Continuing its efforts to combat speeding in The City of Frederick through traffic calming measures, The City of Frederick Engineering Department is presenting a concept proposal for improvements at the Motter Avenue and West 13th Street and Fairview Avenue intersection.
This proposal includes installing a raised-center oval-shaped roundabout at the intersection designed to control the direction of traffic and achieve a target speed of 15-20 miles per hour.
The Motter Avenue and West 13th Street and Fairview intersection has yielded multiple requests for safety improvements for both vehicular traffic and pedestrian and bicycle movement through the city. Changes were implemented along Motter Ave in 2019 to address significant safety concerns and sight line constraints by installing white edge lines along the road to create a shoulder and improve sight lines from the minor street nearby. However, crash data over the last three years have shown that this approach has not reduced the number of crashes at the intersection. Review of the crash reports indicated that a majority of these crashes occurred due to failure to yield right-of-way by vehicles entering the intersection from the minor street approaches.
The City’s engineering department examined improvements such as traffic signals, and all-way stop signs, but based on industry best practices, determined a roundabout would result in minimal traffic delays along all legs of the intersection while improving safety.
The roundabout will be designed to accommodate vehicles of all sizes, including emergency vehicles, buses, and truck/trailer combinations. The design will include splitter islands which will be designed to slow down and direct traffic, and to provide refuge for pedestrians and bicyclists crossing the streets, allowing pedestrians and bicyclists to cross one direction of traffic at a time and have a safe place to wait before crossing the other direction of traffic.
Due to the ability of roundabouts to achieve a speed differential, the likelihood of right angle and head-on collisions is also reduced while making it safer for pedestrians and bicyclists to navigate the intersection.
The City of Frederick is seeking input from residents on this proposal, and residents are encouraged to share their feedback on the plan with Traffic Engineer Shraddha Praharaj at spraharaj@cityoffrederickmd.gov and Cherian Eapen at ceapen@cityoffrederickmd.gov.