QUESTIONS REGARDING THE VERMACK-WOMACK ROAD INTERSECTION PROPOSED PROJECTS
WITH ANSWERS FROM DUNWOODY PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR MICHAEL SMITH
Q: On average, how much time is expected to be saved for travelers at the intersection
with the installation of a roundabout?
A: The traffic analysis indicates that the roundabout will reduce delays on Womack in the design year of 2037 by 2 minutes in the AM peak hour and by 3 to 4 minutes in the PM peak hour. Delays on Vermack are expected to be reduced on average by up to 2 minutes in the AM and by up to 1 minute in the PM.
Q: What percentage of cars traveling through the intersection are considered
“local” residents?
A: This has not been determined.
Q: How many minutes during the day is there more than a 2 minute wait at the stop sign?
A: This has not been determined as part of the traffic analysis. The traffic counts indicate that the intersection operates at a low level of service for at least 4 hours of the day.
Q: Why is there a proposed 10 foot wide sidewalk around the roundabout?
A: The wider sidewalk allows bikers and pedestrians to share the sidewalk around the roundabout. This is a standard practice for accommodating cyclists in roundabouts.
Q: Will installing a roundabout make it easier for a homeowner who lives near the intersection
to get in or out of their driveway? -Will homeowners next to a roundabout be at a greater increase for collision?
A: It should be easier to get out of driveways when there is less congestion at the intersection. Statistics on roundabout accidents indicate that they are safer than conventional intersections.
Q: What is the traffic count for cars entering and leaving Dunwoody High School on Womack?
A: On the day of the traffic counts, there were 118 cars exiting the high school on Womack during the peak AM hour for the driveway and 180 during the peak hour in the afternoon. There were 128 cars
entering the high school from Womack in the AM peak hour for the driveway and 56 in the PM peak hour.
Q: With one of the Womack Road entrances to the high school proposed closing, how would the doubling of cars in/out of one driveway be handled?
A: Several options will be considered during the final design including constructing a new entrance on Vermack.
Q: How many car accidents have there been in the past 3 years for cars turning out of Dunwoody High onto Womack?
A: A search of the Dunwoody police accident records found 2 in the last 3 years through May of 2012.
Q: A single lane roundabout was determined not to be an option for the Tilly Mill/North Peachtree intersection improvement project by Dunwoody’s Public Works Department because of the high number of turning cars and of potential confusion to drivers. How different/similar are the traffic numbers and turns
for the Tilly Mill/N Ptree intersection and the Womack/Vermack intersection?
A: The reference to potential driver confusion was related to the more complicated geometry of the intersection at Tilly Mill and the fact that a portion of that roundabout would have two lanes instead of one. Overall volumes measured at North Peachtree/Tilly Mill are about 1.75 times greater than the Womack/Vermack intersection.
Q: An information sheet provided by the city of Dunwoody says vehicle speeds at the roundabout
would be less than 30 mph. Is that considered a safe speed for drivers to stop for pedestrians in the crosswalk as they go around a curve?
A: The design speed for the roundabout is approximately 15 mph.
Q: What is the projected increase in vehicle volume after a roundabout is installed?
A: The traffic analysis assumes a growth rate of 1% per year for all options.
Q: What is the projected increase of traffic on Womack in 5 years?
A: 1% annually.
Q: If there is an increase in car volume projected for Womack in 5 years, would it be from
additional neighborhoods being constructed?
A: Surrounding land use is not expected to change significantly in the foreseeable future. An annual rate of 1% considered a minimum growth rate for planning and design purposes.
Q: If in 5 years there is a significant increase in traffic volume, would the city then consider removing the roundabout and installing a traffic light?
A: The roundabout is designed to accommodate traffic volumes through the design year of 2037.
Q: Recently, Dunwoody police wrote 6 speeding tickets to drivers in the blinking school zone speed area during the morning rush. How effective have the flashing lights, solar stationary radar sign and the police enforcement been in reducing the speeds on Womack?
A: The radar signs have had some effect in slightly reducing the average speed.
Q: Is there a belief that without forcing cars to stop at the intersection with a stop sign, speeds on Womack and Vermack may increase with a roundabout?
A: No.
Q: Will street lights be installed to illuminate pedestrians?
A: Lighting for the intersection will be evaluated as part of the final design.
Q: Of all the data considered and provided regarding roundabouts, are there any studies that show results for those with residential driveways located directly along a roundabout?
A: The design consultant has direct experience designing roundabouts with driveways
close to the intersection.
