Salt Lake roundabout makes debut

Enter the broken circle with caution. Yield to those from the left. Obey the One Way sign. Be sure to watch for a train powered from above. Then, once you have survived the roundabout, you'll be free to journey onward.

Welcome to the main entrance to the University of Utah.

What now makes traveling South Campus Drive off of 500 South a daunting experience for some is that, for the first time in this country, a bisected roundabout will be shared by both automobile and train.

As of this past week, most of South Campus Drive was open and motorists were getting their first taste of the new roundabout.

"People are getting the hang of it," said Utah Transit Authority spokesman Kris McBride. "It takes a minute to get used to it."

It's part of UTA's $90 million TRAX light-rail medical center line, which should be rumbling with trains by September. Testing the line with real train cars, powered by overhead electric lines, should begin in August.

The 500 South entrance was formerly a T-intersection, where a normal stoplight could have worked, though not very well. Traffic studies showed a roundabout would work better in conjunction with the introduction of light rail to South Campus Drive.

"It's actually a very creative way to take care of high-volume traffic," McBride said. "This is much more efficient than a regular traffic light."

The idea for a roundabout there came from the Sear-Brown Group, who the U. consulted with on its future transportation needs.

The old way off Campus Center Drive (just off 500 South) was a non-traditional intersection that confused people and caused more accidents than normal for a T-intersection. Experts say it violated driver expectation. Something different was needed.

Roundabouts have long been popular in Europe and elsewhere. While in Australia, one of the Sear-Brown consultants saw how well bisected roundabouts worked with mass transit.

"That's what kind of gave us the idea," said Steve Meyer, UTA's commuter rail engineering and construction manager who was with Sear-Brown for the planning of the university roundabout.

It's not just a fancy way to move traffic. Rather, the roundabout is a way to curb speeding while keeping traffic from backing up.

And while TRAX is slipping through every seven or eight minutes, lowered crossing arms should prevent any train-versus-car scenarios.

"It's pretty neat," Meyer said. "They're not for every place, but they do have their place."

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