Middletown Town Council Delays Roundabouts Decision

Middletown residents with opinions or questions about proposed for West Main Road have at least several more weeks to weigh in or learn more about the proposed project before anything’s decided.

The Middletown Town Council on Monday night delayed taking a vote until the next meeting in August, at the earliest, to decide whether new traffic signals with realigned turning lanes or roundabouts should be placed at two West Main Road intersections.

With two council members absent from Monday night’s public discussions, which followed a Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) presentation, Town Council President Art Weber asked that the council put off further discussions and decisive actions until the next meeting in August.

Weber maintained the decision was one that would have long-term consequences for Middletown and that all council members should be present for the matter to be formally considered and voted on. Council members Antone Viveiros and Ed Silveira were absent from Monday’s meeting.

Councilor Bruce Long voted against the matter to be continued to the August meeting, after he argued for additional hearings to take place to gather more public input before the council hears the matter again.

Backing Weber’s proposal, Councilor Barbara VonVillas argued that when considering the matter at the next council meeting with all members present, the council would still have the ability to call for additional hearings if necessary.

RIDOT has earmarked two problematic West Main Road intersections at Coddington Highway and East Main Road in Middletown for safety improvements, using about $4 million in federal highway funds. The state has left it up to Middletown to choose between two options: improve signalization with dedicated left turning lanes and realigned roadways, or install two roundabout traffic circles. Both projects are nearly identical in costs.

“I just want to stress that the DOT is willing to do either one,” RIDOT Chief Civil Engineer Lambri Zerva told the council. “We don’t have a preference. It’s really up to the council.”

Middletown officials said they hope to submit their decision to RIDOT by no later than September.

to recommend the roundabout option to the Town Council, after reviewing safety and traffic data and hearing public comments from mainly residents who live off West Main Road.

Several residents addressed the council during a special RIDOT presentation and workshop held Monday prior to the regularly scheduled Town Council meeting.

One resident spoke in favor of roundabouts, while two others spoke against them. Carmela Geer, a resident of Wood Road and a regular Patch contributor, said she favored the safer roundabouts and described how her son's car had been hit in a serious car accident four years ago when another motorist allegedly ran one of the two adjacent red lights while attempting to make the second green light. Thankfully, her son was okay, but speeding and light jumping has not gotten any better on West Main Road, she said.

Echoing what RIDOT engineers stated earlier, Geer said she believed two roundabouts would force motorists to slow down before and after approaching either intersection in a densely populated area.

“I am a big proponent of the slow-down idea,” Geer told the council.

“The roundabouts for us are not a good idea,” said Sally McFarland, who lives on Ridgewood Road about a half-block from Coddington Highway. She was concerned that the constant flow of traffic would make it more difficult to turn off her street in either direction into West Main Road.

“I can barely get out now," she said. "I have lights right now that give me a break.”

Resident questioned whether the RIDOT traffic simulations were accurately depicting West Main Road traffic. He also argued that traffic would back up and motorists would begin cutting through adjacent neighborhoods such as his to avoid the roundabouts.

“The way it’s going to live… surrounding streets will be inundated with cut-throughs,” Murphy argued.

Murphy also questioned whether tourists who are unfamiliar with the traffic circles would cause more problems and accidents.

In answer to some concerns raised by residents, RIDOT officials responded that roundabouts have been successfully used in “heavy tourist conditions” including Florida and in Colorado in snow conditions. Engineers also maintained that the traffic studies and simulations also looked at how both the signalization and roundabout projects would affect other nearby intersections and roadways.

Middletown residents with opinions or questions about traffic circle roundabouts have at least several more weeks to weigh in on the matter or learn more about the proposed project before anything’s decided for West Main Road.

The Middletown Town Council on Monday night delayed taking a vote until August 6, at the earliest, to decide whether new traffic signals with realigned turning lanes or roundabouts should be placed at two West Main Road intersections.

With two council members absent from Monday night’s public discussions that followed a Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) presentation, Town Council President Art Weber asked that the council put off further discussions and decisive actions until the next meeting on August 6.

Weber maintained the decision was one that would have long-term consequences for Middletown and that all council members should be present for the matter to be formally considered and voted on. Council members Antone Viveiros and Ed Silveira were absent from Monday’s meeting.

Councillor Bruce Long voted against the agenda item to be continued to August 6, after arguing for additional public hearings to take place to gather more public input.

Backing Weber’s proposal, Councillor Barbara VonVillas argued that when considering the matter at the next council meeting with all members present, the council would still have the ability to call for additional hearings.

RIDOT has earmarked two problematic West Main Road intersections at Coddington Highway and East Main Road Middletown for safety improvements using about $4 million in federal highway funds. The state has left it up to Middletown to choose between two options: Improve signalization with dedicated left turning lanes and realigned roadways, or install two roundabout traffic circles. Both projects are nearly identical in costs.

“I just want to stress that the DOT is wiling to do either one,” RIDOT Chief Civil Engineer Lambri Zerva told the council. “We don’t have a preference. It’s really up to the council.”

Middletown officials said they hope to submit their decision to RIDOT by no later than September.

Last week the Planning Board voted 6-0 to recommend the roundabout option to the Town Council, after reviewing safety and traffic data and hearing public comments from mainly residents who live off West Main Road.

During a special RIDOT presentation and workshop held Monday night prior to the regularly scheduled Town Council meeting, several residents addressed the council.

One resident spoke in favor of roundabouts, while two others spoke against them. Carmela Geer, a resident of Wood Road and regular Patch contributor, said she favored the safer roundabouts and described how her son had been involved in a

very bad accident four years ago when another motorists ran one of the two adjacent red lights while attempting to make the second green light.

Echoing what RIDOT engineers stated earlier, she said she believed that the presence of roundabouts would force motorists to slow down before approaching either intersection.

“I am a big proponent of the slow-down idea,” Geer told the council.

“The roundabouts for us are not a good idea,” said Sally McFarland, who lives on Ridgewood Road about a half-block from Coddington Highway. “I can barely get out now. I have lights right now that give me a break.”

Resident Mike Murphy questioned whether the RIDOT traffic simulations were accurately depicting West Main Road traffic. He also argued that traffic would be backed up and motorists would begin cutting through adjacent neighborhoods such as his to avoid the traffic roundabouts. “The way it’s going to live… surrounding streets will be inundated with cut-throughs,” Murphy argued.

Murphy also questioned whether tourists who are unfamiliar with the traffic circles would cause problems and accidents.

In answer to some concerns raised by residents, RIDOT officials responded that

roundabouts have been successfully used in “heavy tourist conditions” including Florida and in Colorado in snow condition. They also maintained that the traffic studies and simulations also looked at how both the signalization and roundabout projects would affect neighboring intersections and roadways.