Have you noticed the speed table at the Mustangs roundabout? Of course you have. And judging by the 100+ emails we received after experiment #1, a speed cushion (basically a bump), was installed back in August, you probably don’t like them.
Some people blamed our Public Works Department for the speed bump. That’s not fair. They aren’t fans of it either. The decision to install it as an experiment was made by the City Council in response to a serious problem: 23 accidents in the roundabout since 2020. Clearly, something needed to change.
Residents raised a lot of valid concerns. Rear-end collisions caused by cars slowing unexpectedly. Cars swerving into the narrow bike lane by the curb to avoid the bump, endangering cyclists. Cars launching airborne if drivers didn’t slow down enough.
To better understand the situation, I spent time at the roundabout with members of SUBA (Southern Utah Bicycle Alliance) to observe what was really happening. We saw many of the issues people described in their emails—though thankfully, no airborne cars! (I’ll admit, I needed ChatGPT to help me imagine that one.)
We’ve already made adjustments based on the issues with the initial speed cushion. To reduce the jolt as vehicles pass over it, we replaced it with a wider speed table. We’re also exploring additional measures to improve safety, such as installing better signage, restriping the bike sharrows farther from the roundabout, and lowering the speed limit. We’re open to other good ideas as well, so if you have suggestions, let us know.
This experiment is part of an effort to address safety in the roundabout, and while the current solution may not be perfect, we’re committed to finding something that works. Stay tuned as we continue to evaluate and refine the approach.