Letter to the Editor: Is a roundabout the best use of state dollars?

Now look, I know the vote’s already been done and the roundabout is coming to Farmville, regardless if we want it to or not. I would just like to point out some things that maybe we can consider in the future before signing off on things like this.

In reading what VDOT engineers say, ok so there were eight total accidents there over a five year period? Then breaking it down more, three of those accidents were caused as a result of the crosswalk, so really just five accidents in five years, roughly one accident a year. If that’s truly the biggest traffic problem in town, then Farmville should celebrate. I’m serious. Several counties would love to have those kind of numbers, rather than the ones they’ve got.

Reading the paper online, we’re going to spend $11.8 million in state dollars, with the hope of cutting those five accidents down to just over 2? So we’re not even gonna stop accidents from happening. We just hope that after dropping nearly $12 million on this, three or four people over five years make different choices. I see all of those numbers and I really have to ask if that’s the best way to spend traffic dollars.

Let’s be honest. Instead of eight accidents in five years, you’ll still have roughly 5, because you can do all the construction you want, but people are going to be people. They’re going to ignore traffic signs and flashing lights, walking across the street and doing what they want. I’m not endorsing it. I’m not supporting it in any way, but I am being realistic. It doesn’t matter if you have a roundabout or traffic lights there. People are gonna be people. I would even argue that since some folks aren’t exactly sure how to use a roundabout, you have a better than fair chance of doubling the number of wrecks in the first few months after it goes active. Hard to tell state officials how much it’s helping safety when suddenly you have five wrecks within a six-month period, instead of five in five years.

And hey, what’s done is done on this. I don’t live in town, but I hate to see state dollars being applied to something that on the surface, just doesn’t appear to be the biggest need in the area. I’ll just try to avoid that area when construction is happening (and afterward, when people are learning how to use it). But my main point here is just for future projects. Let’s be honest and look at if we’re really applying dollars where they can best serve the population.

Dennis Deems
Cumberland

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