Why Size Matters

In the heart of our quiet residential community, the proposal for a 160-foot Inscribed Circle Diameter (ICD) roundabout stands out as an oversized solution to a modest traffic concern. Size truly matters when it comes to roundabout design, especially in areas with low traffic volumes like ours. The current design takes a cookie-cutter approach, applying the same wide lanes and splitter islands to each entry, regardless of actual traffic conditions. An excessively large roundabout disrupts traffic flow, encroaches on neighboring properties, and negatively impacts the environment—particularly sensitive floodplain areas. In this section, we'll explore why the proposed 160-foot ICD is excessive for our neighborhood and how smaller designs, such as a 136-foot outer diameter (OD) roundabout, offer more appropriate and sustainable alternatives.

A Roundabout for a 747? But Where’s the Runway?

The proposed 160-foot outer diameter roundabout at the intersection of North Drakes Creek Road is so massive, a Boeing 747 could comfortably use it to make a U-turn. To put this into perspective, a 747 requires about 120 feet to complete a turn, meaning this roundabout goes beyond accommodating regular vehicles—it’s oversized for the area.

But here’s the problem: while a 747 could turn around, it could never safely navigate any of the roads that lead into this roundabout. Why? Let’s take a look at the road widths and infrastructure:

  • North Drakes Creek Road (Durham Farms Entrance): 24.0 feet wide, featuring a complete street design with a paved roadway, raised cement curb, 2-foot-wide vegetation buffer, and an 8-foot sidewalk. This makes it the only road with curbs, a grass section, and sidewalks.

  • Countryside Drive: 18.4 feet wide, serving 24 homes on a dead-end street with no such amenities.

  • Anderson Road: 20.5 feet wide, without any curb, grass section, or sidewalk.

  • Herman Harrison Drive: 20.5 feet wide, also lacking curbs or a sidewalk.

  • South Drakes Creek Road (Towards 386): 22.1 feet wide, with no additional safety features.

  • Avant / Calendar Lane: 17.5 feet wide, a narrow park road with a speed limit of just 15 MPH, again without any curbs or sidewalks.

Road Safety at Risk

Aside from North Drakes Creek Road, all of these approaches are nothing more than their bare road widths. There are no curbs, no vegetation buffers, and, in some cases, an alarming drop-off of up to 18 inches right at the edge of the pavement. This creates serious safety hazards, especially when combined with increased traffic and the speed adjustments required for entering a roundabout of this size.

A Misfit for the Area

Designing a roundabout of this magnitude for small, ill-equipped roads is like trying to land a jumbo jet on a residential street. It’s not just impractical—it’s dangerous. While the roundabout itself may seem to improve traffic flow in theory, the roads leading to and from it are simply not designed to handle this type of infrastructure safely.