Shape of things to come or road to ruin?
Editor’s note: The Press-Republican asked
readers to tell us what they think about the City of Plattsburgh’s first
roundabout, located at the intersection of Rugar Street, George Angell
Drive and Prospect Avenue in front of Plattsburgh High
School.
Here are all the
responses:
"I feel the roundabout is
not the answer to the problem on Rugar Street/Angell Drive. I find it
confusing and adding to the congestion.
"Also, how is the city going
to maneuver a plow through in winter?
— Geraldine Maliniak,
Plattsburgh
"As a former Plattsburgh
High School student, I am well aware of the "traffic problems" in the
front of the High School. I don’t see this roundabout as resolving the
underlying problem at that intersection anyway.
"The problem with the
intersection isn’t traffic volume; it’s the concentration of inexperienced
drivers in that one location at certain periods of time.
"Little to no traffic enters
the intersection from Prospect Avenue, and Angell Drive only experiences
traffic in the morning and afternoon. I’m not sure when exactly this
intersection became the biggest traffic concern in the city, but traffic
congestion just doesn’t exist in this intersection to merit such drastic
changes like a roundabout or traffic light."
— Mark Tiffer,
Plattsburgh
"I just purchased a house in
the city. I think the roundabout was a well-meaning idea, but the
construction of it is a little off.
"I see trucks turning down
Leonard Avenue instead, and that street is residential that previously saw
no tractor-trailers. I think the types of traffic that goes through that
intersection were not considered fully.
"The lanes are a bit too
narrow. The dividers going in should be smaller for the lane to be wider
and the actually roundabout itself a little smaller to allow the bigger
trucks to go through.
"They say you can drive on
it if you have to, but would you think that way if you were to approach
it?"
— Lynn King,
Plattsburgh
"Many thanks to the
Press-Republican for providing an opportunity to Plattsburgh residents to
express an opinion about the roundabouts. For the record, the roundabouts
are not safe or efficient — and the diagonal parking is a ridiculous
idea."
— Claire Goineau,
Plattsburgh
"I do not feel as though the
roundabout on Rugar Street is effectively working. It does slow people
down, but more than anything, I think it causes confusion.
"I can’t imagine what would
happen if a fire truck or tractor-trailer truck had to go over or maneuver
through this intersection. It appears that it would be
dangerous.
"I do agree that
fender-benders should be less severe, simply because the confusion causes
everyone to slow or stop.
"I say get rid of it and put
in four-way stop signs."
— Bette Durocher,
Plattsburgh
"Who the heck thought this
one up? My wife and I went to check this roundabout out Saturday morning.
We almost got hit by a pickup truck that didn’t yield the right of way.
Not that this is anything new, as far too many drivers in this area don’t
pay attention to road signs.
"I couldn’t believe how
narrow the roadway is going around the center island. Why would anyone in
their right mind put something in the middle of the road that has to be
driven over by anything larger than a mid-size vehicle?
"Furthermore, there isn’t
any escape path to take in order to avoid a collision. Defensive driving
is all but ruled out. Where is one to go with only three-quarters of a
lane to work with?
"A better solution would be
to rework the entire intersection and control it with traffic lights. Of
course, we would probably have to wait till the appropriate number of
people are killed or seriously maimed before that would
happen."
— Jim Morris,
Plattsburgh
"STUPID. Money would be
better spent on street repair."
— Former Mayor John L.
Ianelli, Plattsburgh
"I would like to give my
comments on the new roundabout on Rugar Street.
"I go through that intersection every morning around
7:30 a.m., which is one of the times traffic can be the worst there.
Although I used to have to wait to turn right off George Angell Drive, I
preferred that to this new arrangement.
"I have been through roundabouts in other larger
cities, and I have two problems with this one:
"1. The intersection is too small for a roundabout.
The circle is too tight when going all the way around. When turning right
or going straight, it really is no different than it was
before.
"2. Drivers are not using it correctly. Most people
traveling on Rugar Street keep going the way they always have, rather than
yielding the way they are supposed to.
"In my opinion, it is an accident waiting to happen.
A traffic light would make much more sense."
— Laura Stevens, Morrisonville
"I’m in Plattsburgh all the time, and I hate the
roundabout. I avoid the roundabout because I find that people don’t know
what to do, and that makes it dangerous. I just don’t feel
safe."
