EudoraNews.com

The results of a traffic study shared earlier this month with the Eudora City Council suggested roundabouts could be the solution to future traffic concerns on the 10th Street in east Eudora.

That's not surprising. Roundabouts are as cherished by traffic engineers as they are disdained by drivers unused to them. Research indicates that disdain disappears as motorists become accustomed to what has proven to be a safer alternative to traditional traffic signals.

But whatever one thinks of roundabouts and their application on east 10th Street that has the potential for heavy truck traffic, the positive news is that a traffic study was conducted before the new elementary school opens or development associated with a possible tax increment financing district occurs. The study suggests the city is determined the future 10th Street will not mirror Church Street, which is missing turn lanes to apartments, strip malls and businesses.

The forward-looking 10th Street study is to be appreciated with that to look at a possible traffic signal at the Church Street and high school access road. But there remains a long overdue need to define the scope and cost of bringing Church Street north of Kansas Highway 10 to current arterial street standards. The sooner that study is commissioned, the sooner to make those improvements.