Q: What efforts has the city done to encourage more students riding school buses or riding bikes?
A: The City has completed a number of projects to improve bicycle facilities and has hosted two bike rodeos for kids.
Q: Has the city offered any suggestions to an off-site parking lot for GPC students to use?
A: Yes
Q: What effect will the 1 million dollar project to synchronize lights through Ashford Dunwoody
have on Womack Road?
A: It is not anticipated to affect this project significantly.
Q: What effect will the planned intersection improvements at Chamblee Dunwoody near Vermack Road have on traffic for Vermack?
A: It is not anticipated to affect the design of this project.
Q: At a possible $35 per hour, how many years could a policeman assist with traffic at the intersection for 2 hours a day for the same amount of money the city would spend on a roundabout?
A: Having a policeman direct traffic is not considered to be a viable long-term solution. The congestion occurs for more than 2 hours per day. An officer cannot direct traffic as safely and efficiently as a roundabout or traffic signal.
Q: When Womack Road crosses Chamblee Dunwoody Road and becomes Ashford Center
Parkway, the speed limit is reduced to 25mph. Why is Womack not also the same speed limit?
A: Ashford Center Parkway is 25 mph due to the curvature of the road.
Q: With a roundabout, what is the expected speed of cars as they will pass the exit to Dunwoody High on Womack, compared to the speed of cars now in the same location?
A: Unknown but it is not expected to be significantly different than current speeds.
Q: At Tilly Mill and Cherring Drive, cars are prevented from using the neighborhood as a cut-thru by raised cement, known as a “half closure”, similar to one on nearby Mt. Vernon Road. Village Creek Drive, off of Womack, had speed bumps installed a few years ago to reduce speeds and traffic. Two years ago,
the Dunwoody City Council voted not to proceed with creating a new street connecting Womack Road behind the library to Dunwoody Village because neighbors did not want more cars near their homes. What efforts has the city done to discourage traffic on Womack or Vermack?
A: Vermack and Womack are categorized as collector roads. They are through streets that carry traffic from many adjacent neighborhoods to other destinations. Efforts to divert traffic from these streets would push the traffic onto other surrounding streets and neighborhoods.
Q: What are the average speeds of vehicles on both Vermack and Womack, and what is it projected to be if a roundabout is installed? And is there data on the speed of cars as they approach the stop signs?
A: The roundabout is not expected to affect overall average speeds on Womack and Vermack. There is no data on the speed of cars as they approach the stop sign.
Q: How many pedestrians use the intersection each day?
A: During a 12-hour period, 183 pedestrians were counted.
Q: Would it be recommended for cyclists to use the roundabout as a car does, or should a cyclist dismount and use the pedestrian crosswalks?
A: Either
Q: What is the anticipated speed of a car as it exits the roundabout, near the pedestrian crosswalks?
A: The roundabout is designed for a speed of about 15 mph.
Q: What impact does a large amount of pedestrians have on the flow of traffic in a roundabout?
A: The pedestrian traffic at this intersection is not expected to have a significant impact on traffic flow.
Q: From what year is the city relying on its data in determining roundabout safety? (Is it before the prevalence of distracted drivers and pedestrians texting on their phones?) And what country are the statistics from? And which exact type of roundabout model – since there are several kinds?
A: There are several reports from the last 10 years on modern roundabouts in the U.S. Distracted drivers and pedestrians are an issue regardless of the intersection design.
Q: What will be used to reduce vehicle speeds before approaching the pedestrian crossings?
A: This will be considered in the final design.
Q: Will there be overhead signs installed?
A: No
Q: Will a roundabout design make things easier than the stop signs for children, elderly
with mobility and cognitive impairments or people with vision impairments?
A: Roundabouts are considered safe for children and the elderly. Research is ongoing regarding vision impairments.
Q: Who has asked the city for changes at this intersection?
A: The project was included in the City’s transportation plan based on traffic analysis and input at public meetings and a survey conducted during development of the transportation plan.
Q: What data does the city have with roundabouts installed in school zones?
A: There are a number of examples of roundabouts in school zones around the country.
Q: Has the city’s installation of solar speed detection signs on Womack, at around 9-thousand
dollars, reduced speeds on the road?
A: See answer above.
Q: How many citations have the Dunwoody police issued for trucks that violate the “no
trucks permitted” on Womack (unless it has a direct destination from the road)?
A: Unknown.
Q: How many citations have the Dunwoody police issued for cars not stopping for pedestrians
in a crosswalk on Womack?