— Renate Peterson, Saranac Lake
"I don’t see where there’s a necessity to have it
there. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
"If they put future roundabouts in — I don’t see a
need for it in the city — like Broad and North Catherine, it would be a
disaster. There’s way too much traffic. It’ll be like a ‘step on the gas
and try to squeeze in’."
— Mark Finnell, Cadyville
"I used to use that back way to go to the mall. I try
to avoid it now.
"If there’s even one or two cars there, it’s a mess.
When school is letting out, it’s much worse. Just getting through it is a
pain.
"I don’t know what they’re going to do when it’s time
to plow."
— Pete Jock, Plattsburgh
"I use that strip for everything. The original idea
was to slow down traffic, I believe. The intersection has a lot of
traffic, especially when school gets out.
"I used that street all the time and never had any
problem with drivers.
"I just can’t wait for winter to see how the plows
will keep those very narrow arteries clean; it’s going to be an absolute
disaster.
"This may be rumor, but I heard the engineer who came
here to design the roundabouts doesn’t even own a vehicle.
"As far as having a fire truck trying to make the
curves, I think it’s the most insane thing I’ve ever seen.
"Someone at the top must think we’re like Syracuse or
Buffalo. This is a small town, and people have been navigating the streets
with no problem."
— Roland J. Fredette, Plattsburgh
"I hate it. Basically, I think it’s an accident
waiting to happen. It seems like no one knows what to do there, and
everybody is tentative.
"I hope they don’t keep it. I’m trying to figure out
a way to avoid it. I hate to go that way because I don’t feel
comfortable."
— Julie Parada, Morrisonville
"I thought the Post Office (Miller Street) parking
was a little ridiculous, but the roundabout is totally ridiculous — a
tragedy.
"Our tax dollars are being wasted. Our taxes keep
going up, and we wonder why."
— Robert Thompson, Plattsburgh
"I used to have a moving business; I drove tractor-
trailers. I don’t know how I’d get around that circle. No matter the size
of the curb, it would be very hard on the tires when you have a full load.
Tires for big trucks are expensive. I don’t think it’s fair to the
companies that have to make deliveries through there.
"We have a police force; put someone out there, and
when you catch someone speeding, up those fines.
"It’s (the roundabout) a hazard."
— Isadore Defayette, Plattsburgh
"It’s tough to get tractor-trailers around it. To
maneuver a 43-foot tractor-trailer around the circle is virtually
impossible. It will probably damage the circle and will cause damage to
vehicles."
— Robin Weeden, Plattsburgh, manager of Crowley
Foods
"It’s a bad idea. I used the one near the school — I
don’t know how you use them, too narrow. (City Councilor) Jack Stewart
said the mayor should listen to the people (on roundabouts)."
— Gary Sargeant, Plattsburgh
"If I’ve got a bike, do I become a car? If you’re
walking, is the pedestrian allowed to cross? How could a fire truck ever
get straight without going across the roundabout?
— Ruth Kramer, Plattsburgh
"Good but too small."
— Tim McCormick, Cliff Haven
"They should have put in an all-way stop or a light.
It’s a mess."
— Jane Houghton, Plattsburgh
"I think the roundabout makes the intersection
awkward, instead of the yield. There should be a four-way stop without the
crap in the middle of the road."
— Stephanie Rhoades, Plattsburgh
"I’m totally against it. They’re very
dangerous."
— Clyde Cook, Peru
"It’s too small. I never heard anything so ridiculous
as having trucks roll over it. It strikes me as nonsense.
"If the city can’t make it larger, they should forget
about it."
— Joan Janson, Plattsburgh
"Personally being a fisherman, a boater, this is an
atrocious thing, this roundabout up by Angel Drive."
— Wayne Wilkins, Plattsburgh
"I think it’s dangerous. A fire truck went by
yesterday, and he (the driver) had to go over the
roundabout."
— Alan Garrant, Plattsburgh
"I’ve lived in other places where they had them; I’ve
always liked them. I work at the school, so I have to use this one every
day.
"The buildup we used to have on George Angel Drive
has pretty much evaporated. There used to be up to a 20-minute wait some
afternoons when school got out. Now there’s virtually no wait; traffic
seems to move right along, and those are the pluses.
