By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
"It is working so efficiently," said Hays Vice-Mayor Sandy Jacobs. "Unbelievable."
She was full of praise during Thursday night's city commission meeting for the first traffic roundabout in the $13.1 million North Vine Improvement Project which opened Saturday afternoon.
Jacobs estimates she drives through the double roundabout at 32nd and 33rd Streets 10 times a day.
"I knew it was going to be good. I just didn't know how good."
Representatives of the city and the Kansas Department of Transportation have been carefully watching the traffic flow this first week.
"I've had a lot of positive comments this week about the roundabouts, so, thanks, to the community of Hays," said Shaun Musil, mayor, who also travels through the roundabout regularly.
Musil also heard comments that "drivers who don't live in Hays couldn't handle it, and I had a person outside of Hays call me and say 'I love it.'"
"It's a learning curve. It's new. We're not used to it but I think people are learning pretty quickly," said Toby Dougherty, city manager, who reviewed the rules of roundabouts and answered questions from commissioners.
There are no longer traffic lights at the intersections of 32nd and 33rd Streets.
"Just to keep it short, yield to the cars in the roundabout. Don't stop while you're in the roundabout," Dougherty summarized.
On a depiction of a double roundabout similar to that in Hays, Dougherty indicated the area where officials have seen the most mistakes made by drivers.
"It's the north and south ends. I haven't noticed as many issues on the sides (at the 32nd and 33rd intersections)."
Dougherty said he sees drivers intending to drive completely north or south through the roundabout but incoming traffic fails to yield.
"We've also had people come in and just stop. And when they stop, they usually get a couple horns honked at them and then they move.
"Sometimes when drivers stop, it empowers people coming from the north or other side to go."
There are large flashing yield signs in place at the north and south ends of the roundabout.
"We've reached out to KDOT. We're going to upgrade those yield signs with LED lights that will go all the time.
"Once people get used to it, we can turn them off during the daytime and just have them lit up at night."
Dougherty said the upgrade will enhance the yield signs, making them more visible to drivers.
He expects them to be installed next week.
Musil noted the middle of each roundabout is designed to be driven over, if necessary.
"It's going to be very hard-pressed for semi-truck drivers to stay in their lane as they go through here. That's why we have bulb-out areas," Dougherty affirmed.
"Everything is designed to be rolled over by tires. Semi drivers are used to it," he added.
Dougherty also recommended automobile drivers in a lane next to semi-trucks and trailers on Vine Street to speed up or slow down before getting to the roundabout to give the trucks more space.
Season 2 construction is scheduled to begin in March 2021 with three more roundabouts to be built at 37th Street, I-70 exit ramps, and 41st and Mopar Drive.
"After we've been driving this first one for eight or nine months, it's gonna be a piece of cake from there," said Jacobs.
The city's project webpage www.haysusa.com/vine has several videos to assist motorists in learning how to navigate the double roundabout, including right turns, left turns, through movements and U-turns.