Calming circle riles comments

The fate of a much-discussed roundabout

in town will remain in limbo until at least next spring.

The traffic calming circle at the

intersection of Lupfer and Third Street was removed last month to

accommodate detour traffic during reconstruction of Second Street.

Some city councilors and at least one resident have said it

shouldn’t be replaced.

“I don’t think we need to put it back

in,” councilor Phil Mitchell said at the Oct. 17 council

meeting.

Councilor Turner Askew said that

emergency vehicles, such as large fire trucks, have a hard time

maneuvering the circle, while councilor Chris Hyatt noted that

there are only two roundabouts in Whitefish — one at Lupfer and

Third, and the other near the Creekwood subdivision. He’d rather

see some uniform approach to the city’s intersections.

The circle was originally installed in

2004 as a way to slow traffic in the neighborhood.

Lupfer Avenue resident and former

councilor Pat LaTourelle wrote a letter to the council regarding

her concerns about the circle.

“I don’t think this was effective for

two reasons,” she wrote. “One, people 99 percent of the time drive

through rather than around the traffic circle. It was also

ineffective because of its size.”

Another reason it shouldn’t be

reinstalled, she said, is because it’s an eyesore due to trash and

a lack of upkeep.

Other neighborhood residents

disagree.

Richard Hildner, who lives on Fifth

Street, said he’d like to keep the roundabout for safety reasons.

Rhonda Fitzgerald says the circle is necessary, but that it could

be engineered in a different manner to better accommodate traffic.

She says drivers use the intersection as a shortcut to bypass the

traffic light at Baker and Second Street.

“People learned about the shortcut and

now they gun it down the street,” she said.

Police Chief Bill Dial said some sort

of traffic calming is needed in that area.

Public Works director John Wilson said

there are a few options other than a circle for traffic calming,

none of which would likely be popular. Narrower streets, speed

bumps, speed humps and stop signs could all be used.

Speed bumps, he said, are tough on

vehicles, and stop signs are not effective.

“Drivers speed up after they’re past

them,” he said.

If council decides not to reinstall the

roundabout Wilson said the intersection will likely be left as it

is.

Councilor John Muhlfeld said there was

a reason the roundabout was installed in the first place and that

it needs to be an option on the table for future discussions.

Councilor Ryan Friel wants to make sure

the neighborhood is involved with any decision the council

makes.

Regarding Askew’s remarks about

emergency vehicles, fire chief Tom Kennelly said the circle is

somewhat of an impedance for large fire trucks.

“We need to be able to get equipment in

and around town,” he said.

Former fire marshal Doug Loy was

originally consulted regarding the circle and it was determined

that a fire truck could go straight through the intersection, but

to make a left turn the truck has to cut in front.

Wilson said if the circle is

reinstalled it could be designed with a laydown curb.

“We will work with the fire department

to make it more emergency-friendly,” he said.

The circle wouldn’t be reinstalled

until next spring after the cold weather season.