What Does Your City Council Member Think of Roundabouts?

The issue of building roundabouts at two intersections of State Route 91 has become one of the most controversial issues.

As of now, the majority of city council, and the mayor, supports the first portion of the project.

A two-phase project, Phase I would widen SR 91 from Post Road to Glenwood Drive and build a roundabout at the Glenwood intersection. Phase II would widen SR 91 to four lanes going to Solon and build a roundabout at Ethan's Drive and Meadowood Boulevard.

While the city's main focus is Phase I, some residents have opposed the project in several community forums, and even starting an online petition against the idea.

Even city council's views differed on the plan. On Feb. 14 from the . The opposing voters felt that simply posting those comments was moving forward on a project they were unsure of.

So how do members of city council and the mayor think about the project? Twinsburg Patch reached out to each of them this week to document their views.

Ward 4 Councilwoman Maureen Stauffer and Ward 5 Councilman Seth Rodin have dealt the most with residents' complaints and concerns. Even though both of them weren't convinced at first, they believe it is the best option for the city.

“Personally, I felt like the people who were opposing it and was apprehensive,” Stauffer said. “Once I did the research I came to the conclusion that they’re safer and I’m OK with it.”

“I like roundabouts,” Rodin said. “I know people don’t like it, but we’re trying to do what will work best for the city.

Rodin has heard feedback from many concerned residents, but doesn’t think Phase I would be overturned if put to a vote.

“My impression was we still had time to go back, but based on the votes, I don’t believe it would be overturned anyway,” he said.

Both feel council has done enough research on the topic, but also that many residents are misinformed.

“We really put a lot of thought, time and effort to make the decision that makes the most sense for the city,” Rodin said. “I think over time, people will see it’s the best thing we could have done.”

Stauffer, a teacher in Twinsburg, said she has many of the residents’ children in class and wants what's safest for the community.

“I’m hoping more people will do the research,” Stauffer said. “I think it’s the safest thing for the people who live here.”

Not all people are convinced, however.

“I don’t mind them or have a problem driving in them, but I’m not there to vote on what I want; I’m there to vote for the constituents and they don’t like the idea,” At-Large Councilman Gary Sorace said.

Sorace, who said he worries about pedestrian safety, doesn't think a roundabout would be any safer than the current Glenwood intersection. He doesn't like the idea of going through with a project residents oppose.

"We try to put in programs to help our seniors, and they seem to be the ones who don’t really don’t want this, and we seem to ignore them," he said. "No one has complained about not wanting a widened, signalized roadway, but everyone complains about the roundabout. So why not listen to them? Hopefully it will turn out."

Ward 2 Councilman McDermott shares similar views.

"I'm personally opposed to roundabouts" McDermott said. "I've listend to all the emails and calls and a vast majority have been opposed to it."

He's seen only two emails in favor and "two dozen" in opposition, McDermott said.

While other council members understand the residents' objections, they are in favor of moving forward with Phase I.

“Right now my decision is to move forward with Phase I, which is all we are really talking about and that is confusing a lot of residents,” Council President Ted Yates said.

He said the statistics have shown roundabouts are safer and believes it's the best approach.

"The facts and statistics show it’s safer and moves traffic better," he said.

After looking at the numbers and visiting the roundabout in Green, Ward 1 Councilman Sam Scaffide agrees.

"Taking all that into consideration, I feel comfortable with our plans for a roundabout," Scaffide said. "I hear and understand what residents are saying and they matter to me, but i think some of it is misinformation."

At-Large Councilman Bill Furey seconds that thought.

"Everything I have seen has shown that roundabouts are significantly safer regarding traffic and pedestrian accidents,” Furey said. “I realize residents are still uncomfortable about it and the city needs to do a better job informing them about the positive aspects of roundabouts, while also listening to their concerns.”

So what does Mayor Katherine Procop have to say?  She believes roundabouts are the wave of the future, as "cities across Ohio are transitioning from traditional intersections to roundabouts."

"After years of study the numbers prove that if we are serious about safety we need to construct roundabouts in our communities," Procop wrote in an email.

She cited the following data from the American Society of Highway Engineers: 2,210,000 crashes occurred at conventional intersections in 2009, causing 7,043 fatalities. Since roundabouts reduce fatalities by more than 90 percent; over 6,000 people died needlessly at these intersections. Roundabouts also reduce injuries by 76 percent.