READY OR NOT, HERE COMES CAPE'S ROUNDABOUTS

Roundabouts -- otherwise known as traffic circles -- have become quite a buzzword among highway designers and traffic-control planners. To hear these folks talk, roundabouts generate the same reverence and awe that surely must have accompanied the development of asphalt paving, stop signs and the first automated stoplight.

But, in a nation where motorists have been trained to stop at intersections and merge into interstate-highway traffic from entrance ramps, the notion of a roundabout, either at low-volume street intersections or as a way to get on a freeway, is a tough concept to grasp.

In states where roundabouts are more widely used -- California is probably the biggest proponent -- they are touted for facilitating traffic and eliminating bottlenecks, particularly in situations where lower-volume streets intersect with high-volume freeways.

Imagine, if you will, interstate traffic whizzing through a traffic circle while traffic from intersecting thoroughfares blends into the fast-paced flow from speeds as low as 15 mph. Sounds pretty scary, but the California Transportation Department thinks roundabouts are the best thing since sliced bread.

Or aluminum siding.

Not every grand idea holds up to the test of time. It was only 30 or 40 years ago that aluminum siding was widely used to give old business buildings across America an updated (translation: modern) facade. Now historic preservation is all the rage, so the aluminum in coming down, and age-worn brick is being restored. Given enough years, there will no doubt be a movement among historic preservationists to save some of the aluminum-sided buildings too. Such is our notion of history.

But, back to roundabouts.

Available literature is filled with comments like "Roundabouts reduce accidents and increase traffic capacity" and "Roundabouts have gained popularity in the United States in the last five years because of their ability to handle a large number of vehicles and to keep those vehicles moving through intersections."

OK. But how?

The cause of roundabouts in a land of interstate interchanges and signal-controlled intersections is difficult to advance, mainly because too many Americans have experienced the nightmare of negotiating a traffic circle somewhere in Europe.

Take Cape Girardeau's mayor, Al Spradling III, for example. Even as he spoke last week in support of the roundabout planned for the new Gordonville Road/Silver Springs Road intersection near St. Francis Medical Center, the mayor provided anecdotal proof of why so many Americans don't like traffic circles: "I got in one in England and didn't think I'd get out," he said.

A previous proposal for a roundabout at the Sprigg Street/Normal Avenue intersection near Southeast Missouri State University fell by the wayside after a public outcry. City officials believe traffic volume at the Gordonville/Silver Springs roundabout will be so low that motorists won't complain.

But for how long will traffic counts at that intersection stay low? The planned extension of Silver Springs Road is bound to create shifts in traffic for motorists trying to get to and from the Westfield Shopping Town-West Park mall.

A key consideration, according to Mayor Spradling, is cost. Roundabouts cost about $30,000 less than signal-controlled intersections, the city says. How much would it cost to add signals at a roundabout intersection if the traffic circle proves to be unpopular or cause more-than-expected accidents? No one has calculated the figure yet.

Warning to motorists: Cape Girardeau has been bitten by the roundabout bug. You might as well get ready for the Gordonville/Silver Springs roundabout and others as more streets are constructed or upgraded.

And make sure your auto-insurance premiums are paid up.