East Lansing motorists might be driving in circles in 2002.
The East Lansing City Council affirmed Tuesday that it will continue considering a roundabout in place of a four-way stop at the corner of Albert Avenue and Charles Street.
If approved, the roundabout will be built during the spring of 2002 to accommodate the $35 million City Center Project. City officials will have the current roundabout design analyzed by other architects and roundabout-specialists before deciding to move ahead.
Lori VanOmmeran, city urban designer and community analyst, said a roundabout will keep traffic toward the City Center Project on Charles Street moving.
“The idea is we would not have a four-way stop at every intersection,” VanOmmeran said. “We want to keep traffic moving smoothly.”
East Lansing’s traffic innovation would resemble the roundabout at the intersection of Marsh Road and Hamilton Road in Okemos.
Since its June opening, Okemos’ roundabout has had mostly positive reviews.
Dave Sonnenberg, director of traffic and safety for the Ingham County Road Commission, said the roundabout initially was met with disfavor, but people quickly adapted to the slow-speed intersection.
“We had lots of public hearings and had a lot of skeptics, but they all seem to have caught on,” Sonnenberg said. “Roundabouts are new in the United States. Maybe the Americans are a little slow on trying something new. Europeans have been using them, successfully using them, for years.”
Despite the roundabout’s success across the globe and across town, city officials are still skeptical. Without an entrance to the new parking garage from Albert Avenue, the potential gridlock of cars trying to enter the structure from the roundabout could cause congestion and create more dangers for pedestrians.
Councilmember Bill Sharp said he is concerned about people avoiding the downtown area and the City Center Project because of possible traffic problems.
“I see some big pitfalls,” he said. “We need to keep in our mind that we’re putting retail space in East Lansing. We’ve had it preached to us that Albert (Avenue) is the main drag.
“We need to make sure it’s driver friendly. If it’s not, people won’t come, and the merchants won’t be happy.”
Additionally, some larger vehicles, including Capital Area Transportation Authority buses, would have to pull over the island in the middle of the roundabout to make it through the turns.
Mayor Pro Tem Beth Schwarze said although the idea of large vehicles and troubled pedestrians leaves her wary of the idea, the on-street parking the roundabout would provide would be a welcome change.
“I think it is really important that we have on-street parking,” Schwarze said. “Even though we may not be able to get a parking spot there, the appearance is that you can, and people can see that.”
