We Have Some Answers About Rockford’s Newest Roundabout

It's always nice when informed people tune into the show. 

Big thanks to Alderman Chad Tuneberg for calling into the show when he heard us talking about Rockford's newest roundabout.

Here is a list of things we learned:

• They are roundabouts, not traffic circles. Traffic circles have additional lights or signage within them.
• This intersection of Chelsea and Brendenwood has been a problem for a while. The extra width of Chelsea makes people think they can go faster than they can.
• Speed bumps are not a popular choice for two main reasons. Emergency vehicles don't necessarily appreciate them. They can cause a lot of problems during the winter for snow plows.
• Having police monitor the street isn't cost effective or what the police would like to be focusing on.
• They are going to be experimenting with different sizes of circles.

I think the last point is a huge one. I didn't really have too much of a problem with it, it just seemed to be so big that it took up most of the intersection.

The city will be adjusting the size and position of the circle over the next few weeks and will make their final decision based on results and feedback.

Bottom line is this. If this annoys you, sorry, something was going to happen. If I had my choice between speed bumps, an extra stop sign, or speed traps, I'm taking the roundabout every day and twice on Sunday.

Just slow down and take your time. It will be second nature before you know it.