Charlottesville City Council recently approved a $44,836 study to examine the feasibility of a roundabout at the intersection of McIntire Road and Harris Street, near McIntire Plaza.  Business owners there have shared concerns about vehicular access for their customers.

Advocates of a roundabout point to traffic safety and the continuous traffic flow as benefits to the approach.  However, walkability expert Jeff Speck cautions that roundabouts are not appropriate in all locations. “A roundabout is a good way to intersect two streets in an automotive environment, but they’re not really pedestrian environments,” Speck said in a recent visit to Charlottesville. The safest intersection for pedestrians is a four-way stop.

What is your opinion? Would you like to see a roundabout built at the intersection near McIntire Plaza?

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