The Columbia City Council will discuss a proposed roundabout at the intersection of Fairview and Chapel Hill at tonight’s public hearing. Although the roundabout would improve safety, the proposal has not come without some community resistance. City Councilman Michael Trapp says that the pushback is largely based on aesthetics rather than practicality.
“There isn’t a rational opposition to the roundabout that I can understand. It would increase pedestrian safety because when pedestrians get nailed its often through people taking left turns. Pedestrian and bike safety would go up incredibly by all of those points of entry rather than people going directly through the intersection,” said Trapp.
Mo Dot gave the intersection a grade “F” which prompted the City Council to first look into and eventually propose this plan of action. The residents near the intersection have said they are upset about the mini roundabout that is up the street and a full round about wouldn’t look good and ease of entry into their neighborhood.
The budget would be $600,000 and would come from the one-fourth of one percent sales tax that was approved by voters last year. In addition to the roundabout, there will be additional street lighting and sidewalks put in to further increase pedestrian safety.
Trapp says the project would fall under a completed project as a part of the Capital Improvement Projects and the longer this project is pushed off the higher the price will be because of rising land costs.
The meeting tonight is scheduled for 7 pm at the Council Chambers and anyone is open to attend the hearing and have their voice heard. If passed, construction would begin in the summer of 2017.
