While checking google alerts on press roundabout construction activity one finds some where one cannot stop oneself from commenting. It is particularly poignant living in Chittenden County and Burlington with numberless busy streets which are unsafe for all modes.
Drive underway to stop Redlands [CO] roundabout
http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/articles/drive-underway-to-stop-redlands-roundabout#
The United States once #1 in highway
safety collapsed to #19 recently and we record 12,000 excess deaths
(of over 30,000 fatalities a year)--19th was before the highest jump,
7%, in U.S. highway fatalities last year, the greatest increase
recorded in a half century. Pedestrians and bicycle fatalities
increased at a greater rate last year and for several years before
compared to vehicle occupant deaths. The roundabout, the safety belt
of intersections cuts serious and fatal injuries about 90%--the U.S.
lags most nations in adopting modern roundabout technology (built
with stone age materials). Finally, this year the Obama
administration took action--it requires States and metropolitan
agencies (MPOs) to record current car occupant fatalities/serious injuries and
separately the rate for walk bike rates per mile of travel. The
state highway agencies and MPOs then must set a target for reducing
serious/fatal injury rates and then measure their results--this is a
must to continue to receive federal highway dollars. Sweden, #1 i
highway safety, has more roundabouts now than traffic signals and
moves to reduce their traffic signal numbers another 40%. You can
imagine my view of a petition to stop a roundabout being installed
for increased safety.
Tony Redington @TonyRVT08
TonyRVT.blogspot.com
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