A: Unknown.
WITH ANSWERS FROM DUNWOODY PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR MICHAEL SMITH
Q: On average, how much time is expected to be saved for travelers at the intersection
with the installation of a roundabout?
A: The traffic analysis indicates that the roundabout will reduce delays on Womack in the design year of 2037 by 2 minutes in the AM peak hour and by 3 to 4 minutes in the PM peak hour. Delays on Vermack are expected to be reduced on average by up to 2 minutes in the AM and by up to 1 minute in the PM.
Q: What percentage of cars traveling through the intersection are considered
“local” residents?
A: This has not been determined.
Q: How many minutes during the day is there more than a 2 minute wait at the stop sign?
A: This has not been determined as part of the traffic analysis. The traffic counts indicate that the intersection operates at a low level of service for at least 4 hours of the day.
Q: Why is there a proposed 10 foot wide sidewalk around the roundabout?
A: The wider sidewalk allows bikers and pedestrians to share the sidewalk around the roundabout. This is a standard practice for accommodating cyclists in roundabouts.
Q: Will installing a roundabout make it easier for a homeowner who lives near the intersection
to get in or out of their driveway? -Will homeowners next to a roundabout be at a greater increase for collision?
A: It should be easier to get out of driveways when there is less congestion at the intersection. Statistics on roundabout accidents indicate that they are safer than conventional intersections.
Q: What is the traffic count for cars entering and leaving Dunwoody High School on Womack?
A: On the day of the traffic counts, there were 118 cars exiting the high school on Womack during the peak AM hour for the driveway and 180 during the peak hour in the afternoon. There were 128 cars
entering the high school from Womack in the AM peak hour for the driveway and 56 in the PM peak hour.
Q: With one of the Womack Road entrances to the high school proposed closing, how would the doubling of cars in/out of one driveway be handled?
A: Several options will be considered during the final design including constructing a new entrance on Vermack.
Q: How many car accidents have there been in the past 3 years for cars turning out of Dunwoody High onto Womack?
A: A search of the Dunwoody police accident records found 2 in the last 3 years through May of 2012.
Q: A single lane roundabout was determined not to be an option for the Tilly Mill/North Peachtree intersection improvement project by Dunwoody’s Public Works Department because of the high number of turning cars and of potential confusion to drivers. How different/similar are the traffic numbers and turns
for the Tilly Mill/N Ptree intersection and the Womack/Vermack intersection?
A: The reference to potential driver confusion was related to the more complicated geometry of the intersection at Tilly Mill and the fact that a portion of that roundabout would have two lanes instead of one. Overall volumes measured at North Peachtree/Tilly Mill are about 1.75 times greater than the Womack/Vermack intersection.
Q: An information sheet provided by the city of Dunwoody says vehicle speeds at the roundabout
would be less than 30 mph. Is that considered a safe speed for drivers to stop for pedestrians in the crosswalk as they go around a curve?
A: The design speed for the roundabout is approximately 15 mph.
Q: What is the projected increase in vehicle volume after a roundabout is installed?
A: The traffic analysis assumes a growth rate of 1% per year for all options.
Q: What is the projected increase of traffic on Womack in 5 years?
A: 1% annually.
Q: If there is an increase in car volume projected for Womack in 5 years, would it be from
additional neighborhoods being constructed?
A: Surrounding land use is not expected to change significantly in the foreseeable future. An annual rate of 1% considered a minimum growth rate for planning and design purposes.
Q: If in 5 years there is a significant increase in traffic volume, would the city then consider removing the roundabout and installing a traffic light?
A: The roundabout is designed to accommodate traffic volumes through the design year of 2037.
Q: Recently, Dunwoody police wrote 6 speeding tickets to drivers in the blinking school zone speed area during the morning rush. How effective have the flashing lights, solar stationary radar sign and the police enforcement been in reducing the speeds on Womack?
A: The radar signs have had some effect in slightly reducing the average speed.
Q: Is there a belief that without forcing cars to stop at the intersection with a stop sign, speeds on Womack and Vermack may increase with a roundabout?
A: No.
Q: Will street lights be installed to illuminate pedestrians?
A: Lighting for the intersection will be evaluated as part of the final design.
Q: Of all the data considered and provided regarding roundabouts, are there any studies that show results for those with residential driveways located directly along a roundabout?
A: The design consultant has direct experience designing roundabouts with driveways
close to the intersection.
