FOLSOM, Calif. — Folsom is looking to improve traffic with roundabouts.
On May 14, Folsom City Council unanimously accepted a grant from the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) appropriating funds to a city roundabout feasibility study. The grant totals $400,000, according to city documents.
There are 13 locations the city is looking at to build a roundabout, and those locations don't include separate work developers are doing in the Folsom Plan Area for potential roundabout implementation there, according to Christine Brainerd, a city spokeswoman.
City staff were directed to adopt a “Roundabout First” policy on Jan. 10, 2023, after a presentation to city council, Brainerd told ABC10. Staff reported their findings after traveling to roundabout-heavy cities Loveland, Colorado, and Carmel, Indiana.
“This policy would be considering a roundabout as the first option before exploring other solutions like traffic lights or stop signs,” Brainerd said.
After a roundabout is proposed, factors like available space, traffic volume and construction costs are assessed, she said.
How did Folsom come around to roundabouts?
A circular road and its angles of entry are designed to slow the speed of vehicles making it safer for travel, engineers said.
“With all the vehicles traveling the same direction, we get rid of head-on collisions,” said Matt Weir, a transportation engineer, to council in January 2023. “When you get rid of the traffic signal indications that are above the driver and above the road, and the drivers eyes come down to road level, you also increase… the visibility of bikes (and) pedestrians.”
Roundabouts also eradicate the starting and stopping associated with stop-and-go traffic control, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions, Weir said.
Plaza Drive between Folsom Boulevard and Sibley Street has two of the city’s five existing roundabouts; the two are outdated by today’s industry standards, city staff said. Folsom does not have any roundabouts installed on major collectors or arterials.
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