Westbound cars pass the new Salem Avenue roundabout at Waverly Drive on Wednesday evening.
Albany’s newest traffic roundabout — actually a “mini roundabout” — was finished and opened on Friday before Labor Day. After reading a slew of Facebook comments about this change in the traffic pattern, I paid it a visit Wednesday night.
Here’s how that went:
The Facebook comments I saw were, as I said on the video, a mixed bag. Some people said they liked the new setup, especially when making a left on Salem from Waverly Drive.
Others were critical. Some feared it would lead to more crashes.
If there’s a problem with this traffic circle, it is because it is small. But it fits the dimensions and layout of a mini roundabout as described by the Federal Highway Administration.
Mini roundabouts are said to be suitable in “low-speed urban environments” where the typical speed is 35 mph or less. That fits the situation on Salem Avenue, where 35 is the posted speed.
The trouble is that drivers going east or west on Salem Avenue don’t have to slow down much to get around the center island. It’s pretty much, though not quite, a straight shot.
And there certainly isn’t time to signal a right turn when leaving this roundabout. You’ve left it almost as soon as you’ve entered it.
Why is this roundabout so small? Because building a conventional one would have required a lot more land. (hh)
It’s fine. I’ve experienced roundabouts in Massachusetts, Connecticut and the UK. They’re excellent for speed mitigation and general traffic control. Nothing to complain about.
Quick! Install some speed cameras! Let’s make a buck!
It’s been working great so far. I could see old and dangerous drivers complaining about it, but they shouldnt be on the road anyways.
I take it you are young or youngish. When I was young, no one had the first name of Hunt. I like the name, but it says to me you are young. So, you seem to think, as young people do, that you will never be old. The U.S. is the only country in the world that takes driver’s licenses away from old people. In other countries they have a lot of free driving classes for older people.
Dangerous drivers should have their licenses taken away. Lucky for younger generations car will most likely be fully autonomous by the time they are older.
Why is there a 35MPH speed limit on Salem avenue, a 2 lane road, and 25MPH on Santiam, a 4 lane road, for speed cameras? Perhaps you could ask your friends at the city for me?
Santiam Road has two travel lanes.
Santiam Road is a 4 lane road with a center lane for turns and Salem Avenue is a 2 lane road. Please don’t mix apples and oranges.
Santiam Road is two lane. Santiam Highway is four lane.
Oh the irony of that last sentence from you haha.
ONE QUESTION…HOW MUCH DID IT COST..?? NO ANSWER ON THAT…DIDN’T KNOW THERE WAS A PROBLEM….
Do you actually think it’s finished? Scot Lepman owns the property on the North side which connects to his property with all the storage units on Davidson, a narrower, less accessible street.
All he has to do is punch a short “street” which will allow him to further expand that property (more storage units?) and then the City will be forced to provide “proper” access. Guess where?
This is just more of the City giving him free handouts.
What vacant lot or building site in Albany isn’t owned by Lepman? I sitll think he will petition to change Albany’s name to Lepmanville at some point in the future.
Bill –
Your vitriolic disdain for a successful local businessman is palpable. He’s playing by the rules – as are all the other developers & contractors. You’re just jealous of him simply because he is successful at what he does?
What was vitriolic? I just stated facts. He wouldn’t be so successful if you and your cohorts hadn’t given him such sweet deals. Waste $1.5mil to turn a bank into a parking lot that he might buy for $300k, that he’ll probably turn around and sell back to the city or someone for a parking garage for MUCH more.
Install bricks & bury power lines at OUR expense which will raise the values of his 2 properties next to them greatly. I wonder which City is going to buy them back at inflated prices to make their “plaza street” not look like the industrial dump it is.
However, since you can”t disprove the message, you attack the messenger. Join the ankle biting rodent crowd. It show who you really are.
I get that you don’t like the processes available to all folks Bill, but you’re out of touch… I say it again: ANY developer could have bid on the same projects – but didn’t. Scott used the same processes and rules and succeeded. Albany is better off having him complete projects vs. letting them sit and do nothing. I stand by what I said.
You’re the kind of person who likes
to piss people off with words but if you were face to face with them I don’t believe you would be clever.
Not to worry Scott –
Since Bill & I fundamentally (and probably philosophically) disagree most of the time about Albany processes and governance, I’ll suggest we’re both simply jousting a bit. Nothing more. Regardless of what we state, the sun will still come up each morning…
And just like Ray, you can’t refute a bit of it. Join his ankle biting dog club.
Thanks for the update as we travel that way all the time and were curious how it was going to work. It looks to me though if you are wanting to turn onto Waverly from Salem Ave that there is only room for 1 car to be going that way and that there could be a back up behind that car until it can have a spot to be able to turn onto Waverly. Just have to wait and see I guess but I could see a lot of simple accidents in the future there.
The new roundabout looks great in your video of it. Hopefully it will slow people down enough on Salem Ave. so that someone trying to turn left onto Salem Ave. from Waverly Drive will be able to make a safe and timely turn.
It is a waste of money. The only benefit is the paving of everything along Salem. This is similar to the new “bridge” on Goldfish Farm road ! That should be ready for its grand opening very soon. Travelers to Walmart will be happy to get that route back.
I am OLD. I drive well and I love the new round about. I drive Salem Ave almost every day.
Mr, Moad. Mr. Ray’s glib responses are based on many people’s idea that people who suffer consequences in life is due to survival of the superior not of circumstance or lack of justice. The working poor are just gladiators that fight to survive to provide the more fortunate with amusement and sparring partners. The sun doesn’t come up every day for the less fortunate and being the court jester to heckle the self appointed royalty is only way to express their views without punishment.