A roundabout solution for traffic
Rowan County would save a lot of lives, reduce air pollution, and cut taxpayer costs if it constructed traffic circles or roundabouts at intersections like the one at Deal and Unity Church Roads where a crash injured 5 people including 2 children July 4th. For example, one roundabout installed in Nashville Tennessee reduced accidents by 50 percent in a similar site.
According to North Carolina DOT, in North Carolina, where roundabouts have been installed in similar locations, crashes of all types have been reduced by almost half .
The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety reported that converting intersections from traffic signals or stop signs to roundabouts reduced injury crashes by 80 percent and all crashes by 40 percent. A similar study found a 75 percent decrease in injury crashes and a 37 percent decrease in total crashes at 35 intersections that were converted from traffic signals to roundabouts.
More information on other ways we can lower taxpayer costs, and improve the public health can be found on my website www.TheOptimisticFuturist.org
ó Francis Koster
Kannapolis
Tower tragedy
It is a shame that the tower has been approved. This is the same tower, just 150 feet lower but still the same eyesore and danger as before. The tower was rejected before by Rowan County. But it looks like money and untruths rule the day. We will see what happens to the Parker Farm now.
Hope the Parkers like looking at that tower Iím glad I donít have to
ó Wayne McConnell
Mount Ulla