City of Lafayette is proposing this design for a new roundabout at the busy intersection of Olympic Blvd and Pleasant Hill Road.
Bike lane crossings of the roundabout are circuitous and poorly marked. In addition, in the west bound direction, there are two lanes to cross and there should only be one lane. With fast-moving cars approaching the crosswalks, getting across safely by bike is going to be a challenge. We want the slip lane (right curving lane that avoids the roundabout) removed.
Please contact James Hinkamp, Senior Transportation Planner in Lafayette at jhinkamp@lovelafayette.org or (925) 299-3229, and let him know you want the slip lane removed and the design made safe for bicycling.
Here are the project full plans, including alternatives.
Lafayette is bringing the roundabout design to public hearings soon. The slip lanes going to and from Pleasant Hill Road are planned to be kept. The City Engineer does not support studying the removal of slip lanes because it would slow down cars.
Political support for removing the slip lanes will give Circulation Commissioners a basis to rally around and hopefully result in the City Engineer’s reevaluating the design. A well-designed roundabout as a whole could be a key example of how to properly design a multiuse roundabout in the east bay.