Community Corner
Report: MnDOT Says Roundabouts like Maple Grove's Are a Safer, Quicker Kind of Intersection
Traffic going in circles reduces crashes and speeds up the flow, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation, as reported by the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
Maple Grove is headed in the right direction with roundabout intersections such as the one at Zachary Lane near Highway 610, according to a St. Paul Pioneer Press article citing the Minnesota Department of Transportation:
"The data show that they are the safest intersections we have," said Ken Johnson, a roundabout expert at MnDOT. ... No one has proved a connection, but fatalities started falling four years ago, which is about when the state's roundabout building binge began. ... Besides safety, the other primary advantage of roundabouts is speed.
During rush hours, MnDOT's Johnson said, cars travel through roundabouts an average of 10 seconds faster. In nonpeak hours, traffic slows only slightly at a roundabout instead of making a full stop at a red light, night or day.
Read the full article at twincities.com.
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