The Connecticut Department of Transportation held a public meeting in Salem on June 17, 2009. Residents received a briefing on the CONNDOT plan to build a Modern Roundabout at Salem Four Corners.
The article below was published in the current edition of Our Town Salem.
From the Office of the First Selectman.
REVITALIZING SALEM FOUR CORNERS
With the help of our Economic Development Commission and our state and federal legislative delegation, we are working with the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CDOT) to resolve the public safety and traffic management problems at Salem Four Corners. This is a community priority residents made very clear to me when I campaigned for First Selectman. I know many residents are frustrated with the decline we have seen over the years at that intersection and on the commercial properties around it. For over a year we have been developing a strategy that has now moved from a conceptual framework to formal design at CDOT.
In December 2008, I met with our state legislators, neighboring First Selectmen, representatives from the Council of Governments, and members of several state agencies to engage them in a plan to transform Salem Four Corners. As I said in October of 2007, “it can be a place where businesses thrive, and community confidence and local patronage are restored.” That’s the vision! However, our plan must be bold, not just a temporary fix with short-term results. We want our approach to totally transform the way the intersection looks and functions as our primary commercial district.
A modern roundabout offers great potential to address our public safety and traffic management issues, while making the four corners more attractive for local businesses. A modern roundabout would make this historic intersection truly distinctive in Connecticut. Most importantly, this transportation infrastructure project will be the catalyst for improving the economic landscape of the area.
Modern roundabouts have been used for decades in Europe and are increasingly popular in the United States. Over 1,000 have been built in America and they do solve difficult traffic problems. They decrease the frequency and severity of accidents. They reduce injuries by 75 percent and fatalities by 90 percent. They increase efficiency in traffic flow by 50 percent, while reducing carbon emissions and fuel consumption by 30 percent. They cost less to maintain than a traditional signalized intersection. And they create a safe, aesthetically attractive and pedestrian friendly environment.
Modern roundabouts are NOT rotaries. Traditional rotaries were designed to keep traffic moving at higher speeds. That’s why they have a reputation for being difficult to navigate and can be confusing for people trying to enter or exit while other vehicles are moving nearby at higher speeds. A modern roundabout is much smaller and slows all traffic down to about 15-20 miles per hour. All traffic outside the circle yields to traffic inside the circle. Although the modern roundabout slows traffic down, they move a higher volume of traffic more efficiently because they don’t unnecessarily stop traffic. During periods of high traffic volume, modern roundabouts create “moving queues” so drivers don’t get backed-up and watch several cycles of a stoplight while waiting to move through
the intersection.
Using projected traffic volumes, CDOT engineers have developed a computer model of a modern roundabout at Salem Four Corners. It graphically demonstrates that the congestion we now experience on Route 85 is dramatically reduced and partially shifts to Route 82. This is good for Salem because local residents know there are alternative roads to Route 82, while there are no alternatives to Route 85. Of course, there is no such thing as a perfect solution to the problems created by the delay in completing Route 11. The only way to solve the larger problem is to complete Route 11. This is NOT an alternative to Route 11. However, it will improve the local traffic problems we have until Route 11 is completed.
To make room for a modern roundabout, CDOT is formally designing a plan to shift the center of the intersection westward. This would require the purchase and removal of some commercial buildings on the west side of Route 85. The buildings in the northwest quadrant (Bad Boyz Toyz and the vacant white house) would be removed and that area would be cleared for wetland mitigation. It would have the appearance of open space leading up to the bank of Harris Brook. Fortunately, there will already be newer commercial space built on the east side of Route 85 and available for local business. These new buildings will more than replace the loss of older commercial properties.
As the formal design of the modern roundabout is being completed, the Economic Development Commission is organizing a Salem Business Association to do what we can to support local business and help them use this transformation to their advantage. As the public sector does its part to address traffic management and public safety, we hope this can serve as the catalyst for cleaning up storefronts, buildings and parking areas. We will seek out grants and other resources to help finance new facades on older buildings. We will offer alternatives to the clutter of ineffective signage. We hope to engage the local business community in revitalizing Salem Four Corners. We seek to establish a partnership between local government and local business to create a beautiful gateway to Salem we can all be proud of.
Recently our Congressman, Joe Courtney, signed a letter to CDOT endorsing this project and offering his help to secure federal public safety funds to finance the modern roundabout construction. His support, along with efforts by our state legislators Andrea Stillman and Ed Jutila has expedited progress on this plan of action. This summer, CDOT will conduct a public information meeting here in Salem to present their design and give residents an opportunity to comment on this revitalization strategy.
If you are a member of a small group or circle of friends interested in details about this plan to revitalize Salem Four Corners, I would be happy to meet with you in your home or at Town Hall to present this strategy and answer your questions.
Respectfully, -Bob Ross
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