HomeMy WebLinkAbout1/15/2026 Item 5a, Blair, R.
4:50 PM
To:Advisory Bodies
Subject:ATP Meeting 1/15 Item 5a
Thank you for taking action to improve safety at the Mill & Toro intersection. When the temporary tra?ic circle was
installed, I thought that would be a huge improvement to slow car speeds on the Mill St ‘Speedway’ and make it
easier for cars on Toro St to safely pass through or turn onto Mill St.
I live on the corner of Toro and Mill, so activity in this intersection is easy to notice. It seems to me that the tra?ic
circle has introduced additional safety concerns including:
1. Driver confusion
a. Drivers on Toro may think the circle is same as a roundabout and enter while a car on Mill is
approaching
b. Drivers on Toro may slowly pull into circle and notice oncoming tra?ic and yield to that tra?ic while
blocking nearest lane
c. Drivers on Mill don’t yield to oncoming tra?ic coming from opposite direction on Mill
2. Aggressive driving
a. Drivers on Mill know there’s a stop for Toro tra?ic, don’t slow at all, and treat the circle as a slalom
course
b. Some drivers turn left before the circle
3. Pedestrian crossing
a. With cars veering around circle, pedestrians are unsure where to cross safely and if drivers are
aware of their presence
4. Bicycle safety
a. With car speeds and driver confusion, cyclists seem to be in greater danger of collision
I don’t pretend to know the optimal solution; however, I’d like to ask, have you considered making the circle a
roundabout with 4-way yield? If all cars had equal right to enter roundabout, and entering cars must yield to cars
already in roundabout, that might address above concerns.
In addition, we must slow car speeds on the Mill St Speedway. Speed humps may be the answer. Also, marked
crosswalks for pedestrian safety are necessary.
Thanks for considering this input and thanks for doing all you can to make this intersection safe for drivers, cyclists
and pedestrians!
Rick Blair
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