Brian Johnson, Sartell
I am very thankful Sartell is the roundabout capital of Minnesota for a number of reasons as there are all kinds of statistics detailing why roundabouts are far superior over traffic lights. The first is it promotes better safety as roundabouts show an 89-percent decrease in fatal crashes, a 74-percent decrease in life-altering injury crashes and a 39-percent decrease in all crashes. With better traffic flow, roundabouts handle high levels of traffic with less delay than most stop signs or signals. The entry curves slow traffic so entering and exiting are easier and more efficient. Additionally, there is better fuel efficiency and air quality where roundabouts replace signals. The need for idling decreases, which reduces vehicle emissions and fuel consumption by 30 percent or more. This information and statistics come from the Minnesota Department of Transportation where you can also find a tutorial on how to navigate a roundabout.
I applaud city planners for adding numerous roundabouts in Sartell. Thank you for looking out for the safety of city residents. Being a father of two boys who will be Sartell drivers in the coming years, I feel good about the safety roundabouts provide. I understand there is a learning curve to navigating roundabouts, and as with most new things, it may take some time to learn. Perhaps the city could offer a how-to class on a Saturday morning in one of the public parking lots on how to correctly navigate a roundabout. I think this could benefit not only seniors but anyone who finds navigating roundabouts difficult.