Mixed feelings rise around Boronda Congestion Relief Project roundabouts
SALINAS, Calif. (KION-TV) -- As part of the Boronda Congestion Relief Project, the City of Salinas hopes that replacing the existing four-way intersection stops in the area with five continuous roundabouts will lessen traffic and increase safety.
"Maybe it might be good [be]cause not to have so many accidents over here and over there," said Mary Marquez, a McKinnon Elementary School yard duty. "We'll see, maybe it'll make it easier for the students to get in and out of school."
Continued pedestrian safety and traffic flow efforts by the City of Salinas regarding this area made strides last fall when construction began.
Marquez says that despite not seeing accidents, she can hear them while she's working at the school.
"I haven't seen any accidents, but I hear it because I'm out in the back of the school in the mornings," she said. "There's a lot of accidents out in this area here. Almost every day, there's one."
The city's long-term plan includes building roundabouts along El Dorado Drive, McKinnon and Natividad roads, with the overall cost of the project estimated at $15.5 million.
"From the reports I've seen, there were 70% favored a roundabout in the past, but maybe we have new residents [and] new parents," said Senior Civil Engineer Mohammad El-Ali. "We continue to work with the school and the neighborhood on educational materials and how to use the roundabout."
Another resident and local UPS driver, Dico Renteria, expressed concern over the amount of time it would likely take for commuters to adjust to the new traffic patterns.
These concerns despite El-Ali saying that the benefit and end result of the roundabout will clearly outweigh the cons for drivers and pedestrians alike.
"If everybody has to stop, you add all those delays together and it's in hours," he said. "You reduce the delay and also there is an environmental benefit; people burning fuel at the intersection."
The design process for the other four roundabouts in the Boronda Corridor have not begun yet, and the city says that they are interested in receiving public input regarding those designs.
