Middletown Nixes West Main Road Roundabouts

The Middletown Town Council voted Tuesday night to endorse a Rhode Island Department of Transportation plan to fix two dangerous West Main Road intersections—without using roundabout traffic circles.

The Middletown Town Council on Tuesday night gave its unanimous endorsement for improved signalized intersections on West Main Road at Two-Mile Corner and Coddington Highway. In Councilor Ed Silveira's absence, the 6-0 vote effectually rejected an alternate proposal put forth by the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) for roundabout traffic circles for the two adjacent problem intersections. The council's vote came at the request of the RIDOT engineers, who had presented the two intersection improvement options to the Town of Middletown over the summer and asked that the town give a preference by end of September for the project to move forward. Costs and construction timelines had been relatively comparable but the …

•  2 Comments
• Photos (1)

How to Fix West Main Road Intersections Still Big Question Mark

The public forum and Rhode Island Department of Transportation presentation held Wednesday night drew 200 concerned residents, but resulted in no clear answer about whether Middletown will choose roundabouts or new traffic lights for West Main Road.

A public hearing held Wednesday on the proposed West Main Road roundabouts included three hours of information from the Department of Transportation and feedback from residents, but no best clear solution seemed to emerge by the end of the night.  However, a majority of the residents who stepped up from the audience of about 200 at Gaudet Middle School said they favored improved traffic signals with dedicated left turning lanes over the roundabouts proposal for West Main Road at the intersections of Two-Mile Corner and Coddington Highway. Meanwhile, RIDOT officials maintained that they viewed both solutions to be equally effective improvements with nearly equal costs—with the roundabout traffic controls having a greater advantage when it …

•  2 Comments
• Photos (24)

5 Things To Know Today

Today: Roundabouts Town Meeting to Be Held at Gaudet School

Here's a look at 5 things happenings today in and around Middletown.

Do you have an opinion about roundabout traffic circles for West Main Road? Then don’t miss the special Town Council meeting at 6 p.m. tonight in the Gaudet Middle School cafeteria. Did you know the RI DOT has posted YouTube videos online showing a traffic simulation for the proposed roundabout traffic circle project? There's also a video simulating a set of signalized intersections as an alternative. See both videos in the image gallery here at right.  Catch rhymeCulture at the Rhino Bar tonight in Newport. Are you ready to rumble? Open Mats-Wrestling happens Wednesday nights at the Gaudet Middle School for ages 6 and up. The activity is free! On this date in 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius erupted in southern Italy, destroying the Roman cities of …

•  1 Comment
• Videos (2)

5 Things To Know Today

Today: Teens and Tweens Build Collages, Planning Board Talks Boat Ramp

Here's a look at 5 happenings in and around Middletown today.

• Photos (2)
• Documents (1)

Letter to the Editor

Middletown Planning Board Member Defends Roundabouts Vote

The following Letter to the Editor was submitted by Middletown Planning Board member Richard Adams.

At the July 18 Middletown Town Council workshop, the Council was briefed by the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) on options for improving the intersections of East and West Main Streets (2 Mile Corner) and West Main and Coddington Highway.  Two options were presented: 1) install additional traffic lanes and signals, and 2) install traffic roundabouts at both intersections. Previously, the Middletown Planning Board had voted unanimously to recommend the installation of modern roundabouts.  As a member of the Planning Board, it may be useful to explain how I arrived at my decision, especially since at least one member of the Town Council suggested that the Planning Board decision was reached in “10 - 15 minutes.”  I do not …

•  4 Comments
• Photos (1)

Michael K Murphy

7:11 am on Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Jasper I recently sat pondering that intersection, and that would be high on my list of possible roundabout locations, you could actually take out the lights at Wyatt rd, and Aquidneck put in one turn for the Bank & DD, etc. and that may work musch better. Putting Back to Back Roundabouts at the junctions of the main traffic arteries on this Island is putting a lot of faith in "blanket" DOT …   more ›

Today: International Music for Kids at Library, Traffic Findings to be Released

Here's a look at what's happening in and around Middletown today.

The Middletown Public Library’s Summer Reading Program this morning presents Michelle Bach-Coulibaly with “Stories from Mali (West Africa) Through Dance and Music.” The Aquidneck Island Public Traffic Task Force meets tonight at 6 p.m. at Middletown Town Hall to present the results of its Aquidneck Island Regional Traffic Management Program, an effort to develop solutions for traffic congestion caused by special events, construction projects, and crashes. Catch a matinee in a nice cool, dark movie theater for a great way to beat the heat this week. The Newport Music Festival continues today, beginning at 11 a.m. at The Elms with Liszt and Opera. On this date in 1969, NASA astronaut Neil Armstrong, 240,000 miles from Earth, told America, "…

• Photos (1)

Middletown Town Council Delays Roundabouts Decision

Middletown Town Council President Art Weber asked for a continuance following a Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) presentation about the proposal, and after hearing from several residents for and against it.

Middletown residents with opinions or questions about proposed traffic circle roundabouts 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 …

• Photos (8)

5 Things To Know Today

Today: Bit Players' Comedy, RIDOT Roundabouts, NBS Yoga

Here's a look at happenings in and around Middletown today, Monday, July 18.

Rough Monday and need a good laugh? The Bit Players run seven nights a week. Need to unwind in more of a Zen way? Check out Monday night Yoga at the Norman Bird Sanctuary. Confused about roundabouts and want to hear from the engineers themselves? The Rhode Island Department of Transportation will make a presentation tonight at 6 p.m. Speaking of which, the Middletown Town Council meets tonight, with the earlier start time of 6 p.m. instead of 7 p.m. A new beach pavilion is among the many items up for discussion. See the agenda in the image gallery at upper right. On this day in 1940, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was nominated for an unprecedented third term and he later went on to serve a four terms in office, the only U.S. president to serve…

• Photos (1)
• Videos (1)
• Documents (1)

Middletown Planning Board Recommends Roundabouts for West Main Road

The Middletown Planning Board issued the advisory opinion Wednesday night after hearing from residents for and against the Rhode Island Department of Transportation proposal.

Proposed roundabout traffic circles for West Main Road picked up key support Wednesday night before heading to the Town Council for a final vote. In an advisory opinion, the Planning Board voted unanimously to recommend that the town replace signalized lights at the corners of Coddington Highway and East Main Road at Two-Mile Corner with roundabout traffic circles, instead of installing new lights with realigned intersections. The opinion was handed down after discussing data and statistics on safety, traffic fatalities and traffic flow models, as well as overall community satisfaction in communities across the United States where roundabouts have been installed. The Planning Board also heard from four residents who equally favored and …

•  7 Comments
• Photos (3)

West Main Roundabout Proposal Gets Public Hearing Tonight [VIDEO]

The Rhode Island Department of Transportation proposal goes before the Middletown Planning Board tonight for a recommendation on whether the town should proceed with the project.

Few people in town would disagree that West Main Road's Coddington Highway and Two-Mile Corner junctions can get a little hairy. As Middletown considers two very different options for improving those intersections, now is the time for the public to weigh in on proposed roundabout traffic circles. Tonight, the Planning Board will hold a Public Hearing at Town Hall at 6:30 p.m. to gather input on the proposal from the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT). Despite some concerns over authority, procedures, effectiveness and lack of public input to date, the Middletown Town Council last month voted to allow the proposal for traffic circle roundabouts at Two-Mile Corner and Coddington Highway to proceed for public review at tonight'…

• Videos (2)