Hate Binghamton’s New Roundabouts? They Might Actually Be Safer
Binghamton unveiled two new roundabouts on Front Street in Binghamton not too long ago and people were quick to voice their opinions, even if they hadn't yet driven the roundabouts.
Travelers in Broome County either love or hate the roundabouts- there's really no indifference when it comes to them. One woman who lives in a smaller outlying town reported that when she realized that she was coming up on the much talked about roundabouts, she decided to hop on the highway and go out of her way to her destination instead of continuing on Front Street because she was so scared that she would get confused and all because of what others had to say.
Many people think Binghamton's new roundabouts are dangerous but are they really?
While no actual studies have yet been conducted on the safety of Binghamton's newest roundabouts, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has spoken out about its state's roundabouts and claims that it has found that its roundabouts actually reduce fatalities, injuries, and car accidents.
Yassmin Gramian, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Secretary says, "“We continue to see that Pennsylvania’s roundabouts save lives and reduce crash severity."
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation came to the conclusion that its roundabouts were a safer option by reviewing data of 36 roundabouts that had previously had stop signs or were signal controlled - just like Front Street in Binghamton - and it found some interesting facts.
Suspected serious injuries were reduced by 76 percent; suspected minor injuries were reduced by 22 percent; possible/unknown severity injuries were reduced by 70 percent; and total number of crashes decreased by 9 percent.
If Pennsylvania roundabouts truly have led to less fatalities, injuries, and car accidents then surely Binghamton's roundabouts will too, right? It'll be interesting to see if New York State Department of Transportation conducts its own study on our local roundabouts and how its findings compare with the findings of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.