HUTTO – In a move that went counter to a public opinion poll the city performed, Hutto council members gave the go-ahead for construction of a roundabout at the intersection of FM 1660 and County Road 137. Only newly-elected council member Brian Thompson voted against the roundabout at the May 18 meeting.
“Looking at the responses, I feel like the citizens have spoken. They want the signalized intersection. I may not agree with it, but that’s where I land on it,” Thompson said.
CR 137 dead-ends at FM 1660, causing a three-way intersection. Upcoming construction of a build-to-rent subdivision will cause CR 137 to be extended through that intersection and into the new neighborhood, creating a four-way crossing and signaling the need for a new traffic control system.
The city held a public meeting April 13 to discuss the pros and cons of choosing either a roundabout or a traffic light at the intersection. Fortyeight members of the public left comments, according to City Engineer Matt Rector. Of those 48, he said only 24 were on topic.
Rector said 15 of the 24 valid responses were in favor of the signal light, with nine people voting for the roundabout. While the response was low, that equates to 62.5% asking for the traffic signal.
“There were a lot of issues that were brought up,” Rector said. “The overall theme was everybody’s concerned about the safety of the kids crossing to get to the school. They’re concerned about growth and they’re concerned about people not knowing how to navigate through a roundabout.”
Jimmy Pierce, a resident of downtown Hutto, spoke against the roundabout during the public comment portion of the council meeting.
“Several studies indicate that major accidents go down at roundabouts, but what nobody really wants to talk about is that minor accidents go up,” he said. “Pedestrian accidents go up. Bicycle accidents go up. With there being a school there, and we’re building apartments and we’re going to put a subdivision right across the street, that’s not a good idea.”
Rector said that based on traffic pattern modeling, the roundabout would improve traffic flow more than a signal would. He also said that it was safer for pedestrians crossing because all the traffic is traveling in one direction, limiting the number of directions from which a vehicle might enter a crosswalk.
The intersection will also feature a beacon that triggers flashing lights alerting drivers when a pedestrian is crossing.
“Personally I like roundabouts,” said Mayor Pro Tem Peter Gordon. “When I first went into one it freaked me out, I didn’t know what I was doing. But I learned pretty quick and I learned to love them. The traffic flow was so much better.”
Gordon asked Rector to find out if the city can repurpose the existing three-way traffic signal by moving it to another of the city’s busy intersections.
The roundabout council approved will be 96 feet across and is designed to accommodate vehicles up to 67 feet in length. It will have a curb that can be driven over in event of large vehicles needing extra space.
It will cost $14,279,218, somewhat higher than the traffic signal’s $12,855,957 price tag, but Rector said long-term maintenance costs will be less.
“With a roundabout you don’t have signal mast arms and signal lights and all the control boxes that would increase the maintenance costs,” he said.