"It is a little small; it could be bigger. The other
thing that needs to be done is education. People don’t know how to use
them. There needs to be more education of how they’re used. I’d like to
see more of them in Plattsburgh."
— Steve Graf, Plattsburgh
"The construction of the so-called roundabout by PHS
is an engineering nightmare. The road isn’t wide enough to accommodate an
authentic roundabout, and it is cumbersome for cars to maneuver around it,
let alone trucks and other larger vehicles.
"I understand that the traffic flow during certain
times of the day at that intersection is heavy, but this idea (a bad one
at that) is definitely not the solution.
"Although we live in Peru, we use Rugar Street and
find attempting to navigate this sorry excuse for a roundabout to be
difficult and disconcerting."
— Jim and Carol Ruscoe, Peru
"This is a great idea except the circle needs to be
three times larger than it is if its intended purpose is to handle traffic
volume more efficiently.
"With the circle being so small, traffic cannot flow
freely from four directions, and you end up with nothing more than a
four-way-stop intersection. Great for reducing speeds, but bad for
reducing vehicular congestion.
"Traffic planners should also realize that traffic
circles are not pedestrian friendly! Putting one in front of a school is
probably not a good idea unless more than one crossing guard is assigned
to address pedestrian safety issues."
— Tim Meschinelli, Plattsburgh
"The roundabout can’t be for real! It’s as bad as the
wrong-way angle parking.
"Maybe the city leaders need to visit some other
cities to see the right way to manage a growing city. If you can’t do
something right, don’t waste money getting it wrong."
— Al Johnson, West Chazy
"I think the roundabout is completely ridiculous. Is this the city trying to pretend
it’s a metropolis or what? C’mon, Plattsburgh does not need a roundabout.
It just doesn’t work for such a small community. Roundabouts require lots
of space to work effectively. Somebody make it stop! Please! I’m getting
dizzy just thinking about it."
— Jody Leavens, Plattsburgh
"The roundabout makes little, if any, sense. At a
time when the city has already raised every tax and fee and rate, we can
not afford the extra expense.
"The idea that large trucks, etc., can drive over it
is insane. We are supposed to have roads on which to drive, not curbs to
drive over.
"This is another example of officials in our city
government insisting on doing what they want rather than listening to the
folks who elected them."
— Robert Cavanaugh, Plattsburgh
"The roundabout pathway to an accident is considered
a headache in Buffalo, NY. Drivers in western New York have for years
tried to eliminate the circles in the middle of McKinley
Parkway.
"Confusion, frustration and accidents have been the
only things heightened around the turns. The circles, however, in Buffalo
are much wider than the one on Rugar Street.
"This issue will lead to more confusion if not higher
insurance premiums. I don’t commend the city at all for this
decision."
— S. Mayer
"I discovered the round intersection last week and
had no trouble navigating it. However, I grew up in Massachusetts and
learned to drive where "rotaries" were just part of the landscape. There
is seldom a problem unless people treat the YIELD sign as a full stop.
However, most of those Massachusetts circles have two lanes, not just one
as on Rugar Street.
"It is helpful to slow a bit as you approach the
circle and to time your merging to fit the speed and spacing of other
vehicles going around. Perhaps at rush hour that would be somewhat tricky,
but there’s no reason to worry if drivers have to wait a bit before easing
into the circular traffic.
"People here should be able to get used to it, unlike
the out-of-staters who panic and jam things up waiting to enter the large
rotaries at the bridges to Cape Cod!"
— Jan Forsman
"I would like to put in my two cents on the
roundabout. I come from Australia where they use roundabouts throughout
all of Queensland, and they are very successful. My husband and I have
used them on visits and find them very safe.
"My husband, David, says that the only fault he has
with the Rugar Street one is that it is too small. But we all learn by our
mistakes, and hopefully they will try again at some time."
— Jackie and David Nisoff, Morrisonville
"The roundabout on Rugar Street might work better if,
instead of physical barriers, the lanes and roundabout were painted on the
road. This would make it easier for large trucks and emergency vehicles to
negotiate the roundabout and still guide vehicles around. This works well
in England.
"People just have to learn the new traffic pattern
and in time will come to like the way traffic flows. They do work very
well."
