Three mini-roundabouts are being considered for a busy Ames corridor near Mortensen and a local elementary.
The Wilder Boulevard corridor has been the subject of traffic discussions for several years following the extension of Mortensen Road to Wilder Boulevard.
The corridor has heavy pedestrian traffic and is near Edwards Elementary School and Daley Park, which is getting a splash pad.
Three mini-roundabouts have been proposed at the intersection of Clemmens Boulevard, Thackeray Drive and across from Daley Park to help ease traffic and improve safety. The entire “traffic calming” project would cost about $360,000.
The Ames City Council reviewed the proposal at its May 26 meeting but ultimately decided to wait until more information was gathered after Daley Park’s splash pad opens.
Traffic speed has been a concern on Wilder Boulevard
The Wilder Boulevard corridor has experienced seven crashes since 2016, but residents have raised concerns about excessive vehicle speeds, cut-through traffic, inconsistent compliance with stop controls and pedestrian safety.
A speed study in 2022 found excessive speeding at several areas along the corridor, particularly on the north side. One in every eight vehicles was traveling 35 miles an hour or more, Ames Civil Engineer Mark Gansen said.
All-way stop controls were installed at selected intersections in 2023 as an interim solution.
“This is the first of many roundabout retrofit projects in the city,” Gansen said. “We don’t have a project we can point to within our jurisdiction as a physical reference.”
Residents speak on mini-roundabout proposal
Resident Tonja Goodwin lives at the intersection of Clemmens and Wilder Boulevard, where one of the roundabouts is proposed. She said people “do not stop” at that corner.
“We have been out on our front porch and watched children walking by and people not stopping; we have watched two cars come to that stop sign at the same time, and they’re kind of trying to figure out if anyone is willing to stop,” Goodwin said.
Resident Beth McPhail asked the council to shelve the project.
“I feel it will just degradate our neighborhood as well as our way of life,” McPhail said. “I have seen these mini roundabouts in Des Moines, and they are downright dangerous.”
City delays project to familiarize the community with new splash pad
Gansen said the city will consider public feedback when making a final decision on the roundabouts, though he expects the Daley Park splash pad to increase both vehicle and foot traffic.
The council voted to conduct a speed study one year after the splash pad opens at Daley Park to see how traffic has changed.
The splash pad’s opening date has not yet been finalized.
Celia Brocker is a government, crime, political and education reporter for the Ames Tribune. She can be reached at CBrocker@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Ames mulls 3 roundabouts to improve traffic, safety near Wilder Blvd.
Reporting by Celia Brocker, Ames Tribune / Ames Tribune
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