Thank you for the opportunity to let more people know how to support the proposed roundabout at Highway 227 and Los Ranchos Road. Those who favor a roundabout can sign a petition at change.org/yesroundabout, which will go to the SLO Council of Governments (SLOCOG) in advance of their Feb. 2 meeting.
The roundabout will benefit the thousands of drivers, cyclists, and businesses who use 227, and the hundreds of schoolchildren who are transported through this intersection daily.
Traffic on Highway 227 during peak hours has been a growing problem and is predicted to worsen in the next three years as more development occurs and more people commute on the route.
The conceptual roundabout design includes a separated bike path with safe crossings. It is a better solution than a five-lane highway supported by the roundabout opponents. Five lanes will encourage faster speeds, take more land to build, and would not adequately reduce congestion, reduce emissions, or improve safety.
A roundabout has been deemed the best alternative by the traffic operation study done in September (available on SLOCOG’s website). This study, as well as studies by the Federal Highway Administration and others, demonstrates that roundabouts greatly lessen injury accidents (no high-speed T-bone accidents are possible) and they meter the flow of traffic in all directions so traffic keeps moving.
The SLO County Board of Supervisors and SLOCOG need to hear from those who favor a safe and progressive solution for Highway 227. In addition, please attend the virtual SLOCOG meeting on Feb. 2 and voice support for the roundabout. Information about how to attend is on the SLOCOG website under “2022 SLOCOG Board Agendas and Staff Presentations.”
Jackie Parker
San Luis Obispo
This article appears in Health & Wellness 2022.
People using the road make mistakes (like speeding, running stop signs and red lights, turning left in front of oncoming traffic), always have and always will. Crashes will always be with us, but they need not result in fatalities or serious injury.
Modern roundabouts are the safest form of intersection in the world – the intersection type with the lowest risk of fatal or serious injury crashes – (much more so than comparable signals). Modern roundabouts require a change in speed and alter the geometry of one of the most dangerous parts of the system – intersections.
The reduction in speed to about 20 mph and sideswipe geometry mean that, when a crash does happen at a modern roundabout, you might need a tow truck, but rarely an ambulance. Visit the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety or FHWA for modern roundabout FAQs and safety facts.