More roundabouts? Grandview residents to help decide the future of Blue Ridge Blvd

Roundabouts. Bike lanes. And road diets.  These are the three topics that seem to get the most complaints among commuters, and no more so than in Grandview which already has several roundabouts throughout the small city.

Now there are plans for three more along Blue Ridge Boulevard, along with a bike lane and the reduction of the four-lane street to a three lane.

At an Open House on Wednesday, January 14th, from 4:30 to 6:30 pm at City Hall, 1200 Main Street,  Grandview residents can weigh in on Phase 3 of the Blue Ridge Boulevard Improvement plan. City officials will be on hand to answer questions and various aspects of the plan will be on display.

Currently plans include reducing the boulevard from four lanes with a center turn lane to two lanes with a turn lane.  Bike lanes will travel along the north and south edges of the road.

Roundabouts will replace stoplights at either Truman’s Marketplace, Harry S. Truman Road, and Grandview Road or Truman’s Marketplace and Harry S. Truman Road.

A new road is proposed to go north at the former Western  Sizzlin’ restaurant location for a quicker connection with Grandview Road.  It may or may not include a roundabout.

In a recent interview with the Telegraph, Mayor Leonard Jones shared his opinion of roundabouts. “There are beaucoup benefits that we can gain by allowing traffic to flow,” he said. “If I’m driving an 18 wheeler, I don’t want to stop if I have a choice. I want to continue to move my load on down the road. Stopping at a light is this necessary evil. But if there’s a roundabout, it let’s me move on down the road.”

He pointed out that roundabouts are easier to traverse when traffic is dealing with one lane. “Double lanes are more complicated for folks,” he said. “Single lanes are a lot easier for people to manage, get around and understand.”

The majority of the Board of Aldermen have approved the current plans. It is not the final vote, however, and the city is open to local input.