Dear Editor:

I read Mr. Kaplan’s letter online about his “internet research” and found it rather interesting. He must have looked hard to find his data, a simple “internet search” about roundabout safety finds just the opposite of his arguments. USDOT Federal Highway Administration specifically states they are proven Safer for both bicycle and pedestrian traffic. Let’s look at his arguments:

1. Roundabouts do slow traffic. Every website I visited including USDOT states it improves traffic flow. Roundabouts also keep traffic flowing evenly which make them better for the environment. Cars stopping completely and starting from a stop emit more exhaust.
2. Roundabout always unsafe for bikes and pedestrians? Really? This is just the opposite of what I found. Again, USDOT Fed Highway Admin proves that wrong. http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/intersection/innovative/roundabouts/
3. Signs for the roundabout and high lighting? I would hope we would have signs. We currently have signs now, hopefully the new ones would make it clearer to a motorist. Not sure about lighting, never found that mentioned in anything that I read. We already have lighting around the common so not much would change.
4. Winter maintenance: Have you ever tried plowing an intersection such as the current one? I have, not fun. Plowing a circle would be much easier in my opinion. It’s much easier to plow in one direction.

The experts have installed many roundabouts in both busy cities and small towns (Blue Hill). We will have more experts looking at this prior to November. These people specialize in traffic, it’s what they do. They rely on much more than internet stories and quotes.

My point is you can find anything you want on the internet to fit the narrative you want to push. Myth Busters did a story on roundabouts verses 4 way stops, kind of interesting to watch but hardly fact. They found a roundabout increased traffic flow by 20 percent. Watch the video, after all these guys are funny.

So, soon we will have more information from traffic experts. We will have more factual information for the voters of Boothbay. We will have more meetings for the voters to ask questions, to get informed. Then we will vote come November.

Steve Lewis

Board of Selectmen

Boothbay