The roundabout at Fifth and Edmonds was designed to improve traffic flow and safety. The accident a couple of days ago at the roundabout does not seem to jibe with effects of the accident results. Traffic was severely affected for a period of time, both through the roundabout and to the east.
The article in the Appeal was regarding the costs given on making the roundabout a permanent structure to alleviate conditions that cause these accidents. In this article we are given many peculiar figures to digest, pertaining to the roundabout.
When this project began (April 1999), the public was given, after a $3,000 design cost, an estimate of $120,000 less than the cost of signals, which supposedly are $170,000 ,or an estimated $50,000.
On September 1999, more figures came up. Between $50,000 and $60,000 was given as the estimated cost of a permanent roundabout. After design changes rose to $120,000, only $50,000 less than a signal, which supposedly had an annual cost for maintenance estimated at $6,000. (It would seem that an exact figure could be given on the annual cost of signal maintenance because of the many, many signals that have operated for years throughout Nevada).
Now in the September 1999 article in the Appeal comes a newer figure. The roundabout cost has risen to only $30,000 less than an electric signal, or $140,000, just up a minuscule $80,000 or $90,000 over the original estimate. I seriously wonder what the actual cost would be for a signal suitable for that intersection and the actual annual maintenance cost for the light. Is it $4,000 or $6,000 or what?
And now!
The cost has increased in a year from about $50,000 to about $205,000. Someone involved in this operation must have sold toilet seats to the Air Force in years gone by.
To insult the taxpayers further, an additional $73,625 has somehow silently crept into the estimate to make the roundabout prettier. At that price, we will have the prettiest roundabout in the Western Hemisphere.
It appears to be similar to what we called in the Army, "A railroad job."
One more question, "Is this your final answer?"