very appropriate for council to say, ‘we’re ok with you going forward and selling this, we want you to come back at some point in time, tell us the results of your sell job and if we’re hearing from our constituents that there just is not a level of comfort,’ then you can factor that in into a second consideration. That may be a two-step option that may be appropriate.”
Schatz’ presentation showed that roundabouts are safer than traditional intersections, more efficient, serve all roadway users, has geometric flexibility and allows for gateways or focal points.
Statistics show that a 35 percent reduction in total crashes, a 76 percent reduction in severe injuries and an 89 percent reduction in fatal crashes can be attained after implementing a roundabout at four-leg intersections, according to P&Z’s executive briefing.
“After seeing, specifically, the statistics on roundabouts … I would in a heartbeat try and make this happen for my city,” Mayor Lucy Johnson said. “The fact that is comes, gratis (free) to us, and would actually save us money in the future from avoiding the costs of maintaining the traffic light, it’s just the icing on the cake for me.”
Vargas told council members that when the city reaches a population of 50,000, TxDOT would hand over all signaled light intersections and their maintenance costs. With roundabouts, electric costs, light bulb changes and expenses for sending out crews are saved, he said.
