By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Bowling Green City Council voted Monday evening to apply for ODOT funding for a roundabout at the intersection of West Wooster Street and Wintergarden Road.
The lone “no” vote came from council member Bill Herald, who said the roundabout is not a priority.
“I’m not convinced the proposed roundabout is needed,” Herald said. “There may be better, more needed projects that could use the money.”
The roundabout plan is part of a multi-phase proposal that resulted from the recently completed West Wooster Street Corridor Study. The study suggested two new roundabouts, bike lanes and wider sidewalks on West Wooster Street.
In July, the study was presented by Tim Bock, a municipal engineer and OHM principal, who lives in Bowling Green, and by project manager Sean Oatman, who specializes in roundabouts. The firm is currently working on the roundabout proposed at Brim and Bishop roads on the north edge of Bowling Green.
The study took into consideration safety and mobility for motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists and businesses – and factored in motor vehicle traffic counts, vehicular speeds, bike and pedestrian counts and frequency of crashes and near misses.
The study divided West Wooster Street into two sections – one from Wintergarden Road almost to Haskins Road (Phase 1) and the other from Haskins Road to Church Street (Phase 2). In addition to the roundabouts, each phase also includes accommodations for bicyclists and pedestrians.
The estimated cost of the Phase 1 roundabout is $3.5 million, and for the shared use path about $2.1 million.
If funding is secured, the earliest Phase 1 could be constructed would be 2031-2032.
The proposed Phase 1 roundabout calls for a single-lane, five-legged roundabout connecting West Wooster, Wintergarden and Pearl streets. As planned, the roundabout would sit south of the existing Wooster Street intersection, so Pearl Street could be included as well.
Each leg of the roundabout would have its own pedestrian refuge island, Oatman said.
“This creates a safer intersection,” he said.
The traffic volume and crash history at the intersections do not warrant a traffic signal, Oatman said. But a roundabout would make the intersections safer, he said.
“There are definitely some alarming trends at the intersections,” he said.
If awarded the ODOT funds, the city would commit to paying between 20% and 30% of the actual cost of construction and construction engineering, estimated to be $1 million, and the full cost of project preparation, estimated to be $350,000.
The local portion would be funded by the city using funds from the street repair fund.
