More changes coming to Auburn and Main roundabout as crash-reduction study enters next phase

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — In the second phase of a study to reduce crashes at the Auburn and N. Main roundabout, the city will remove the current barriers to see if drivers can navigate the one-lane traffic circle without them.

It has been about three months since Rockford reduced the roundabout at Auburn and N. Main from two lanes down to one.

Ernie Redfern, co-chair of the Friends of Veterans Memorial Circle nonprofit group, who waters the plants within and around the memorial, said he’s not sold on the idea.

The roundabout was constructed in 2013 at a cost of $7.5 million, to replace a signal-controlled intersection. It was dedicated as Veterans Memorial Circle in honor of 527 soldiers buried at the neighboring Greenwood Cemetery. A Civil War soldier statue that originally adorned the roundabout was moved downtown.

The city spent an additional $15,000 this year to add pavement striping to transition the two-lane approach down to one lane, at approximately 400 feet to the intersection, on all four directions.

Redfern said his group has dealt with frequent damage to the roundabout, and acknowledged the lane reduction has resulted in a decrease in crashes.

“Last year, we had three major accidents that took out the walls of the circle. This year we’ve had none,” he said. “A negative is that, right now, we have all these barriers that are going to be coming down.”

Redfern is referring to construction barrels that are in place to prevent motorists from using the second, outer lane.

Those barriers will be removed on September 3rd, during the next phase of a one-year traffic study, leaving only pavement striping to direct drivers into the correct lane.

Rockford Traffic and Development engineer Jeremy Carter said that the decision followed positive data the city collected over the summer.

“Prior to the [lane] reduction, we were seeing about 5 to 7 accidents a month at the roundabout. We have now seen four in the two months, about a 60% reduction. We’re going to watch to see how the traffic goes without the barrels out there,” Carter said.

Holli Connell, who lives and works near the roundabout, said she’ll be watching once the cones come down.

“I think the reduction of the ‘calming cones’ is going to be, possibly, a challenge for some people,” Connell said. “I think they have really helped people stay in the one-lane mindset. So once these go away, I will be very interested to see if the accidents stay at a low number.”

Redfern remains skeptical of the upcoming changes.

“The City Hall, they’re all ‘We’ve only had one accident since we did this.’ This is all artificial. You know, you’re going to take these barriers down. That’s when you’re going to know whether or not it works,” he said.

Stopping in a roundabout, as well as failing to yield appropriately, are two common mistakes leading to accidents in roundabouts, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT).

IDOT published five steps to drive a roundabout:

1. Yield when you approach a roundabout and watch for pedestrians in the crosswalk.
2. Look to the left as you near the dashed yield line and yield to traffic already in the circle.
3. Once you see a gap in traffic, enter the circle and proceed to your exit. Look for pedestrians as you exit and make sure you stay in your lane as you navigate the roundabout.
4. In a multi-lane roundabout, choose a lane before entering the roundabout. Signs posted near the roundabout will direct you to the appropriate lane based on whether you want to make a left turn, go straight or make a U-turn.
5. Choose either the left lane as you enter the roundabout or choose the right lane if you want to make a right turn.

Carter said the city will study how drivers fare in the winter weather, and a decision on making a permanent update to the roundabout could be made next summer.

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