Roundabouts Cut Down On Fatal, Injury Accidents, Citizens Told

To get to the Oconee County Board of Commissioners’ Town Hall Meeting on Thursday, visitors had to walk through a simulated roundabout constructed in the lobby of the Civic Center on Hog Mountain Road.

Once inside the meeting room, the visitors found easels with diagrams of roundabouts and explanations of the signage commonly found in them.

In the far end of the room, on tables, were more pictures of roundabouts with toy cars and trucks on them, allowing for practice in moving the “vehicles” through a roundabout.

Board of Commissioners Chair John Daniell had said in advance that, while the Town Hall Meeting would provide citizens the opportunity to ask questions on any topic, roundabout would be a central theme.

After Oconee County Public Works Director Jody Woodall and Georgia Department of Transportation Specialist Richard Crowe gave introductory comments on roundabouts, Daniell opened up the meeting for audience input.

While many of the questions that followed were on roundabouts, citizens also asked about county revenue streams, the county’s planned new Administrative Building, Internet access, the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, and the relationship between the School Board and the Board of Commissioners.

For details of the story, with a video of the Town Hall Meeting, please go to Oconee County Observations.