A dozen years ago, voters in the small Sonoma County city of Cotati banned the construction of roundabouts and traffic circles, but this November will consider a repeal of that ban.
Measure S on the Nov. 5 ballot proposes to undo the ban that was approved by Cotati voters in 2012 as Measure U, which passed with 57 percent of the vote despite the opposition of the city’s police chief and others who argued that roundabouts reduce accidents compared to traditional intersections.
A ballot argument against Measure S written by paralegal Laurie Alderman said the roundabout ban was “a creative way to slow down” a downtown improvement plan that proposed some roundabouts among other changes to the city.
“This repeal of the ban on roundabouts is politically motivated to teach us citizens who is in charge once and for all and who makes the decisions in our city, no matter what the will of the citizens is,” Alderman said.
The ballot argument submitted in support of Measure S was written by Mayor Laura Sparks, Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition executive director Eris Weaver and Rancho Adobe Fire Protection District Chief Jeff Veliquette and noted that Cotati is the only city in Sonoma County to ban roundabouts.
“Everyone benefits from roundabouts. Motorists benefit as roundabouts keep traffic flowing smoothly, reducing stops and delays. This means less time stuck in traffic for all of us and makes for a quicker, more enjoyable drive through town,” the argument states. “Pedestrians benefit from increased safety as traffic moves more slowly at intersections and the crossings are shorter. First responders and the community benefit since safer intersections result in fewer severe crashes requiring emergency response.”
The argument ended by saying, “Cotati citizens deserve access to all proven tools for traffic control and safety.”
Measure S requires majority approval to pass.
