Green Bay Council Stays with Roundabouts

WLUK-TV Fox 11 - Green Bay, Wisconsin

By Robert Hornacek
February 17, 2009

GREEN BAY - Green Bay is moving forward with six roundabouts planned for Military Avenue. Monday night, and into Tuesday morning, the Green Bay city council debated the plan for the second time in as many weeks. The outcome was the same. The plan calls for putting six roundabouts on the road between Dousman Street on the north to Ninth Street on the south. FOX 11's Robert Hornacek has multiple views.

They say history repeats itself. It has for the Green Bay city council. Early Tuesday morning, the council voted to move ahead with the same plan it approved two weeks ago. The plan calls for six roundabouts to be built on Military Avenue as part of the road re-construction project. The vote came after six hours of debate.

"They're not listening to the businesses. I think you need to remember who elected you," one resident told the council.

"Roundabouts will not improve property values. In fact, they will devalue the property," warned resident Jim Delaney.

More than 80 people packed the council chambers to voice mostly their opposition to the plan.

"What's good for the disabled is good for everyone," said Richard Bernstein, a blind attorney from Michigan. Bernstein warned the council about the potential of a lawsuit, because he says roundabouts violate the Americans with Disabilities Act.

"It is a perfect test case because you're a big city and it would basically trigger a test case of everything that's going on in Wisconsin," Bernstein said.

The mayor voiced his opposition to the roundabouts saying, "This is a little too much too fast."

Alderman who opposed the plan pleaded with their colleagues to reverse their previous decision and vote the roundabout plan down. "The people are sick to death of this and the public is gonna put the brass knuckles on pretty quick," said alderman Guy Zima.

But after 6 hours, the seven council members who supported the roundabouts, held their ground.

"I will not jeopardize public safety," said alderman Tony Theisen. He added, "I'm absolutely convinced that the roundabouts will reduce injuries."

"Modern roundabouts are safer. They move traffic faster and are cheaper. And I believe they'll result in increased traffic on Military Avenue," said alderman Dan Piton.

The vote to reconsider the roundabouts failed. But opponents of the plan are not giving up the fight yet. Their next step is to try to send the matter to a referendum.

Businesses along Military Avenue presented the council will signatures, which had been gathered during the last week. More than five-thousand people signed in opposition to the roundabouts.