The intersection of routes 202 and 179 is congested, but the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation would have to approve and pay for the project because it owns both roads.
By: Linda Seida
SOLEBURY Supervisors want to ease traffic congestion at the intersection of routes 202 and 179 by installing a roundabout, but the Pennsylvania Department of transportation would have to approve the project and pay for it because the state owns both roads.
A roundabout is similar to a traffic circle with several differences. A roundabout has a smaller radius, which causes drivers to proceed more slowly than they would in a larger circle. Also, vehicles within the roundabout have the right of way at all times.
Police Chief Richard Mangan said the intersection suffers from heavy congestion, and he is in favor of the proposed roundabout. The chief, who said he would work with the engineer and the township to implement the change, said "We want to try and move traffic through the area in an easier pattern."
Chief Mangan said there has not been a high incidence of accidents there, and accidents have not contributed to the supervisors’ decision.
The intersection will undergo some changes in coming months that will increase traffic in the area as several projects are completed, including the expansion of a shopping center and the resurrection of the Fabulous Fountainhead, a banquet hall and 60-room hotel that won supervisors’ approval last summer.
The original Fountainhead was destroyed by fire in 1999.
Township Manager John Granger said the township has not presented the plan to PennDOT yet.
However, he said, PennDOT is "generally very supportive of the concept of roundabouts."
The Board of Supervisors approved the concept last month after the township’s traffic engineers compared alternatives. The engineers now will work on a full design proposal.
The township would agree to underwrite a portion of the engineering costs associated with the project if PennDOT agrees to install a roundabout, Mr. Granger said. He had no estimate of the project’s total cost.
"When we looked at the impact of each design on congestion, the environment and the quality of life for local residents, the roundabout proved to be the best option," Bill Tinsman, chairman of the Board of Supervisors, said in a prepared statement. "Traffic signals cause backups while cars wait for the light to change, especially at rush hour. Roundabouts don’t have that problem because they allow the traffic to flow smoothly at all hours."
The engineers compared alternatives looking at travel delays, delay costs and fuel consumption and costs. The roundabout design provided the best overall traffic flow and the lowest person-hours of delay as well as the lowest fuel consumption. The design is significantly lower in pollutants than any of the competing configurations, according to the statement issued by the supervisors.
"Our road program is carefully designed to protect and preserve the rural character of the township," Mr. Tinsman said. "To this end, Solebury, PennDOT and the (Delaware River) Joint Toll Bridge Commission are working closely to develop innovative approaches to calming traffic. We hope this roundabout will be another success story in this partnership."