Dear Editor:

I have traveled to Boothbay at least weekly for the past eight years. I have yet to see an excessive amount of congestion around the Common, except during events there … and even then, not enough to cause any delays. I feel that the roundabout proposal is overkill and will actually add to the congestion.

Yes, the events and the associated congestion mean that you cannot drive at the posted speed limit of 30 mph, but if you use common sense and not be in such a hurry, you can egress that area in an extra 60-90 seconds of your time.

The presentation stated the traffic could travel at 25 mph with the roundabout in place. I travel through two roundabouts in the Auburn area, which do not have the foot traffic that would be present during events on the Common … and I find it difficult to travel at 25 mph through the roundabout when I have to watch for traffic already in the roundabout and entering the roundabout from the street to my left.

When there are large events on the Common, there is usually law enforcement stationed at the crosswalk from the town hall to the Common. This law enforcement officer usually controls the traffic by having people wait until a large number are waiting to cross, then stopping traffic to let them cross the road. As stated in a couple of other letters to the editor on this subject, synchronized lights would be a more efficient process.

Based on the presentation, it would seem that there would be more crosswalks, which would either mean more law enforcements officers to control traffic … or traffic would come to a standstill… the same as it does in Wiscasset at the crosswalk to Red’s Eats.

I also wonder about the Back River Road residents having to egress onto 27 or to turn across the southbound lane of traffic to get back to their homes. Would that not also add to congestion?

What is needed is more parking when the large events take place on the Common. That is part of the congestion problem … people looking for parking spaces.

Robert Denson

Turner