County considering more traffic control near BTC
What do Beloit, Turtle, Rock and La Prairie townships have in common? They all meet at one busy intersection: County G and Town Line Road.
Students going to and from Blackhawk Technical College pass through the intersection daily, as do the trucks from the Rock Road Company’s asphalt plant.
And here’s something that distinguishes the intersection even more: It scored a three out of nine on its warrant analysis—the engineering test that determines if additional traffic control is needed.
That low score just might qualify it for either a stoplight or roundabout in the next few years, said Ben Coopman, Rock County’s director of public works.
The warrant analysis on the intersection considered nine factors in assigning thescore. Factors include the amount of traffic, amount of left- and right-hand turns from each leg of the intersection, the delay in turning and the gaps in traffic that would make turning easier or more difficult.
The county received a grant from the federal government’s surface transportation program that will pay 80 percent of design costs for intersection changes. Those costs are estimated between $100,000 and $125,000.
According to Coopman, the state now requires an “intersection control evaluation” to determine if a roundabout would work better than a traditional traffic signal. Both would cost about the same, but the county might have to buy additional land to install a roundabout.
Coopman isn’t in favor of a roundabout.
“Generally, they have more maintenance issues,” he said. They’re also more difficult to plow effectively, he said.
The county plans to apply for a federal grant to cover some of the construction costs for either a traffic signal or roundabout, Coopman said. If the county gets the money, construction could start in 2013 or early 2014.
It’s possible the change at County G and Town Line Road might help alleviate perceived problems at Blackhawk Technical College’s entrance on County G. Enrollment at BTC has increased significantly in recent years, and school officials have expressed concerns about potential accidents at the County G entrance.
As engineers ponder changes at the intersection of County G and Town Line Road, they’ll “certainly consider” BTC’s concerns about the County G entrance, Coopman said.
Nov 6, 2011 at 10:40 p.m.
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The argument against roundabouts is valid when we never had one in the state... But I wonder what makes them difficult to plow correctly? Lack of experience or improperly equipped plow trucks? Or maybe it's just a public perception.
The cost benefit analysis for round abouts sells itself. It's up to drivers to educate themselves. Spend as much time learning how to drive a roundabout as you spent programming the bluetooth onstar gps stereo in your car, and I don't think we'd have an issue.
Countries in Europe get much more snow and ice than we do... And they keep their streets equally maintained. Maybe people should spend a few minutes on Google? http://www.google.com/search?q=plowing+a...
Nov 6, 2011 at 3:05 p.m.
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doc0430, obviously you have no idea what the cost comparison is between an engineering solution and a manpower solution. The hours of enforcement necessary add up quickly (use a nominal cost of $100/hour for a deputy and a squad), during which these law enforcement resources are unavailable for other purposes.
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One of the things that is hard to understand, obviously, is that particularly once volume crosses a certain threshold, it isn't people intentionally violating the law, it's simply unavoidable conflict between vehicles. Those trying to rush across a two-way stop intersection, or the continuous pressure of four vehicles always at every point of a four-way stop, will inevitably result in accidents.
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It is clear that roundabouts are the smartest, safest, and least expensive solution, but those are obviously offensive to a certain contingent.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaICdKez2...
Nov 6, 2011 at 11:53 a.m.
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More maintenance issues? Seriously? Snow plows are a non-issue also.
Modern roundabouts are the safest form of intersection in the world. Visit www.iihs.org for safety facts. The safety comes from the ‘slow and go’ operation instead of the ‘stop or go fast’ way a stop light works (or the ‘keep going fast’ large traffic circle fantasy). The smaller size of the modern roundabout is what makes them safer and keeps speeds in the 20 mph range. This makes it much easier to avoid a crash or stop for pedestrians. It also means that if a crash happens the likelihood of injury is very low. Safety is the #1 reason there are over 2,300 modern roundabouts in the US today and many more on the way.
The first cost of any two choices is a poor way to compare. Life-cycle cost is the best (present value of future costs, a.k.a. net present value). When comparing modern roundabouts to signals for a 20-year life cycle (the standard period), modern roundabouts usually cost us much less. Costs could include: first cost (design/land/construction), operation and maintenance (electricity, re-striping, etc.), crash reduction, daily delay (what’s your time worth?), daily fuel consumption, pollution (generated), area insurance rates (this costs more where it is less safe to drive). Each of these things, and others, can be estimated for any two choices and everyone near or using the project area will pay some portion of all of these costs.
Nov 6, 2011 at 9:45 a.m.
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Roundabouts: the solution that nobody asked for or wanted
Nov 6, 2011 at 9:23 a.m.
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I'd bet there would be a lot of revenue, if JPD would give tickets to all the truckers failing to stop when exiting the truck stop on Deerfield Drive.
Nov 5, 2011 at 9:31 p.m.
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*Plowing difficulties I spoke of would be from the suggested Roundabout. I knew I should clarify that before someone got confused and spoke out against my thoughts here.
Nov 5, 2011 at 9:29 p.m.
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As far as BTC enrollment increasing, of course it did with all the jobs that waved good bye as they left Janeesville, people enrolled to get further education in some other field, those numbers will go back to where they were once all of the people effected by the jobs lost finish their schooling, the numbers right now are only temporary, common sense tells you that. I feel like someone is pushing the panic button here and not thinking five to ten years down the road, (kind of like when the city put in Ruether Way, the road to nowhere) between Prairie Ave and Jackson Street) to make it more accessible for Semis coming and going from GM, and putting in the bridge at Jackson Street so the trains wouldn't hold them up as they drove away, and now what?
And as stated in the article it would make plowing properly almost impossible which in turn would make it more dangerous during the winter months here. Another easier solution not mentioned would be to lower the speed limit through that stretch of road, and then once again, ENFORCE IT!
Nov 5, 2011 at 9:05 p.m.
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Stop lights and speed limit enforcement is all that this intersection needs, the Sheriffs department needs to be in that area more often and their presence should take care of the speeding and students need to stop before turning out of Blackhawk Tech. sometimes they're in just to much of a hurry and they fly out of there and that is not only illegal it's very dangerous! Law enforcement could save the county and it's taxpayers mainly a lot of money just by doing their jobs!! Throwing more money at the problem is not the answer here, start writing tickets and maybe they will drive more safely, and by that it would save all of us hundreds of thousands of dollars, why is this so hard to understand?? The Sheriffs department already have units in the area most of the time just a few miles away along the Hy 11 by-pass, make their presence felt at times when BTC is getting out and County G can remain a county highway as is, just add a stop light at that intersection and leave the roundabouts where they belong, in large metro ares that have real traffic issues, and not just lack of law enforcement!
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