{p class=”p1”}{span class=”s1”}The roundabout at the intersection of{/span} Highway 37 East at Cool Springs Road and Industrial Drive shown before and after the construction.{/p}

MOULTRIE — The first roundabout in the City of Moultrie (excluding the one at Spence Field) was opened in 2011 and since then, four more have followed. Are residents pleased with the results?

In a city council meeting last year, City Manager Pete Dillard said that roundabouts require less maintenance, are cheaper to build than to operate a traffic light at an intersection and reduce traffic congestion 50% more per hour than intersections with traffic lights.

A poll was hosted on The Moultrie Observer’s website and Facebook page that asked the question: Do you think the roundabouts have been effective for reducing traffic congestion? The tally on The Observer’s website poll, as of Monday, was 44.6% “yes, absolutely” and 55.4% “no, not at all.”

The question did seem to hit a nerve with Colquitt County residents as more than 375 comments were posted to The Observer’s Facebook page, as of Monday, in response to the question with very definite opinions of both “for” and “against” the roundabouts.

FOR

Brad Ruis commented, “They are great, I love how traffic moves so much more efficiently. They are easy to navigate even in a large truck. They are even designed with a ‘drive over’ area for even larger trucks. Sure there are a few residents that have never driven through a roundabout but they are easy to learn.”

Gale Couch commented, “I love roundabouts, it only takes a little common sense to figure out how to use them. It sure saves a lot of time, and gas when you don’t have to stop at red lights and stop signs!”

Katie Whitlatch commented “I love them! Data proves they are safer and we can’t argue that. I love not always having to come to a complete stop. If you travel out of town you will see they are in lots of places now and are very efficient.”

AGAINST

Ellie Lewis commented,”They are OVER killing the roundabouts, you could start calling our town ‘Roundabout Moultrie.’ People still have no clue how to use them. They either fly right through, sit like it’s a stop sign, or dead stop half way through.”

Kenne Largent commented, “Why doesn’t the city try enforcing the traffic laws? Posted speed limits are ignored and 2nd St SE is treated like a drag strip. Quit spending money on roundabouts, they just encourage people to go faster.”

Page Lassiter commented, “The trick is patience because a lot of people have no idea how to use them.”

The prevailing sentiment from the responses on The Observer’s Facebook page, whether they were for or against the roundabouts, was that they didn’t think people knew how to use the roundabouts properly.

Another prevailing sentiment was that the two newer roundabouts, the one at Fifth Avenue Southeast at First Street and the one at Fifth Avenue Southeast at Second Street, are too small and earned the moniker “mini roundabouts.”

Kasey Cochran commented, “I appreciate not having to make a complete stop. The two downtown feel a little silly though, because they are so small. I’m sure it does benefit the flow of traffic, but doesn’t seem ideal for larger vehicles — i.e. tow trucks, utility vehicles, delivery trucks, or even dually trucks. I’m curious who the city had in mind when creating these mini-roundabouts.”

Many of the comments posted on Facebook included instructions on how to use a roundabout and there were a couple of comments that included videos and gifs that showed how to maneuver around a roundabout.

The City of Moultrie had also posted a link to a video on its Facebook page, titled “Rules of the Roundabout,” in August of last year, right before the roundabout opened on Fifth Avenue and Second Street Southeast.

The five roundabouts in Moultrie are located at the intersection of Fourth Avenue, Rowland Drive and County Farm Road; the intersection of First Street Northeast with Main Street and Sylvester Highway; the intersection of Highway 37 East at Cool Springs Road and Industrial Drive; and the two newest, as of last year, the one at Fifth Avenue Southeast at First Street and the one at Fifth Avenue Southeast at Second Street.

Greg Monfort, the director of the Moultrie Engineering Department, told the council in May of last year that the city has seven intersections with traffic lights (excluding intersections goverened by the state DOT).

He said the city plans to review traffic response on the two roundabouts on Fifth Avenue before moving forward with roundabouts at other intersections.