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1. What is the background on this intersection?

The city and Bronson Battle Creek Hospital have attempted for a long time to make the intersection of Emmett Street and North Avenue safer for pedestrians, while maintaining the intersection's level of service. This is an extraordinary challenge, due to the off-site hospital employee parking, which generates an abundance of pedestrian trips at several different times throughout the day and night.

In addition, the intersection handles about 23,000 vehicles per day, along with the majority of hospital emergency room traffic.

City and Bronson staff met in January 2017 to discuss intersection safety. Following that meeting, the current "no turn on red" prohibition for all legs of the intersection was installed, and a new, mid-block crosswalk was installed at Emmett and College streets. Both of these improvements were in place at the time of a fatal crash at the intersection in October 2018.

2. What would the roundabout look like?

This is a rendering of the proposed design:

3. What changes have occurred at the intersection since the 2018 fatal crash?

In December 2018, the city hired OHM Advisors to perform a Road Safety Audit (RSA) at the intersection. An RSA is a formal safety performance examination of an existing intersection by an independent, multi-disciplinary team.

OHM presented the final report to the city and Bronson, with several short-term and long-term suggested improvements.

The city has implemented many of the short-term improvements – sign reduction and sign placement improvements, bus stop relocation, and traffic signal back plate installation. The city funded these changes through the normal traffic signal maintenance fund.

We still plan to make pavement marking upgrades, and a signal timing modification that will give pedestrians a head start, while all other phases sit at a red signal.

4. What are the current conditions at the intersection?

Currently at the intersection of Emmett Street and North Avenue:

• Pedestrians must push a button to activate pedestrian crossing signals. This is required to activate the pedestrian phase and alter the timing of the signal, to account for the pedestrian's crossing time. During a Road Safety Audit of the intersection in late 2018, consultant OHM Advisors noted that several pedestrians failed to activate the signal.
• Pedestrians cross about 45 feet of roadway without any protection. During that crossing, the pedestrian must
  • Trust that a driver will obey the "no turn on red" prohibitions.
  • Trust that a driver will yield to a pedestrian in the crosswalk when making a legal left turn, or a legal right turn.
• For a typical Bronson employee, this happens twice each day to move between the parking lot and the hospital.

5. What are the advantages to a roundabout at Emmett/North?

Roundabout intersections are a growing trend that have demonstrated overall safety improvements. Advantages at the Emmett Street and North Avenue intersection are:

• Slower vehicle speeds, as all movements would require drivers to yield to pedestrians and other vehicles in the roundabout. This includes putting the driver through a slight chicane (an extra curve) to slow them down as they approach the intersection.
• Eliminates all 90-degree conflict points between vehicles and pedestrians (legal left and right turns toward pedestrians).
• Eliminates all 90-degree conflict points between vehicles (left turn and thru movements). This eliminates the major cause of injuries at most conventional intersections.
• Reduces the length and time that crossing pedestrians are exposed to traffic by utilizing pedestrian refuge islands, where the current left-turn lane is situated.
• Reduces emissions by eliminating vehicle idle time and delays.
• Reduces operational costs of maintaining the traffic signal.

6. Is it true that there are more crashes at roundabouts?

Some studies state that crash volumes have increased at roundabout intersections. 

This is often true, but a closer look at the statistics shows that the overall benefits of a roundabout intersection include a massive reduction -- or elimination -- of accidents involving injury or death. 

This is a trade-off we must consider to reach a goal of zero fatal accidents at the intersection. Currently, accidents at this intersection have resulted in one fatality, and one serious injury.

7. How would this compare to the Sprinkle Road roundabout in Kalamazoo?

Unlike the Sprinkle Road roundabout, the proposed design for Emmett Street and North Avenue would be smaller, and only maintain a single lane of traffic. This design will force drivers to slow down, which has demonstrated that more cars yield to pedestrians. The slower the vehicles travel, the more likely they are to yield.

8. How would this compare to the fountain roundabout in Marshall?

The roundabout in Marshall is much larger than the proposed roundabout at Emmett and North. The larger diameter and vehicle trail lanes make drivers more comfortable driving at higher speeds. This roundabout also allows pedestrians to cross into the center of the circle to visit the fountain in four separate locations, which causes two problems -- drivers who fail to yield to pedestrians, causing a crash; and drivers who do yield, which causes the roundabout to not operate properly. The proposed design at Emmett/North will only permit crossing a minimum of two car lengths outside the roundabout, to allow for yielding driver stacking, which then allows the roundabout to remain in operation.

9. How would pedestrians use the roundabout?

In the proposed roundabout design, a pedestrian would encounter a safer scenario than what currently exists:

• Pedestrians would cross about 15 feet to a pedestrian refuge island, where the only conflict point is coming from one direction. The vehicles in conflict during this initial phase will be slow as they enter the roundabout.
• Pedestrians are protected in the refuge island until they can continue crossing.
• Pedestrians would cross another 15 feet to complete the crossing, where the only conflict will be vehicles exiting the roundabout, at slow speed. The crossing will be positioned further away from the roundabout, to give the driver and pedestrian more time to recognize each other.
• For a typical Bronson employee, this crossing would take place twice per day to travel between the parking lot and hospital. To adjust to traffic flow during morning and afternoon peaks, employees may choose which legs of the intersection they feel safest to cross -- for example, if a majority of traffic is coming down North to travel right on Emmett, pedestrians can use the other legs of the intersection to cross.

10. Where would the city locate pedestrian crossings at a roundabout?

Currently, the intersection has a fair number of jaywalkers, crossing at points further away from the Emmett/North intersection. When asked why, the pedestrians stated that they felt safer crossing this way. The roundabout crosswalks would be positioned in similar areas, a distance away from the roundabout.

This setup allows drivers and pedestrians more time to recognize each other than 90-degree angles at a typical intersection.

11. How much will the roundabout project cost?

The total cost would be approximately $1 million.

The proposed roundabout is eligible for two different grant programs. The city already has secured a $250,000 Congestion Mitigation Air Quality grant for the project. We can submit a safety grant application in August to request $600,000 from the Michigan Department of Transportation. This means the city would need $150,000 from our normal road program funds.

This project also will reduce the city's traffic signal operations cost.

12. Can the city install a pedestrian tunnel or bridge?

City staff have considered a pedestrian tunnel and bridge, but neither is a feasible solution at this intersection.

A tunnel is not feasible due to the current ground water table in the area.

A bridge is not feasible for the following reasons:

• It would be difficult to construct due to the aerial utilities in the area.
• The city would need additional right-of-way.
• It would have to be Americans with Disabilities Act accessible, requiring space for ramps that is not available.
• It would only be useful in Bronson's current parking situation.
• A bridge project would not be eligible for grant funds.

13. How do I ask the city additional questions about this?

Call the city's Engineering Division, at 269-966-3343. You can email the city at PublicInput@battlecreekmi.gov.