City Unveils 26th Street Roundabout Website

   A website has been created to acquaint drivers with the City of Santa Monica’s first roundabout, which will be installed at the intersection of 26th Street and Washington Avenue this spring.
   A roundabout is a circular intersection in which vehicles entering the intersection yield to vehicles already in the intersection, thus, in theory, preventing traffic from locking up and allowing free flow of movement.
   A landscaped island in the center of the intersection, landscaping at the corners and small medians at the intersection’s approaches, will be included in the installation.
   The purpose of the roundabout is to permit pedestrians to cross the street more easily without substantially changing neighborhood traffic patterns. The website allows Internet users to actually “drive” the roundabout, read the rules of the road, and see animated cars, large vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians approach the intersection, enter the roundabout and continue on their cyberspace journey.
   The website also has links to current construction updates,
project contact information and maps. It can be found at www.roundabout. santa-monica.org
The roundabout is part of a $4.7 million project to make city streets safer for pedestrians with the addition of, in the City’s word, “enhancements” to Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica Boulevard, Broadway, Ocean Park Boulevard and 26th Street. Construction for the entire project is scheduled to be completed by summer.