This is a comment posted in response in the lobbying video for the Boothbay Round About, which the video reveals to be two round abouts: The first shown above and the second shown below;
Or if I am mistaken and they are the same round about, then the round about is not located where the much discussed four way stop is situated . It is the four way stop and the "traffic from the botanical gardens, which I have never even noticed which is said to be a "nightmare" of a congestion problem" (wishful thinking!)
Not intended as a comment on the quality of the video production, which is well done, but this is a propaganda video because it is presenting only one side of the question and is clearly intended to sell the round about to the public.
One of the quotes is "No matter what the volume on the road- it is constantly moving". That is true for the roundabout. It is not true for the four way intersection which has four stop signs.
The statistics made about crashes applies to an area that "encompasses the common" and states that there were 29 crashes since 2010- one of them fatal. The area that "encompasses the common" then must include the area around the railroad museum which is where a fatal crash and others occurred. However the section of the road by the railroad museum is not included in the tiff district although we are told that this is about dangerous traffic conditions and or traffic congestion and not about Coulombes development which is included in the tiff area. In fact the tiff area ends with the golf course. The area around the railroad museum is outside of the tiff district which begins at the industrial park. . A round about at the commons and a second round about entering Coulombe's development does not affect traffic safety around the railroad museum, where most accidents are occurring.
The fatal crash that I am aware of was caused by a reckless driver traveling on the wrong side of the road. Crashes caused by reckless drivers or by drivers who are suddenly struck by a medical condition will not be stopped by a round about. In fact in terms of drivers who may suddenly have a health condition occur a four way stop sign is actually safer than a round about in which traffic is constantly moving.
The sales point made about greenery in the center of the round about keeping drivers focused on where they are- is an absurd stretch, Drivers need to be focused anywhere and on much more than where they are.
The point about pedestrians crossing a widened road in two parts and that pedestrians have the right of way is fluff. Pedestrians have the right of way no matter what and the existing cross walks are short. I do not see an advantage in pedestrians being able to stop at a point in the middle of a widened road between traffic lanes in an area where the speed limit is thirty miles an hour. If there is an accident a pedestrian could get hit standing in the little area between traffic lanes.
Or if I am mistaken and they are the same round about, then the round about is not located where the much discussed four way stop is situated . It is the four way stop and the "traffic from the botanical gardens, which I have never even noticed which is said to be a "nightmare" of a congestion problem" (wishful thinking!)
Not intended as a comment on the quality of the video production, which is well done, but this is a propaganda video because it is presenting only one side of the question and is clearly intended to sell the round about to the public.
One of the quotes is "No matter what the volume on the road- it is constantly moving". That is true for the roundabout. It is not true for the four way intersection which has four stop signs.
The statistics made about crashes applies to an area that "encompasses the common" and states that there were 29 crashes since 2010- one of them fatal. The area that "encompasses the common" then must include the area around the railroad museum which is where a fatal crash and others occurred. However the section of the road by the railroad museum is not included in the tiff district although we are told that this is about dangerous traffic conditions and or traffic congestion and not about Coulombes development which is included in the tiff area. In fact the tiff area ends with the golf course. The area around the railroad museum is outside of the tiff district which begins at the industrial park. . A round about at the commons and a second round about entering Coulombe's development does not affect traffic safety around the railroad museum, where most accidents are occurring.
The fatal crash that I am aware of was caused by a reckless driver traveling on the wrong side of the road. Crashes caused by reckless drivers or by drivers who are suddenly struck by a medical condition will not be stopped by a round about. In fact in terms of drivers who may suddenly have a health condition occur a four way stop sign is actually safer than a round about in which traffic is constantly moving.
The sales point made about greenery in the center of the round about keeping drivers focused on where they are- is an absurd stretch, Drivers need to be focused anywhere and on much more than where they are.
The point about pedestrians crossing a widened road in two parts and that pedestrians have the right of way is fluff. Pedestrians have the right of way no matter what and the existing cross walks are short. I do not see an advantage in pedestrians being able to stop at a point in the middle of a widened road between traffic lanes in an area where the speed limit is thirty miles an hour. If there is an accident a pedestrian could get hit standing in the little area between traffic lanes.
The mock up shown at 7:20 right before the discussion of the articles
shows should be a a second round about if the first one replaces the
four way stop signs, located on the other side of the town office. It
is identifiable as being on the other side of the Town Office by the
location of the Town Office parking lot. The perspective is coming from
the harbor toward the commons and there is pictured a large landscaped
circle in the configuration which will include an exclusive exit for the
village of Coloumbe and yet we have sales people for the Round About,
including State Representative candidate Wendy Wolf telling us that it
is being "objective" to occlude any issues surrounding Coulombe Village
from our considerations. What then is the purpose of the second round
about? What dangerous traffic problem is the second round about solving?
How much does the second round about add to the bill paid by state and
town of Boothbay taxpayers?
If you pause the video at 8:04 you can read the text on the screen
that says that the bond can be recalled at any time. The question is who
is the party with the authority to recall the bond and what kind of
power does that grant to that party? The purpose of the bond does not
mention the round about.It mentions normal maintenance functions and
"other improvements " which can mean anything. Terms are left to be
negotiated after town people agree to the bond.
It is not just our local taxes that may go up- state costs are paid by state taxpayers. I was looking at the annual report for the town of MRRA which was chartered by the Legislature as a municipal corporation serving as an instrumentality of the state so that its development can be financed by state and national taxpayers. The state grant is applied to the interest on the debt owed by the municipality of MRRA and it does not even cover all that interest debt. Much of state economic development is based on leveraging and re-leveraging debt.That can eventually all come tumbling down and the state can re-neg on its funding as well.
It is not just our local taxes that may go up- state costs are paid by state taxpayers. I was looking at the annual report for the town of MRRA which was chartered by the Legislature as a municipal corporation serving as an instrumentality of the state so that its development can be financed by state and national taxpayers. The state grant is applied to the interest on the debt owed by the municipality of MRRA and it does not even cover all that interest debt. Much of state economic development is based on leveraging and re-leveraging debt.That can eventually all come tumbling down and the state can re-neg on its funding as well.
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