CARY, N.C. -- Some Triangle area intersections might look more like circles in the next few years.

 

 

Officials from towns and cities all over the area heard about "roundabouts" Thursday at the Regional Transportation Alliance meeting at Cary's Chamber of Commerce.

 

Mayor James Brainard, of Carmel, Ind., talked about the 43 roundabouts they've built there and fielded questions.

 

He said he knows there's a lot of skepticism.

 

"Our community was hesitant when we first started the program," Brainard said. "But they've grown to love them and become very proud of them."

 

Brainard said they started going to roundabouts instead of traditional intersections for several reasons - the main ones being safety and money.

 

"We all know people speed up to get through a yellow light." Brainard said. "But at the roundabout, all the vehicles have to slow down. So our experience, we have almost 50 roundabouts now, we have a lot less personal injuries. We have fewer fatalities."

 

Don Frantz, an incoming Town Council Member from Cary, said he was impressed with the presentation, and thinks it could help certain areas of town like Davis Drive and High House Road.

 

"It's worth looking into," Frantz said. "Anything we can do to relieve traffic in that area of town.  Not just that intersection, but all the other intersections around it, would be very positive for Cary."

 

None of the town or city representatives at Thursday's meeting were there to make official decisions about any intersections, but rather consider them for future projects.