Running Around the Roundabouts

What is the deal with all of the Roundabouts in Johnson County? For those not familiar, Roundabout is a new name for the old traffic circle concept. An intersection with no traffic control, based on the concept of universal yield.

These intersections seem to be fairly uncommon on the Missouri side but the traffic engineers in Kansas have fallen in love with them. I’ve seen them on side streets in Overland Park, on collectors in Olathe, and in Lenexa as well.

Probably the worst Roundabout implementation I’ve seen is along Renner Boulevard in western Lenexa. This is the area just south of 87th Street where the new “Lenexa City Center” project is being developed. Renner Boulevard was a very nice four lane divided roadway, with a 45 mile per hour speed limit and nice medians. To allow for the entry and exit to the new development areas, Lenexa has installed four Roundabouts in rapid succession, and has reduced the speed to 25 miles per hour through the whole mess.

What used to be a nice drive along a boulevard is now a trip through an obstacle course. All that is missing is a line of orange cones and a guy standing on the side of the road with a clipboard.

Travel south on Renner from 87th Street to the next major area of new development at 119th and you’ll find two more of the contraptions installed by the city of Olathe. These were installed to support entry into the new Bass Pro shopping area. At least these are navigable at a reasonable speed.

I’d like to know what the Johnson County traffic engineers have been smoking to think that these intersections provide any benefit. They’re not efficient, not particularly safe, nor are they aesthetically pleasing. What they are is just plain stupid.

-JNN