The Roundabout may not be new to some people, but having been a resident of Athens county for half of my life. The roundabout on Richland Avene and St Rt.682 is still new to me although it has been built and has functioned since Aug, 2010
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eFbz-rs9to
The space was developed by the city and included these basic principles for driving within the roundabout.
• Yield to traffic circulating through the roundabout before entering.
• Make the appropriate lane choice before entering the roundabout.
• The posted recommended speed within the roundabout is 20 miles per hour, please drive slowly and safely.
• Do not pass or drive adjacent to large trucks and trailers within the roundabout.
• Do not impede emergency vehicles – pull over to the right if you are not in the roundabout, or move through and exit the roundabout to allow emergency vehicles to get their intended destination without delay.
• Pedestrians and cyclists should use the pedestrian refuge and crosswalk, or the tunnel, to cross traffic. Only experienced cyclists should ride through the roundabout.
• Be aware of the temporary pedestrian crossing south of the Richland Avenue Bridge.
This round about was built with a planned precise design, and built right into the design is the control of traffic and pedestrian movement.
It seems to be designed for ease of traffic, and heavy traffic the college experiences sometimes with special events for pedum stadium or events held at the college. I have noticed when I work at the baker center on campus, traffic gets heavy right about the five o'clock hour everyday. The round about is located near a city park so access for pedestrians is appropriate.
There is a tunnel built for pedestrians that is lite up at night. The tunnel is a dark secluded space, and the city has tried to compensate for that with lighting. Since the introduction of the roundabout, many of my friends and other long time Athens residents just laugh and giggle about the roundabout. I heard so many jokes, that this kind of highway expansion and street design would just confuse people from Southeast Ohio. It was obviously a stereotypical statement and not worthy of further thought until now.
The popular chatter that I heard was negative about the roundabout in some way or another. I think it was because of resistance to change and to learn a new way to maneuver. I also heard some statements about how every upgrade in the city is catered to Ohio University, and how some residents felt their opinions didn't matter. I personally feel the roundabout was a great way to upgrade public space but in contrast, my friends mom who works in the city will drive about 4 miles out of her way and then back into to town to avoid the roundabout. This is an isolated case, but it has to be considered when thinking about designing a public space.
http://www.ohio.edu/outlook/07-08/July/646.cfm
Although, the roundabout is located close to campus, it seems to me it would benefit all residents of Athens County or those who travel through Athens. This design is representational for all on the safety side, improvements to the roads for safety concerns represents what Athens as a community thinks is important. The tunnel construction was all about different ways of transportation, as a whole Athens city is encouraging and caring about other modes of transportation such as cycling and walking. Efficiency was also in the concerns of the designer, although the tunnel requires lighting there are no energy burdens with traffic lights, That represents to me the design of this public roadway represents a cut in electricity used and importance of energy conservation
