Morro Bay approves roundabout design for congested Main Street intersection 

The long wait time at the intersection of Highways 1 and 41 and Main Street in Morro Bay is a common experience for residents and tourists alike.

But those issues may become a thing of the past, thanks to a 3-2 City Council vote on June 27 to approve a design process for installing a potential roundabout there, which some residents were all for.

"This is a complicated intersection. ... No system of traffic signals will be as safe and efficient as a well-planned and designed roundabout," Morro Bay resident Pat Reed wrote in a comment letter on the item. "Roundabouts effectively move traffic all over the world and many areas in the U.S."

The vote followed a presentation by city staff that offered three options for consideration based on independent research and a survey of 300 community members who could be impacted by the changes: no action, a roundabout, or traffic signals.

Morro Bay Public Works Director Greg Kwolek noted that those who participated in the survey were offered a fourth option to voice other specific concerns with the intersection.

"The question we asked the community was 'What specific concerns do you have with this intersection?'" Kwolek said. "Summarized, some of these responses included near misses, confusion at all-way stop to who has right of way, too much happening in a small space, lots of pedestrians not paying attention, aggressive drivers, and overall danger."

Morro Bay Mayor Carla Wixom—who voted against the proposal with Councilmember Zara Landrum—said she was concerned about a lack of guaranteed outside funding for the project, which she fears will plunge the city into even more debt and cause major disruptions over a minor traffic problem.

"Waiting at the intersection for a minute or two is nothing compared to spending $12 million to alleviate that problem," Wixom said at the meeting. "My top two priorities for that intersection are pedestrian safety and the cost to this community, ... adding a roundabout with no guarantee for additional outside funding deeper indebts this community."

While SLOCOG has offered to help find funding for the project, Wixom and resident Mary Forbes, both of whom are against the project, still worry that cheaper alternatives may have been the better choice.

"An expensive roundabout is not the answer. ... Signage and sensor lights is an idea [so that] if one direction is void of cars, another direction may open up the flow," Forbes said during public comment. "Please don't spend more money that we don't have."

Resident Gary Kuris warned of overspending on major infrastructure projects as the city had done in the past because he felt it was irresponsible to spend this much on a project that wasn't an immediate concern.

"We need to cast a cold eye on new infrastructure projects that don't have clear and overwhelming importance. .... It's irresponsible to spend millions on a single intersection when we can't afford to keep the streets paved," Kuris' public comment letter read. "The situation at 41 and Main may be less than ideal, but it's hardly a catastrophe justifying major expenditure."

In the past, a roundabout was installed at the intersection of Morro Bay Boulevard and Highway 1 to address similar traffic issues and convinced many residents—including those who had initially rallied against it—that it was a viable option.

"As much as I dread the time and cost for this roundabout, this seems to me like the much better choice," Morro Bay resident Lori Toft said via public comment. "[The intersection] is simply too complicated for a series of stoplights to keep up with. I think a roundabout is a much better choice for this location."

With the road to the roundabout set into motion, other residents–like Anne Limon—are supportive of whatever city officials decide to do as long as those next steps take the people of the city into account first and foremost.

"Good luck with whatever you decide. ... Not everyone will be happy, no matter what," Limon wrote in a letter. "I am all for the roundabout—I know the cost is greater and it will take time to build, but in the long run it should fix those issues," Δ