Sen. Craig Circulates Legislation Giving Local Governments Final Say in Roundabouts
"This is simple legislation that I know many people across our state will support because they want and deserve a voice in how their roads are constructed."
Madison, Wis. – Today, Senator David Craig (R-Town of Vernon) circulated for co-sponsorship legislation that would require a proposed roundabout to be approved by the governing body of the municipality in which it would be located. Sen. Craig explained:
“Requiring the governing body of a municipality to approve the construction of a proposed roundabout is a commonsense measure because it is these local units of government that truly know their areas best. They know local traffic flows, the concerns of the people, business needs, and the types of traffic far better than Department of Transportation (DOT) bureaucrats in Madison. If a roundabout is truly in the best interest of an area, the DOT should make that case to the local governing body and let them make the final decision. This is simple legislation that I know many people across our state will support because they want and deserve a voice in how their roads are constructed.”
Senator Craig represents the 28th Senate District which is comprised of portions of Waukesha, Walworth, Racine, and Milwaukee Counties.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.
It’s to bad Craig doesn’t understand thaty
Headline recommnedation, “Craig’s legislation allows for locals to take responsibility for traffic fatalities and increased insurance rates.”
I’d be interested to see the statistics (facts) about roundabouts and their efficacy in reducing accidents and traffic jams. Personally, I hate them. But if there is good reason to incorporate them into a road/highway system, then I, along with many others who dread them, will adapt. If they are proven to be effective in managing traffic and reducing accidents, I’m not sure why that case couldn’t be made to individual municipalities, so they could make the decision based on their familiarity with local needs.
AARP has a succinct, clear fact sheet on roundabouts at: http://www.aarp.org/livable-communities/info-2014/livability-factsheet-modern-roundabouts.html
Also, from https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/provencountermeasures/fhwa_sa_12_005.cfm
“By converting from a two-way stop control mechanism to a roundabout, a location can experience an 82 percent reduction in severe (injury/fatal) crashes and a 44 percent reduction in overall crashes.
By converting from a signalized intersection to a roundabout, a location can experience a 78 percent reduction in severe (injury/fatal) crashes and a 48 percent reduction in overall crashes.”
Most people fear roundabouts because they are not familiar with them; they do take some getting used to. But think about it, would you rather get T-boned (90 degree angle) by someone running a red light at 40 mph or get hit at an angle by someone who, by the design of the roundabout, is going at a much slower speed?
Rep. Craig’s proposed legislation is based on fear rather than fact. Funny how when someone fears something, they use the word “bureaucrats” but when they agree, they call them “experts.”
Sen Craig : How about returning to local governments the same control over locating cell phone towers ? The state took that away without so much as a wimper from the locals. I can deal with the roundabouts,not the ugly towers in residential neighborhoods. ( AKA Greendale / St. Stephens location )
Another look http://www.iihs.org/iihs/topics/t/roundabouts/qanda
Or: http://bfy.tw/9vpz