— Vivienne Degen
"It would make more sense to have a traffic light at
this busy intersection than this crazy maze you have created. Whose
thought was it?"
— Lillian Hamel-Rizzie, Plattsburgh
"I feel a traffic light would be the smarter and
safer idea for that intersection. Many people do not know how to negotiate
the confusing circle. And it is a tight fit for large trucks and buses.
The traffic circle, a bad idea."
— Eric O’Connell, Plattsburgh
"We hoped for a rotary, which is popular in Maine and
New Hampshire. The Rugar Street roundabout is a disaster waiting to
happen.
"It’s so bad, I had to take my husband to see it.
Who’s doing what? That’s the question. Can’t believe any traffic engineer
would even allow it.
"Watching a big 22-wheeler navigate could probably
get you a win on the funniest videos.
"That’s our opinion, and, oh yes, God forbid the city
does that to the base/PARC entrance. Please send this engineer back to
school before he does any more designing."
— Steve and Charlotte Mayhew
"I think the concept is good but as usual the city
failed to do it right. If it were a little larger it might work
better.
"I cannot imagine anyone thinking that designing
something with the idea in mind that if you could not negotiate it you
would just go over the curb. I have taken many drivers for road tests on
various-size vehicles and some have failed because they just glazed a
curb.
"Many people I’ve talked to wonder what happens when
it snows? How easy will it be then to go over the curb? Has anyone taken a
plow through there?
"I live on a wide country road, and the plows here
can’t even negotiate without taking out our mailboxes on a regular
basis."
— Ella M. Wood, Plattsburgh
"Have not seen the new Plattsburgh roundabout, but
have seen many here in Florida, where they are the present traffic
engineering fad.
"Large roundabouts seem to work fine where traffic is
relatively light. They are a nightmare, however, if constructed in small
dimensions and/or where traffic is heavy.
"One in particular in Stuart, Florida, is commonly
referred to as ‘Confusion Corners.’
"Full-service traffic lights with on-demand sensors
are the only sensible way to control traffic and enhance traffic safety at
busy intersections."
— Ronald R. Brooks, Major (retired) New York State
Police
"I travel Rugar Street two, three times per week. I
have noticed a danger at the roundabout; it is that everyone
believes that they have the right-of-way. Hence, no one slows, let alone
stops, for the other guy, if necessary.
"I heard that fire trucks cannot make it through,
ambulances cannot make it through. Why is it even a topic of discussion,
if it’s a safety concern — there should be no question, fix it or get rid
of it.
"Why don’t the police take charge of the traffic
safety concern?
"Another thing, examine the traffic patterns at lunch
time and when school is getting out.
"And by all means do not wait till someone is injured
or for a life-threatening situation.
"Mayor, you’re wrong. Roundabouts are not for
Plattsburgh.
"Fire the engineer. For two reasons — guess the
other..."
— Vincent Puliafico, Plattsburgh
"Other than it being too small and restrictive to
larger vehicles, I think the new roundabout serves a useful purpose. I
also travel through that roundabout numerous times a day including 7:50
and 8:15 every morning.
"I have not had any difficulty and have observed
motorists yielding to each other and passing through without difficulty.
It has certainly allowed vehicles coming out of the High School to go in
any direction much faster then before.
"People have a tendency to resist accepting change
before trying it out. With some modifications, it will work. However, I
wonder how snow removal will be handled as all the curbs will be covered
with a significant snowfall and early morning traffic."
— Roy Garrant, Plattsburgh
"Why don’t they put a traffic light instead of a
roundabout? It makes much more sense."
— Jane Sweeney
"The roundabout can hardly be called a roundabout.
The area is too small for a convenient roundabout, and the idea that the
center area was made so the large trucks can go on top of it is
unbelievable.
"Having witnessed what a truck driver goes through
trying to negotiate the area, it certainly does not accommodate large
vehicles.
"Please remove it and put a regular stoplight there.
That’s what we should have done before we tried changing direction of
travel or installing the temporary roundabout.
"Busy parents on their way to work do not have time
to add this extra puzzle to their list of things to do. Thank you for the
opportunity to express my opinion."
