Lawrence city commissioners hope they have found a way to take some of the emotion out of the controversial subject of roundabouts, traffic circles and other similar devices.

Commissioners at their Tuesday evening meeting unanimously approved a system designed to guide them on when traffic-calming devices should be built in the city.

“What this should do is provide us a more objective way for examining the issue,” said City Commissioner Sue Hack. “You’re not letting emotion or that type of discussion rule the day.”

The new policy assigns scores to such factors as the amount of traffic, the number of crashes, presence of school crossings and the level of pedestrian activity in each area that is being considered for a roundabout or other traffic-calming device.

The system, which came to the commission from the Traffic Safety Commission, spells out a set of criteria that should be met before city commissioners agree to include the project in the city’s plans. Once a project wins city commission approval, it then would be given a score based on the criteria to determine how high of a priority it should be for city officials.

Commissioners said they were badly in need of a such a ranking system. During the past couple of years, commissioners have approved seven separate traffic-calming projects throughout the city. But commissioners had never made decisions about when they should be built or how they should be funded.

City Commissioner David Schauner said the ranking system should help commissioners during upcoming budget sessions as they debate which of the seven approved projects should receive funding in 2006.

“My sense is we won’t be able to get to every one that is on this list right away,” Schauner said. “We’re going to have to figure out a way to set aside some money every year to eventually get to everybody. This list will help guide us. Neighbors ought to pay close attention to the list.”

Mayor Boog Highberger said he would propose during budget sessions this summer that the city commit to setting aside enough money that all seven projects would be funded during the next three years.

The new system shows that a series of traffic circles and pedestrian islands in the University Place Neighborhood south of Kansas University clearly should be the top priority. Cost estimates for the University Place project have been in the $100,000 to $170,000 range.

• Annexation policy to be reviewed

Lawrence City Commissioners may want to get more aggressive when it comes to expanding the city’s boundaries.

City commissioners Tuesday night agreed to schedule a study session for next month to discuss the possible benefits and drawbacks to making the city’s annexation policy more aggressive.

City officials generally have had a policy of not aggressively seeking to annex large areas of land into the city limits unless property owners in the area have consented to the change.

Commissioners tentatively scheduled the study session for 8 a.m. May 18 at City Hall, Sixth and Massachusetts streets.

• Sidewalk seating for Teller’s approved

Commissioners gave unanimous approval for Teller’s Restaurant & Bar, 746 Mass., to move forward with plans to add a sidewalk dining area.

The project was not subject to a previously approved 45-day moratorium on new sidewalk dining areas because the request was made prior to the moratorium taking effect. But several city commissioners said they were concerned about the ability of pedestrians to easily use downtown sidewalks with the growth in sidewalk dining areas. City commissioners also are considering a new policy that would allow bars to have sidewalk seating areas as well.

The city’s Historic Resources Commission is scheduled to consider new guidelines for sidewalk dining areas at their 7 p.m. Thursday meeting at City Hall.

City commissioners on Tuesday deferred a request from the Free State Brewing Co., 636 Mass., after the owner said he needed more time to finalize his plans.