City approves roundabout for College and 11th

By AMANDA RICKER

Chronicle Staff Writer

            The Bozeman City Commission on Monday night unanimously approved installing a roundabout -- rather than traffic lights -- at the intersection of West College Street and South 11th Avenue.         

            Montana State University and the Bozeman Pedestrian and Traffic Safety Committee had expressed a preference for a roundabout.

“If we’re going to try one, this would be a good spot,” City Engineer Rick Hixson told the commission.

Pedestrian and Traffic Safety Committee Chairman Ralph Zimmer said roundabouts generally allow higher traffic volumes and have fewer and less severe accidents than traffic signals.

However, Zimmer, who has limited vision, said the city needs to be cautious in making the intersection safe for pedestrians and bicyclists. Several commissioners said they wanted the roundabout to be wide enough to accommodate bicycle lanes and sidewalks.

Installing the roundabout means the city will need to acquire a total of 8,950 square feet of property right-of-ways. Montana State University owns the property on two corners, and NorthWestern Energy and a private business also each own a corner, City Manager Chris Kukulski said. Putting in traffic signals would have required the acquisition of 450 square feet of right-of-ways.

            The roundabout is expected to result in the loss of 16 area parking spaces, compared to 21 parking spaces that would be lost with traffic signals.

            The roundabout is cheaper in the long run, Tom Eastwood, a representative from Morrison-Maierle, the engineering company hired to research the two options, told the commission.

The roundabout comes with a $700,000 initial cost, but would cost about $916,000 over 15 years, taking into account maintenance costs, The traffic signal comes with a $440,000 initial cost, but would cost $1.08 million over 15 years.

            In other business, the commission delayed final consideration of its proposed $80.6 million 2009 budget. The city, and Gallatin County as a whole, has received two inaccurate taxable property value certifications from the Montana Department of Revenue. The city and county recently received a third corrected version and the city commission plans to act on the budget during its regular meeting on Sept. 2.

Amanda Ricker can be reached at aricker@dailychronicle.com or 582-2628.

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