— Sue Geddes, Plattsburgh
"Roundabouts do have their place in traffic patterns;
however I do have a tendency to agree with the comments made by Mr. Ronnie
Rinn to the City Council.
"Further, the roundabout coming from the east to the
west is less cumbersome than from west to east, which is both too narrow
and too sharp.
"The comments from the fire chief concerning both the
ambulances’ and the fire trucks’ ability to ‘take the bump’ and not do
damage to the undercarriage is not the brightest thing he’s ever said. The
object of a roundabout is not to have that happen — it is designed to
smooth out traffic, not interfere with it or cause vehicles to ‘go over
the bumps.’
"As for Mr. Stuart Voss’s comments concerning the
roundabout, they only typify the difference between academic thinking and
reality. It would take a driving genius going west to east towing a boat
to maneuver around that portion of the roundabout without running over the
barriers. Boat trailers are not built to take the bumps like the fire
chief’s vehicles. What damage would that do to a boat or anything else on
a trailer?
"It seems the side toward the school is not as wide
as the opposite side — did anyone use measuring equipment?
"If they are both of equal width, then perhaps that
is the wrong spot for a roundabout. If you really want to see how a
roundabout works, go to Latham on Route 9. It’s difficult at best to take
something meant for a large area and reduce it to smaller specifications
and expect it will work.
"Did any members of the placement committee ever take
a traffic light into consideration. Oh, that’s right, there was one there
and it was taken out? It does get more difficult when you try to reinvent
the wheel. Case in point, the roundabout at that location."
— Ron Marino, Plattsburgh
"I feel strongly that the roundabout is a mistake.
And I urge the removal of the existing one and also urge that no more be
constructed."
— Elizabeth Kelley, Plattsburgh
"I am responding to your request for feedback on the
first (and hopefully only) roundabout by the High School. It has been my
experience that it has created more of a traffic problem than existed
before. Now there are lines of traffic backed up in all four directions,
partly because the lanes are so narrow, but also because everyone has a
Yield sign so no one seems to have the right of way. This has created a
great deal of confusion.
"The narrow lanes mean that large vehicles, such as
the school buses, can barely navigate the curves!
"Since this is admittedly a bad intersection, why
haven’t traffic lights been installed here? Why not remove the (useless)
light at Adirondack Lane and move it to Angell Drive? If the streets do
not line up properly, then a two-light system, such as at the Boynton
Avenue-Beekman Street intersection, could be studied.
"As a taxpayer, I’d like to know who dreamed up this
roundabout and how much it has cost all of us.
"This seems to be about as much a boondoggle as the
downtown Post Office and Court Street backwards parking!!!"
— Barbara Adams, Plattsburgh
"I didn’t think the roundabout would be a good idea
while in the making, but I’ve changed my mind! I think it’s
great.
"Coming from Saranac Lake (I work at SUNY), I know
Rugar Street is a shortcut to downtown. Way too many cars and especially
trucks travel this route to avoid Route 3 traffic lights.
"I’ve witnessed a lot of vehicles barreling past the
school and college to Broad Street at unsafe speeds. This road should be
for local and school use only!!!
"The traffic circle and the college’s pedestrian
crosswalks (which were sorely needed and only installed a few years ago!)
make Rugar Street much safer.
"Kudos to the city for its planning and
installation."
— LJ Schwartau, Saranac Lake
"This past Saturday, my wife and I drove up Rugar
Street to see what all the fuss was about concerning the city’s
experimental roundabout.
"What a joke! As a civil engineer having majored in
transportation, the effort here would be laughable, if it were not such a
hazard.
"As the Press article noted, it is undersized to fit
the available street configuration. This cannot be acceptable.
"There are significant critical reasons for sizing a
roundabout intersection at its proper dimensions. These include such items
as the ability for larger vehicles to make the required turns and the
ability to plow it in the winter.
"In a recent letter to the editor, a Mr. Rinn noted
that his trucks could not make the turns without going up on the curb with
resultant possible damage. Has he, in effect, put the city on notice that
should he or others suffer damage in the roundabout because of its poor
design that the city would now be liable?
"How about other large vehicles being unable to make
the turns, such as school buses, limos, tandem dumps and moving vans, to
name a few?
"How does the city plan on plowing it if the plows
cannot make the circle? Will they send out a small pickup-truck plow after
each storm?
