Stillwater Weighs Future of Downtown Roundabout, Traffic Flow Changes

The Transportation Project Advisory Committee is considering options for the 10th and Main roundabout, including potential redesign or conversion to a four-way stop, following recent damage to the structure. The committee also discussed replacing downtown stoplights with four-way stop signs to improve traffic flow.

The roundabout, which features a horse and rider statue that has become a landmark for the city, was recently hit "pretty hard," according to City Manager Brady Moore, causing significant damage.

"We had to remove the walls. The electric was damaged and the water feature inside was all damaged. So we had to remove everything except the horse and the base that it sits on," Moore told the committee.

The roundabout has been hit multiple times over the years, raising concerns about safety and visibility. Moore noted that in the four or five years he's worked for the city, the roundabout has been hit three or four times.

Committee members expressed mixed opinions about the future of the roundabout. Committee member Tammy Brown questioned its purpose.

"I understand the purpose of roundabouts," Brown said. "I don't think that 10th and Main is an important place that needs the purpose of a roundabout."

Committee member Gary Clark, however, highlighted the convenience of the roundabout for drivers looking for parking downtown.

"When you're going down and you can't find any parking on this side of the street you make that simple U-turn, legal U-turn, and go back up and get a parking spot on the other side of the street," Clark said. "So I found it pretty convenient myself."

Committee Chair Brad Rickelman suggested that as long as large trucks are allowed downtown, the roundabout will continue to be problematic.

Deputy Director of Engineering Bill Millis clarified that the curb is designed to be mountable, allowing trucks to drive over it rather than navigate the tight turn.

"It's mountable. So it really shouldn't create a truck issue. They don't have to navigate that tight turn. They can drive right over it. They just need to slow down when they're downtown," Millis explained.

City Councilor Tim Hardin, speaking during public comment, shared feedback he had gathered from community members.

"I thought I'm just going to take an unofficial survey and my question was the traffic circle, keep it or kill it. Those are your two choices. And I really expected based on what I see on Facebook, kill it, kill it, kill it, kill it, kill it. And that was not feedback I got," Hardin said.

Hardin noted that many people mentioned poor lighting at night as an issue, and that some appreciated the U-turn aspect of the roundabout when looking for parking.

Committee member Roger Gose suggested keeping the roundabout structure but removing the statue.

"I would like to keep some kind of bulk of concrete in there, but take the statue out," Gose said.

Testing a conversion of downtown stoplights to four-way stop signs

The committee also discussed converting downtown stoplights to four-way stop signs, particularly along Main Street at seventh, eighth, and ninth streets. Moore explained that this could create a more pedestrian-friendly downtown environment.

"It is a pedestrian, it's a shopping area. It's not a place that we want cars to feel like they can rush through downtown quickly," Moore said.

The committee considered testing the concept by setting the existing traffic lights to flash red for 30 to 60 days to gauge public response and traffic impacts.

"We can test it for 30, 60 days. See any traffic impacts that happen downtown with the flashing reds," Moore said.

Gose supported the idea of testing flashing red lights.

"I think we ought to try this flashing red. You can wait forever going east and west and there's nothing going north and south," Gose said.

Rickelman agreed with the testing approach.

"It's well worth giving it 30, 60, 90 days. Just try the blinkies and see what people think," Rickelman said.

Moore noted that the city has already implemented four-way stops around Block 34 as part of that development, creating a grid of four-way stops that could potentially connect with additional four-way stops on Main Street.

The committee did not take formal action on either the roundabout or the stoplight conversion proposals, but the discussions will inform future decisions on downtown traffic flow.

Moore indicated that staff would gather more information based on the committee's guidance and return with more detailed proposals in the future.

"Let's listen together and say this is an exciting thing. So, yeah, let's let staff come together based on this kind of guidance and see what we can bring to you," Moore said.