Because of Widewaters’ proposed project, local residents and thru traffic will be forced to use this roundabout at the potentially dangerous intersection of US 9, NY 9H and State Farm Road. The plan calls for the main mall entrance to be one of the roundabout's five legs. Other businesses that would have entrances/exits on the other four legs include a McDonald's (drive-through), a Stewart’s convenient store and gas station, a proposed Trustco Bank (drive through on Stewart's property), and a proposed Dunkin’ Donuts (drive-through) at the apex where Routes 9 and 9H will meet as they enter the roundabout. On the southwest corner of State Farm Road is Brothers Restaurant across from a body shop on the northwest corner.

On the east side of Route US9 is the Ichabod Crane School System where some 2000 students plus faculty and support staff are in attendance. This alone presents a safety problem for which, unfortunately, there seems to be little concern.

The latest plan calls for the west side of the roundabout from the entrance to it from US9 southbound, pass the leg leading to the mall, to the junction of NY 9H to be two lanes.  If one is driving southbound on Route US9 and wishes to continue southbound on Route NY 9H, one would be required to use the right lane.  If one wishes to continue south on Route US9, one would be required to use the left lane and merge past NY 9H northbound to get back on US9. 

Sounds easy?  Take into consideration that the large trailer trucks frequently seen on the two busy highways cannot navigate this proposed roundabout without using two lanes.  Originally there was only one lane plus an apron designed to accommodate the trucks to make the turns.  In adding the additional lane, the engineers have eliminated the apron.  When the truck turns, it goes into the next lane.

If your are in an automobile southbound in the right lane, you would assume you are OK because you are within the striped lane designation.  "Not so" says DOT's Howard McCulloch.  Roundabout rules supercede all other rules of the road.  In a roundabout, the traffic to the LEFT has the right of way.  Hypothetically, the trailer truck could bump you from the right lane right off the road.

Widewaters still has not provided the Planning Board with morning traffic counts. They claim there will be little traffic entering their shopping center during this time frame. Maybe so, but the roundabout that they propose would still be in operation in the morning rush hour. Because the roundabout would be built by Widewaters to mitigate their additional traffic problems, they should provide these counts to the Town planners.

Without these peak morning counts the Planning Board cannot scientifically determine if this roundabout could possibly work during the morning rush hour. This is when school busses will enter and depart the school system, the commuters will be on their way to their jobs and many would be stopping at Stewart's, McDonald's and other drive-thru facilities near the roundabout entrances.

Kinderhook Neighbors for Good Growth (KNGG) is aware that the roundabout conception may be an accepted safety solution for some problem intersections if they are scientifically designed with the local geography as a focal point. Because of geographical design, the merging of US9 and NY 9H northbound are not suited for a roundabout.

Roundabouts present special challenges for the elderly persons with disabilities, especially the blind. Blind pedestrians have difficulty locating crossings and determining crossing gaps. Refer to FHWA’s (Federal Highway Administration) “Roundabouts: An Informational Guide.”

According to the Federal Highway Administration the safest roundabouts have their entrances at equal angles apart. “As the angle between entries decreases, the frequency of crashes increases. For example, an approach with an angle of 60 degrees to the next leg of the roundabout increases crash frequency by approximately 35 percent over approaches at 90-degree angles.” (FHWA-RD-00-067 4.2)

Therefore, the FHWA recommends to “maximize angles between entries” to improve safety. The closer the entries come to one another, the more possibility there is of collisions. The merging entrances to the proposed roundabout of US9 and NY 9H are a good example of how not to build a roundabout.

Added to through traffic that will be traffic entering and exiting the roundabout from other various nearby businesses, plus the school buses in and out of the school system, plus the students that would cross the intersection from the school to McDonald's, Stewart's, Dunkin' Donuts, and the amenities of the strip mall. Malls by nature are known to draw teenagers and Widewaters should provide protection for them, as needed between the school and their mall.

Pedestrian safety must be stressed here because the traffic signals are to be removed so pedestrians would be expected to dodge traffic to get across the five legs. No accommodations are planned at this intersection for the disabled yet,” The provisions on the ADA (American Disability Act) also apply to roundabouts in all respects, including the design of sidewalks, crosswalks and ramps. Under the ADA, accessible information is required to make the existing public right-of-way an accessible program provided by State and local governments (28 CFR 35.150) Any facility or part of a facility that is newly constructed by a state or local government must be designed and constructed so that it is readily accessible to and usable by people with disabilities (28 CFR 35.151(a)) Alterations to existing facilities must include modifications to make altered areas accessible to individuals with disabilities (28 CFR 735.151 (b)).” (FHWA-RD-00-067 2.4.5)

In a new proposal dated March 17, 2004, Widewaters plans to add a second lane on the west side of their roundabout from US9 southbound past the entrance to their mall to the southbound entrance to Route NY 9H. Two lane roundabouts are considered to be more dangerous.

Kinderhook is a small rural town. Much of it is still being farmed. The beauty of the countryside and Kinderhook’s historic and rural charm has drawn many families here. The roundabout is proposed for the northern gateway to the Town and Columbia County. Widewaters’ roundabout will change the character of this small town forever.

Allen Schaefer, president