"This appears to be yet another in a long list of
poorly-thought-out ideas for ‘improving’ the city and unless properly
sized, should, in my opinion, be immediately removed as the liability and
traffic hazard that it is."
— David Glenn, Plattsburgh
"I have been through the roundabout three times since
its completion and have to say each time I approached it feeling annoyed.
To start with, I feel it is completely unnecessary.
"I travel through that intersection many times during
a week and never felt it was a problem area. I also walk through that
intersection with my dog twice a day and have never had a
problem.
"Secondly, I think its design is very unattractive. I
can only hope that if it does become permanent the city will keep only the
new round area and eliminate all the other chunks of paving. Also some
landscaping would make it more appealing.
"I have personally never come across such a small
roundabout, and I think it’s a pretty good waste of time and money. I
think the city could have used the funds on a more necessary
project."
— Kellie A. Porter, Plattsburgh
"The Rugar Street roundabout is a good improvement to
the traffic jams at Prospect and Rugar. If drivers will learn to slow down
and take their time and their turn, then we’ll all be the better — at less
cost and for a more attractive junction."
— James Bailey
"If the city was not going to take the time and
effort to construct a proper rotary, why bother? They have wasted time,
manpower and money to construct a traffic hazard.
"(The) comment that big trucks would have difficulty
traversing the roundabout is an understatement — a car will have
difficulty with this intersection. If the city was not going to use proper
dimensions, they should have made this a four-way stop
intersection."
— Verna Aubin
"I do not like the roundabout located on Rugar
Street. I went through it a few times, and it is an accident waiting to
happen. There was nothing wrong with the way it was before.
"I live in Cliff Haven, and I am dreading the day
they put that roundabout by the base. The traffic light has worked
perfectly for many years; why change it now?"
— T. Bolin, Cliff Haven
"I’ve traversed the roundabout on Rugar Street, and I
think it’s asinine.
"If large trucks have to drive onto the sidewalk now
to go through it, how are snowplows suppose to go through in the winter
time? Also, how are large low-boy trailers that have only about six inches
of clearance suppose to clear the concrete obstructions without getting
stuck on them.
"Seems to me somebody didn’t do their
homework.
"Another moot point, here in America these were
always known as ‘traffic circles’; how did the British Isle term get
adopted?"
— Paul McGee, Plattsburgh
"After living for many years in Germany, England and
Iceland, as well as several areas in the U.S. with these traffic devices,
I would have to say that if there is a need for one here, this isn’t
it.
"Normally, these are 50 to 75 yards across, and the
one on Rugar Street doesn’t meet that criteria.
"They also are normally at major intersections of
highways, not on a residential street. It would be fine instead of the
overpass on Route 3 and 87.
"The one on Rugar is so small you can’t determine who
has the right of way because as soon as you enter it, you’re out of it.
Bad idea there."
— Jay Robblee
"In my opinion, the roundabout installed on Rugar
Street near the High School is one of the stupidest things I have ever
known a city to do and quite dangerous. It doesn’t appear to serve any
purpose whatsoever.
"This morning, I was driving west on Rugar Street,
and, as I approached the roundabout, I noticed an 18-wheeler
tractor-trailer trying to drive east on Rugar. In order to navigate past
the roundabout, the driver had to drive right up and over part of the
asphalt circle.
"I realize that there is a lot of traffic there at
certain times of the day, but there is a traffic light nearby and the
speed limit is 20 mph, so I can’t imagine why anyone decided a roundabout
was necessary.
"Unfortunately, a roundabout is proposed for the
intersection of Route 9 and New York Road, which is near where I reside.
Again, what is the need? I frequently drive through that intersection, and
the traffic signal appears to be working fine.
"So far, all the opinions I have heard among my
neighbors have been negative, and we will look for alternate routes rather
than driving through a roundabout.
"Surely there are better things to be done with our
tax money."
— Gayle Hartman Plattsburgh
"What experience I’ve had with it — it seems much
more dangerous than it was. I don’t know the theory behind it, but it
doesn’t seem the best thing for traffic. I hope it will be changed
back."
— Blanche Young, Plattsburgh
"I am in this area often with my teens, going to
school at PHS and also am a member of a nearby church.
