From: Laurie-Ann Barbour < >
Sent: Tuesday, July 2, 2024 11:35 PM
To: Kevin Patterson <[email protected]>
Subject: Statement re: Roundabout Initiative
City Council Members,
My name is Laurie-Ann Barbour and I live in Cotati. Along with Neil Hancock and Eris Weaver, I submitted the petition to the City of Cotati to repeal the ban on roundabouts and coordinated the effort to gather signatures to have this initiative put on the ballot. More than 20 people collected over 700 signatures of Cotati residents who would like to repeal the ban on roundabouts.. I personally spent many hours walking the streets of Cotati gathering signatures. I had lovely conversations with neighbors and met new people. It was a very positive experience and I found a lot of support for repealing the ban on roundabouts. Many people were surprised to learn there was a a ban and thought it was silly. Quite a few people thanked me for the effort. Of course, I met some people who don’t like roundabouts but they were definitely in the minority.
Why am I in favor of removing the ban? As we stated on the petition:
In many situations, roundabouts improve traffic safety and cause less congestion and delay than stop signs and traffic lights. By design the safe speed reduces the number and severity of collisions for all road users. They keep traffic moving in a steady flow, reducing air pollution, noise, and fuel use. They require no power to operate, and little maintenance.
To our knowledge, the existing ban on roundabouts in Cotati is unique in the world, yet neighboring communities have installed them successfully. For the safety of our community, we want to ensure that every possible traffic control solution can be considered in any given situation. Repealing this ban allows for roundabouts to be considered as a potential traffic control solution in Cotati, alongside all other traffic devices, as in all other communities in Sonoma County and the USA.
I’d also like to mention some of the other people who spent their time meeting their fellow citizen neighbors and collecting signatures: Paul Burke, Peggy Carr, John DelOsso, Terry Dutra, Marlina Eckel, Ed Gilardi, Ellen Gordon, Neil Hancock, Val Kingsbury, Mark Landman, Sylvia Lemus, Ryan Long, Amy Lyman, Nancy O'Donnell, Kay Rivers, MaryJane Salberg, John Savage, Laura Sparks, Suzanne Whipple, Carol Williams. This was truly a Cotati group effort and I appreciated working with so many wonderful people.
I hope the time has come for Cotati citizens to allow roundabouts in our midst.
Under the Public Records Act (California Government Code §7920.000-7931.000), e-mail messages of local agencies are public records which are subject to disclosure to the public or may be subpoenaed.
COMMENTS FROM PETITION
ORGANIZER
Roundabouts save lives. They are safer and more efficient than stop sign or signalcontrolled intersections, significantly reducing fatal and injury collisions by up to 90%., according to the Federal Highway Administration.
Roundabouts reduce collision points, improving safety for pedestrians and cyclists.
While initial construction costs may be similar, maintenance and operation costs of a roundabout are significantly cheaper.
With less idling, roundabouts are better for the environment, helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fuel consumption. (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) Because the number of vehicle stops are reduced, roundabouts keep traffic flowing smoothly, reducing congestion and delays by as much as 89%.
There are no roundabouts currently proposed in town; reversing the ban merely ensures that Cotati has access to the full range of traffic control and safety tools.