Metro

Pedestrian Safety

Roundabouts concern those walking on Shabbat.

Stephanie Goldberg
Special to the Jewish News

T

his month, one more intersec-
tion in Oakland County will
have traded in its traffic lights
for yield signs when the new roundabout
at Maple and Drake roads opens in West
Bloomfield.
And more will follow in the northwest
suburbs, including a roundabout at Maple
and Farmington roads that is expected to
begin construction Aug. 15.
While statistics provided by the Road
Commission for Oakland County state that
modern roundabouts are safer for pedes-
trians than signalized intersections, many
members of Oakland County's Jewish
community continue to question the affect
they will have on their weekly walks to
synagogue.
The modern roundabout is a fairly new
intersection designed to keep traffic mov-
ing and improve safety. Traffic signals are
eliminated and vehicles travel counter-
clockwise through the intersection.
Some confusion may arise because of
unfamiliarity and because there are no
signals. Drivers also maybe not be sure
what to do when pedestrians are present.
"Putting roundabouts in is only going
to cause one more obstacle for people
to deal with [as they walk to shul on the
Sabbath]," said Alan Pearlstein, building
manager of the Shul in West Bloomfield,
on Maple Road between Drake and
Halsted roads.
"If you sit and observe the roundabout
at Costco [in Commerce Township], it
looks like a four-way stop when the power
goes out. People just stare at each other
because they don't know what to do."
Pearlstein is not alone with his negative
perception.
Craig Bryson, public information offi-
cer at the Road Commission for Oakland
County, has been fielding citizen com-
plaints. He believes people are only reject-
ing the idea of roundabouts because of
"fear of the unknown."
"Numerous studies have shown that
once roundabouts are in, people like
them:' he said.
The Federal Highway Administration
has concluded that roundabouts result in
37 percent fewer crashes and 51 percent
fewer injuries. The accidents that do occur

Aerial photo of the modern roundabout at the intersection of Baldwin, Indianwood and Coats roads in Orion Township, built in
2004, by the Road Commission for Oakland County

"We just hope this doesn't

Drake on Shabbat and
many of the Jewish holi-
cause .a problem [for those
days.
"I've experienced
across Orchard Lake Road]."
roundabouts in Texas;
they're not so bad. I
are typically low-speed
wasn't walking, though:' said Mann. "I'm
sideswipes and rear-end sure there's a way to do it."
Rabbi
collisions as opposed to
Bryson believes people confuse modern
Silberberg
head-on, left-turn and
roundabouts with the traffic circles most
high-speed broadside
commonly seen on the East Coast.
collisions that occur at signal intersec-
"A lot of people are familiar with traffic
tions.
circles, which are old-fashioned round-
The Road Commission is trying to stay
abouts. They're dangerous. Traffic circles
connected with the Jewish community.
have a lot of problems that were resolved
"We have met with the rabbis and have
in the modern roundabout concept:'
an ongoing dialogue with them:' Bryson
he said Diverter islands, also known as
said. "After explaining everything, most of splitter islands, are one significant differ-
[the rabbis] have been really supportiv'
ence. These islands are located about one
car-length behind the yield sign at the
Pedestrian Safety
entrance to the roundabout to help pedes-
Rabbi Yudi Mann of the Shul walks
trians cross the street safely. The Road
through the intersection at Maple and
Commission says they are a safe place for

pedestrians to wait for traffic to clear.
"When you're crossing a roundabout,
you only have to look in one direction at a
time Bryson said.
Rabbi Elimelech Silberberg of the Sara
Tugman Bais Chabad Torah Center is con-
cerned about the safety of his synagogue's
congregants.
"We are located east on Maple just east
of Orchard Lake Road; many people who
come here live west of Orchard Lake Road.
We just hope this doesn't cause a problem
for them:' Silberberg said.
The intersection at Orchard Lake and
Maple is expected to go roundabout next
year or in 2009.
Bryson says roundabouts "are not the
ideal solution. There is no perfect solu-
tion. There is just too much traffic in this
area." II

Stephanie Goldberg is a student at Michigan

State University, East Lansing.

August 9 2007

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