"In the short time it has been there, I have been
almost hit several times. I am very acquainted with how they work after
living in Sacramento, Calif., where they have a lot of them. However, most
people here have no idea how they work, which makes them very
unsafe.
"I watched the kids trying to cross the road — now
that not one car stops, it is almost impossible for them to get across.
Whoops, City Hall forgot about them.
"The only thing that is going to help the area when
school is in is a
good old-fashioned traffic cop for a couple of hours when school is
open.
"To sum it all up, it is dangerous, and it needs to
come out before something happens."
— Carol King, Plattsburgh
"Dan Stewart’s comment: ‘As people learn how to get
through the roundabout it will get better.’ When the back-in parallel
parking was started that was suppose to get better. What a
joke!
"Who ever heard of a curb designed to drive
over?
"With the streets in such dire need of repairs, like
U.S Avenue, how can money be so wasted?"
— John Shortell, Peru
"I pass through Rugar Street every day. I personally
think that the roundabout complicates traffic flow more so than the way it
was. If traffic was such a problem, why didn’t they just install a light
at that intersection?
"I cannot see how any big vehicles, including
emergency vehicles, can safely go through there without some type of
obstruction. I can’t imagine what it is going to be like during a
snowstorm in the winter when plows have to clean the streets.
"I believe that most of Mayor Stewart’s ideas have
been beneficial for the community, but allowing a traffic circle in such a
small area is ridiculous."
— Carl Ezero, Peru
"I like the traffic circle!"
— Mary Mason, Plattsburgh
"I would like to offer my opinions on the new traffic
circle that was recently constructed on Rugar Street/George Angell Drive
intersection.
"As a full time, on-campus student at Plattsburgh
State University, I must travel through this traffic circle every time I
leave the parking lot where my car is kept. I do not like this circle. I
think the intersection itself is much too small to accommodate a circle
like this. Traffic cannot flow smoothly when driving through the circle
due to its small size. Also, when going through the circle, I find that
many drivers do not know how to negotiate around the circle, and I have
witnessed a few close calls."
— Mallory Staples, Plattsburgh
"The intersection at the corners of Rugar Street,
Prospect Avenue and George Angell Drive was an area that needed to be
addressed. However, I believe the roundabout is a cumbersome and
ill-conceived response.
"The simple solution would have been to change the
light at the intersection of Rugar Street and Leonard Avenue to a yellow
caution light to slow traffic. Then install a traffic light at the Rugar
Street, Prospect Avenue and Angel Drive intersection with a pedestrian
walk light.
"Instead, we have a very tight circle that many find
confusing. It appears difficult to get through if you’re driving anything
larger than a Mini!
"The fire department, ambulance, police and anyone
driving a large commercial truck will have trouble maneuvering through the
circle. I’m sure the plows will do a number on it in the winter, requiring
continual maintenance at the taxpayers’ expense.
"This project, like the change to alternate parking
on several streets in the area, lack a major component: common
sense."
— Anonymous
"I think that the new roundabout is a accident
waiting to happen. I drive through there twice a day, and people are
confused about who has the right-of-way.
Why didn’t they just put a light there
instead?"
— Anonymous
"If the city is going to put a roundabout in, they
need to put a sign up saying the roundabout has right-of-way instead of
the yield sign. They should put up a sign like in Europe. This would help
cut down on near misses or accidents.
"Me, personally, we don’t need a roundabout. They
should put a traffic light there and remove the one that is approximately
150 feet from the circle that leads to the student parking lot, going
toward the college track field. Many of us don’t realize there is one
there or just blow by it."
— Anonymous
"I don’t think the roundabouts are necessary. The
area is too small. The city made a mistake in the first place in allowing
Angell (Drive) to be built out of alignment with Prospect
Avenue."
— Anonymous
"I think the "rotary" is a terrible idea. It is a
waste of time and money. There is not adequate space for it, which makes
it totally inadequate. Rotaries are practical in some areas but definitely
not in such a rural area. Furthermore, I have never heard of a rotary
being called a roundabout — where did that come from? I think this idea is
as stupid as the parking spaces that are on Miller Street. They are
backwards. I have been to many urban areas and you always pull into these
spaces, not back in. Who is responsible for coming up with these stupid
ideas?"
— Anonymous