St. Thomas now boasts 13 traffic roundabouts and, with a new design concept, that number could nearly double in the coming years.
Justin Lawrence, Director of Environmental Services, gained council approval Monday to proceed with the design of mini-roundabouts where the centre island is traversable by larger vehicles needing the space to negotiate.
Lawrence explained smaller vehicles would have trouble crossing over the island.
As a result, the mini-roundabouts require a much smaller footprint, ideal for intersections where space is constrained.
Coun. Gary Clarke is familiar with them and fully endorsed moving forward with a trial design and implementation.
Lawrence explains the positive environmental impacts of roundabouts.
If built as a standalone project, the cost is estimated at $150,000 to $200,000 per roundabout.
Incorporate them into road rehabilitation and the price tag drops to $50,000 to $75,000.
Lawrence suggested Axford Parkway and Sauve Avenue along with Greenway Blvd. and Pine Valley Drive as potential starting points for mini-roundabouts.
