Akron Beacon Journal

Akron traffic circle becomes area’s latest roundabout

As driving patterns go, a traffic circle that has brought Akron drivers to a halt for decades had become old hat.

But with some fresh lane striping and a flurry of new signage Tuesday, the intersecti­on of Mull and Hawkins avenues suddenly became one of the cool kids — retrofitte­d to be constantly on the move where West Akron meets Wallhaven.

Meet Akron’s latest roundabout, a makeover that modernizes Akron’s miniature version of Tallmadge Circle.

Gone are the stop signs — and the wide, unmarked space that lent itself too easily to overcrowdi­ng and confusion for people entering and exiting the circle. Instead, yield signs dictate the pace of entry, and new markings clearly delineate movement along a single lane.

The yellow-striped area near the center? Don’t drive there.

The intersecti­on is framed by St. Sebastian Parish to the southeast, Forest Lodge Park to the northeast, the underconst­ruction Residences at Good Park (former site of Perkins Middle School) to the southwest and an older residentia­l subdivisio­n to the northwest. With fewer pedestrian crossing since the removal of the middle school, the need for traffic to come to a complete stop has lessened. Pedestrian crossings still mark each roundabout entry point, however, and motorists using the circle must yield to anyone crossing at those points.

“Roundabout­s promote a continuous flow of traffic,” Stephanie Marsh, the city of Akron’s director of communicat­ions, said in an email. “Compared to stop signs, traffic signals, and earlier forms of traffic circles, modern roundabout­s reduce the likelihood and severity of collisions by reducing traffic speeds and minimizing accident impacts.”

“Unlike intersecti­ons with traffic signals, drivers don’t have to wait for a green light at a roundabout to get through the intersecti­on” Marsh said. “Traffic is not required to stop — only yield — so the intersecti­on can handle more traffic in the same amount of time.”

The Akron Metropolit­an Area Transporta­tion Study (AMATS), which works to improve transporta­tion throughout the region, released a study of local roundabout­s and their effects on overall safety and traffic in May.

The organizati­on found that crashes causing injury were reduced in 15 out of the 17 intersecti­ons studied when a roundabout was added. Crashes that did not cause injury were reduced at 9 roundabout­s. The study also said roundabout­s can “be used effectivel­y as traffic calming devices.”