Roundabouts coming to Sturgis!
April 1, 2018
The City of Sturgis, South Dakota announced a plan to install European-style traffic roundabouts at both ends of Historic Main Street in the heart of Sturgis to increase traffic flow as next step in downtown Rally-friendly infrastructure improvements.
Local civic officials unveil plan to replace two key downtown intersections with modern European-style traffic roundabouts that require no signal or stoplight as part of ongoing effort to improve the popular tourist town’s infrastructure and ease the annual burden of Rally traffic on local thoroughfares.
Sturgis, SD, April 1, 2018: As part of the continuing effort to improve the city’s infrastructure and provide an enhanced Rally experience for Sturgis Motorcycle Rally visitors in coming years, the City of Sturgis announced plans to replace two iconic intersections on Legendary Main Street in downtown Sturgis with European-style traffic roundabouts.
Research has shown that roundabouts dramatically increase traffic flow with only a slight decrease in safety until local commuters acclimate themselves to the method. “We have no doubt locals will warm up to the roundabouts once the improvements are made and townsfolk have a chance to try them out,” said Daniel Ainslie, the City Manager. “We sent a team of elected officials to Singapore over the summer to test one out for a couple of weeks and all of them came home very impressed and enthused about what roundabouts could do for the City of Sturgis.”
A modern roundabout is a circular intersection where drivers travel counterclockwise around a center island. There are no traffic signals or stop signs in a modern roundabout. On entry, drivers yield to traffic in the roundabout, then enter the intersection, circle, and exit at their desired street.
“With all of the improvements on Main Street, I think the city saw this as the next logical step in downtown improvements,” claimed Rally Director Jerry Cole.
The pair of proposed roundabouts, one at the intersection of Main Street and Junction Avenue, the other at the crossroads of Main Street and 4th Street, will each boast an elaborate sculpture in the center of the roundabout. “We plan to solicit local artists to propose sculptures that highlight the history of Sturgis and celebrate America,” commented Daniel Ainslie, adding with a wink, “I wouldn’t mind a shrine to Col. Sturgis at one end and a statue of President Trump at the other.”
