© 2024 University of Missouri - KBIA
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Columbia City Council to Hear Comments from Public on Roundabout

The Columbia City Council approved a measure leading to the eviction of Regency residents.
File photo
/
KBIA
The Columbia City Council approved a measure leading to the eviction of Regency residents.

  Residents will have an opportunity tonight to voice their opinions on a proposed two lane roundabout at the intersections of Forum Boulevard and Green Meadows Road at tonight’s Columbia City Council meeting.  

Documents released by the city showed that there were 13 traffic accidents at the intersection from January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2015.  The documents also show that three of the accidents resulted in injuries.  City engineers have said that the intersection, which is currently a four way stop, is in need of improvement, but not everyone in the public agrees with the two lane roundabout.  Tim Vicente, who declined public comment for this story, brought a petition to the council in May with around 150 signatures objecting “to the development and installation of a roundabout located at the intersection of Forum BLVD and Green Meadows Road.”

Barry Dalton, the Public Information Officer for the city’s public works department, said that a traffic signal was considered but a roundabout is the safest option.  “In signaled interchange you get a lot of high impact crashes, you get a lot of side impact crashes, and you get a lot of people turning left in front of oncoming traffic so you get a lot of head on accidents.”  The crash survey from the city shows that nearly a third of the accidents from 2011 to 2015 happened during a left turn. 

Much of the public concern for any capital improvement project at the intersection of Forum and Green Meadows is due to cost.  The original quote from the city was $610,000 but the new estimate is $957,900.

This project would be paid for with the proposed renewal of Columbia’s 0.25 percent Capital Improvement sales tax that passed in August.  The tax is estimated to bring in just over $11 million in revenue over the next two years and approximately $43 million from 2018 to 2023.

Related Content