More Roundabouts In Kalamazoo? It’s Like a Nightmare Horror Movie

All these roundabouts being built in Kalamazoo County sure does remind you of some sort of 1950's horror movie, "Attack of the Roundabouts" might be an appropriate title, but it's better to take the high road, so let's just assume some people both at the Michigan Dept. of Transportation and locally at the Road Commission of Kalamazoo County are smitten with roundabouts. Like head over heels in love with them.

A few years back, there was maybe one or two and both were near the Western Michigan University campus, but now they're everywhere. The big ones are at Sprinkle Road and Interstate 94 and then there are other lesser ones littered over the county from Gull Road and G Ave on the East to Gull Street in town near Riverview, to Milham Ave and 12th Street near Texas Township.

Ostensibly, their purpose is to slow traffic down, but two new ones proposed for Parkview Avenue at 11th and at 12th Streets will make driving seem more like a video game than a plain old drive from point A to Point B. Another argument put forward, even if there's an accident, with the lesser speed, there's less likelihood of fatality. (You can pound out a dent. You can't pound out a human being.)

The Road Commission of Kalamazoo County says they've got funding for the two project on Parkview Ave. for the 2023 construction season. RCKC is having a public information
meeting to be held on Wednesday, May 4th at 6:00pm at Kalamazoo Christian Elementary (3800 S. 12th Street). If you have strong feelings about it, let them know how you feel. Battle Creek residents put up a stink about a roundabout near the hospital north of downtown.

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And if that isn't enough, MLive says there's another one coming in 2024 at TU Ave. and 23rd St.