Q: What efforts has the city done to encourage more students riding school buses or riding bikes?
A: The City has completed a number of projects to improve bicycle facilities and has hosted two bike rodeos for kids.
Q: Has the city offered any suggestions to an off-site parking lot for GPC students to use?
A: Yes
Q: What effect will the 1 million dollar project to synchronize lights through Ashford Dunwoody
have on Womack Road?
A: It is not anticipated to affect this project significantly.
Q: What effect will the planned intersection improvements at Chamblee Dunwoody near Vermack Road have on traffic for Vermack?
A: It is not anticipated to affect the design of this project.
Q: At a possible $35 per hour, how many years could a policeman assist with traffic at the intersection for 2 hours a day for the same amount of money the city would spend on a roundabout?
A: Having a policeman direct traffic is not considered to be a viable long-term solution. The congestion occurs for more than 2 hours per day. An officer cannot direct traffic as safely and efficiently as a roundabout or traffic signal.
Q: When Womack Road crosses Chamblee Dunwoody Road and becomes Ashford Center
Parkway, the speed limit is reduced to 25mph. Why is Womack not also the same speed limit?
A: Ashford Center Parkway is 25 mph due to the curvature of the road.
Q: With a roundabout, what is the expected speed of cars as they will pass the exit to Dunwoody High on Womack, compared to the speed of cars now in the same location?
A: Unknown but it is not expected to be significantly different than current speeds.
Q: At Tilly Mill and Cherring Drive, cars are prevented from using the neighborhood as a cut-thru by raised cement, known as a “half closure”, similar to one on nearby Mt. Vernon Road. Village Creek Drive, off of Womack, had speed bumps installed a few years ago to reduce speeds and traffic. Two years ago,
the Dunwoody City Council voted not to proceed with creating a new street connecting Womack Road behind the library to Dunwoody Village because neighbors did not want more cars near their homes. What efforts has the city done to discourage traffic on Womack or Vermack?
A: Vermack and Womack are categorized as collector roads. They are through streets that carry traffic from many adjacent neighborhoods to other destinations. Efforts to divert traffic from these streets would push the traffic onto other surrounding streets and neighborhoods.
Q: What are the average speeds of vehicles on both Vermack and Womack, and what is it projected to be if a roundabout is installed? And is there data on the speed of cars as they approach the stop signs?
A: The roundabout is not expected to affect overall average speeds on Womack and Vermack. There is no data on the speed of cars as they approach the stop sign.
Q: How many pedestrians use the intersection each day?
A: During a 12-hour period, 183 pedestrians were counted.
Q: Would it be recommended for cyclists to use the roundabout as a car does, or should a cyclist dismount and use the pedestrian crosswalks?
A: Either
Q: What is the anticipated speed of a car as it exits the roundabout, near the pedestrian crosswalks?
A: The roundabout is designed for a speed of about 15 mph.
Q: What impact does a large amount of pedestrians have on the flow of traffic in a roundabout?
A: The pedestrian traffic at this intersection is not expected to have a significant impact on traffic flow.
Q: From what year is the city relying on its data in determining roundabout safety? (Is it before the prevalence of distracted drivers and pedestrians texting on their phones?) And what country are the statistics from? And which exact type of roundabout model – since there are several kinds?
A: There are several reports from the last 10 years on modern roundabouts in the U.S. Distracted drivers and pedestrians are an issue regardless of the intersection design.
Q: What will be used to reduce vehicle speeds before approaching the pedestrian crossings?
A: This will be considered in the final design.
Q: Will there be overhead signs installed?
A: No
Q: Will a roundabout design make things easier than the stop signs for children, elderly
with mobility and cognitive impairments or people with vision impairments?
A: Roundabouts are considered safe for children and the elderly. Research is ongoing regarding vision impairments.
Q: Who has asked the city for changes at this intersection?
A: The project was included in the City’s transportation plan based on traffic analysis and input at public meetings and a survey conducted during development of the transportation plan.
Q: What data does the city have with roundabouts installed in school zones?
A: There are a number of examples of roundabouts in school zones around the country.
Q: Has the city’s installation of solar speed detection signs on Womack, at around 9-thousand
dollars, reduced speeds on the road?
A: See answer above.
Q: How many citations have the Dunwoody police issued for trucks that violate the “no
trucks permitted” on Womack (unless it has a direct destination from the road)?
A: Unknown.
Q: How many citations have the Dunwoody police issued for cars not stopping for pedestrians
in a crosswalk on Womack?
A: Unknown.