To the editor:

I’m a longtime Lawrence resident. I’m very positive and rarely complain. But there is a problem with the roundabouts on Wakarusa Drive, amid plans to create new ones. I’m not opposed to roundabouts. I see their advantages. I use Wakarusa a lot because I live nearby.

Because Wakarusa is four lanes and the roundabouts are four lanes, it’s a problem for all vehicles, not just large ones, to stay in the lanes of the roundabout. The biggest problem is the inside lane. The roundabout requires a hard “S” turn, and as vehicles get to the last part of the turn, they often cross the lane line. I don’t know how many wrecks, minor scrapes or close calls have resulted. I learned early on after the roundabouts were installed to stay on the outside lane, slow down when necessary and try to avoid having a vehicle on the inside lane when I got to the roundabout. That doesn’t always work.

These four-lane roundabouts need to be safer. The solution is simple. Make the roundabout lanes larger than normal, and make the middle islands smaller. Those islands are largely decorative. It’s good to have sidewalks on their outer edges, but the inner parts could be much smaller and presumably less costly to construct. Also, the two current roundabouts on Wakarusa need to be modified in the same way to make them safer.

Steve Ferrier,

Lawrence