Redesigning Keene's Central Square Traffic Pattern: A Study on the Environmental and Social Impact of Creating a Roundabout in Downtown Keene
Item
- Description
- Roundabouts have numerous benefits with regard to safety, cost, and environmental sustainability. Student researchers gathered questionnaire and field observation data on the feasibility of converting the Central Square traffic pattern into a roundabout. Results show that approximately two-thirds of the sample (n=72) surveyed felt that traffic in downtown Keene was 'inefficient' or 'somewhat efficient.' A majority (85%) stated that traffic flow in Keene has improved since roundabouts were installed around town. While very few cars wait at the lights in the early morning and late evening, during the middle of the day up to 18 cars idle at the lights. Other research indicates that exhaust created when cars idle at stoplights is reduced by 32-42% when roundabouts are installed. We conclude that the lights in the Square can be switched to blinking yellows during certain times of the day, or during the whole day. The City of Keene should consider options for removing stoplights to reduce the number of idling cars and exhaust created by those cars.
- Brian Green
- Contributor
- Keene State College
- Date
- 2015-04-11
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12088/7584
- Language
- en_US
- Subject
- Physical and Environmental Geography
- Place and Environment
- Sociology
- Type
- Presentation
- Rights
- http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
- Item sets
- AEC 2015 Sciences
- Site pages
- Sciences
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