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Letter: Area resident laments WSDOT decision after absence of public input

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in: Letters To The Editor, Opinion, Transportation


Yacolt resident Thomas Schenk discusses a WSDOT proposal to install a round-about traffic circle at the intersection of State Highway 503 and Rock Creek Road

Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the author alone and do not reflect the editorial position of ClarkCountyToday.com

On or about Dec. 7, 2023, many citizens in the North County area of Clark County received a flier in their mailboxes from Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT).

Thomas Schenk
Thomas Schenk

The flier announced the decision by WSDOT to install a round-about traffic circle at the intersection of State Highway 503 and Rock Creek Rd.

I guess I must have missed the hearings, town halls or other discussion groups that debated the necessity for this kind of traffic revision … oh wait … there wasn’t any.

Once again the “Government knows best” crowd has determined the main artery to the North County area and beyond to recreational locales visited by thousands, should have a round-about traffic circle impeding the flow of vehicles.

I wrote WSDOT questioning the sanity of such a decision without input from the public who have to use this artery to get anywhere in Clark County.

The response I received said …”WSDOT reached out to key users with large vehicles to confirm vehicle sizes and specifically looked into how to make these large vehicles comfortably and efficiently traverse through the roundabout as part of the design process.”

Good to know that WSDOT has the ability to contact businesses using large vehicles on a daily basis, but not the citizens of the area.

The WSDOT response cited “severe and fatal” crashes at this intersection thus demanding something be done to stop the carnage.

I’ve lived in the area for 25 years … using 503 as most other citizens have done for years. I know some fatalities may have occurred at or around this intersection, but I have never seen one of them or the aftermath of such an accident … doesn’t mean it didn’t happen … I just haven’t seen either.

I asked for the statistics backing up this decision … WSDOT’s response said …”The project was developed due to a documented history of severe and fatal crashes at this intersection, which caused it to rise to a high priority on SR 503 to address.”

So, I’m thinking that because it rose to such a high priority, there must have been a major statistical analysis completed for the “project” … however, the WSDOT response didn’t include any of those statistics, if it was ever accomplished at all.

I’ve shot off another email in response to WSDOT suggesting their response was a lot of hot air to make me go away. At this point I told WSDOT nothing will mollify me until I see the “goods” … the “documented history of severe and fatal crashes.”

Clark County residents have seen roundabout traffic circles popping up in many areas of the County … Vancouver and Ridgefield to name a couple. Were those traffic circles required because of “severe and fatal” crashes?

I’m waiting for an answer from WSDOT on my second request. I’ll keep you posted on the next go-round of WSDOT’s blah, blah, blah, blah response!!!

Thomas A. Schenk
Yacolt, WA

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4 Comments

  1. Scott Batson

    Here’s a link to the WSDOT project page for those interested in facts.
    https://wsdot.wa.gov/construction-planning/search-projects/sr-503-ne-rock-creek-rd-intersection-improvements

    People using the road make mistakes (like speeding, running stop signs and red lights, turning left in front of oncoming traffic), always have and always will. Crashes will always be with us, but they need not result in fatalities or serious injury.

    Modern roundabouts are the safest form of intersection in the world – the intersection type with the lowest risk of fatal or serious injury crashes – (much more so than comparable signals). Modern roundabouts require a change in speed and alter the geometry of one of the most dangerous parts of the system – intersections. The reduction in speed to about 20 mph and sideswipe geometry mean that, when a crash does happen at a modern roundabout, you might need a tow truck, but rarely an ambulance. Visit the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety or FHWA for modern roundabout FAQs and safety facts.

    The FHWA has been saying for over 20 years that signal intersections have TEN TIMES the fatality risk of modern roundabouts.

    Modern roundabouts also have less daily delay than signals.

    Reply
    1. Justin

      Thank you for posting the link Scott.

      I read through the FAQ and pulled out some numbers. So there have been 23 crashes here since 2013, and there’s an average daily traffic flow of 10,500 vehicles. Of those 23 crashes, one was fatal and two were “serious injury”.

      So if we assume that average traffic flow has been consistent since 2013 (a bad assumption, but we can work with it), that’s 3.8 million cars per year and 38 million cars for the past decade that have gone through this intersection. If I’m doing the math right, that’s an accident rate of 0.00006%, or one accident per 1.6 million car trips. Why in the world do we need to change anything? Driving is inherently risky, but statistically this intersection seems pretty darn safe if the numbers from their website (and my math) are accurate.

      I don’t mind roundabouts, but considering almost all of the traffic is on 503 traveling straight and almost none (by comparison) is turning from Rock Creek Road onto 503, a roundabout will clearly increase congestion in this particular situation.

      I’ll send this comment on to the email provided on the webpage and see what they say – this simply doesn’t make sense given the low number of accidents. My tax dollars should be very carefully spent, and we have plenty of other road improvements needed that are WAY higher priority. Maybe spend the money to sync the lights on 503 through Battle Ground so you don’t hit every. single. one. every. single. trip? Just a thought…

      Reply
  2. Dave Roberts

    Roundabouts are like gifts from financial heaven. It is all about the money 💰💰 to be spread around. Take a look at the $8million+ spent by Camas for the Lake Road project. Check ✔️ in with Steve Wall for instructions on how it’s done. 😬😬😬

    Reply
  3. Tom Schenk

    I have to agree with Justin…I went to the link denoted on the WSDOT flier and found a lot of words, but no facts or evidence backing up WSDOT’s claims.

    Apparently we just need to take WSDOT’s word that the traffic circle is necessary and not to worry our little heads about details…isn’t that what has gotten us in trouble with all levels of Government doing what they want instead of finding out about what the citizens want?

    The only quasi-hard fact in the link is a reference to the amount of vehicular traffic on SR 503…that is…less than 25,000 vehicles per day…WSDOT did not provide the documentation supporting this figure, so one does not know if they pulled it out of thin air or if there was an actual count in some fashion to arrive at the number of vehicles.

    I think we’re way past the time when we accept at face value the assurances by Government that we should just believe everything we’re told!

    As the saying goes…I didn’t just fall off the turnip truck!!!

    Reply

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