PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — A Port St. Lucie resident is raising concerns about the city's increasing reliance on roundabouts, questioning whether they're the right solution for the growing community's traffic needs.
WATCH BELOW: 'If we're not going to get rid of them, then we do need to educate the people,' Gerald Freeman tells WPTV
Gerald Freeman contacted WPTV after observing what he believes are safety issues with the circular intersections throughout the city.
"Everybody's in a hurry," Freeman said. "Roundabouts just don't work. They don't work for this population."
Freeman's primary concern centers on driver behavior at the intersections, particularly with yield signs.
"The problem is that people are coming off on the yield sign on a roundabout and not yielding, and when they don't yield, that's a chance for an accident to happen," Freeman said.
The city currently operates around 30 roundabouts, with 12 more planned for construction. City officials said they use traffic studies to determine the best improvements for intersections, whether that's a roundabout or traditional traffic light.
"The roundabouts typically are safer. They improve efficiency of traffic flow," said city spokesperson Samples.
According to the Federal Highway Administration, roundabouts demonstrate significant safety improvements compared to traditional intersections. The data shows roundabouts have fewer crashes overall, with 90% fewer fatalities and 75% fewer injuries.
From a traffic flow perspective, roundabouts can increase intersection capacity by 30% to 50%, reducing delays that typically occur with stop signs and traffic signals.
Despite the statistical benefits, Freeman believes the solution lies in better driver education rather than continued roundabout construction.
"The way to prevent a problem is to have a traffic light, that's all and I don't think these are going to work for the future," Freeman said.
However, he acknowledges that if the roundabouts remain, driver education becomes crucial.
"If we're not going to get rid of them, then we do need to educate the people," Freeman said.
Freeman reached out to WPTV specifically, because he believed media attention could help address the issue.
"I noticed that when your station gets a hold of a problem, it's usually somehow corrected," Freeman said.
As Port St. Lucie continues its rapid growth, the debate over traffic management solutions remains ongoing, with residents like Freeman advocating for alternatives they believe better serve the community's needs.
We want to be your voice and help you find solutions.
While we hold our monthly Let's Hear It meet-ups, we know many are not able to attend, but we still want to hear from you and start taking action to get you answers. You can e-mail us at LetsHearIt@wptv.com.
