Neighborhood favors roundabout at Taft Hill and Vine

By JoAn Bjarko
North Forty News

There will be a roundabout at the intersection of North Taft Hill and Vine Drive sometime next year.

All but one of the northern Larimer County residents attending a public hearing Sept. 18 told county commissioners that's what they wanted, and the commissioners obliged.

The intersection is currently controlled with a four-way stop. County engineers had planned to install a traffic light as part of a road-improvement project when they realized a single-lane roundabout might improve traffic flow. A public outreach effort garnered nearly 100 comments, with 55 percent preferring the roundabout and 35 percent preferring the signal.

At the hearing, Poudre High School teacher Russell Brown said he was concerned about inexperienced drivers from PHS navigating the roundabout.

Residents surrounding the intersection, however, said a roundabout--with a speed limit of 20 miles per hour--would slow down traffic and be safer for pedestrians of all ages. They feared drivers would speed up to beat a red light if a traffic signal were installed.

"It's very easy to learn to navigate a roundabout," said Steve Knox.

Scott Walker said he made a special trip to south Fort Collins to test the roundabout at the intersection of Kechter and Ziegler roads, driving through it from every possible direction. He also supported the roundabout and said it will maintain the feel of the neighborhood.

The roundabout's design will allow the county to save 16 to 20 mature trees that otherwise would be lost to pavement and utility lines. County staff noted that because a roundabout has less idling traffic, emissions are reduced.

Construction costs are about the same. The county's comparison shows a signalized intersection costs about $455,000 compared with $440,000 for a roundabout.