Tucson traffic circles slow traffic and harness rainwater

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — In places like the Dunbar Spring neighborhood, traffics circles are very common. The traffic mitigation feature is often used when vehicles are speeding through stop signs.

"People just like to drag race through them and it causes a lot of concern for the residents," Jesse Soto, the manager of the Neighborhood Traffic Management Program, said. "Drivers will see the traffic circle in front of them and start to slow down."

In order to get a traffic circle added to an area, the neighborhood has to raise the funds to add it. A traffic circle can cost anywhere between $15,000 and $25,000 in the city of Tucson.

There are also surveys that will take place to make sure a traffic circle will work in the desired area.

Some traffic circles do more than just mitigate traffic. The city's Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) program helps design them to harness stormwater when it rains.

"When stormwater hits hard impervious surfaces so, rooftops, streets, anything where it can't soak in. What we're trying to do is direct that water into vegetated basins where it can infiltrate the soil to support local vegetation," Blue Baldwin, the manager of the Green Stormwater Infrastructure program said.

These traffic circles have cutouts to allow the water to seep in and then the water is absorbed by the plants in the circle. This also works as a way to make neighborhoods greener.

"It's like the GSI doubles as this climate resiliency measure but also as traffic calming," Baldwin said.

If you are interested in learning more about traffic circles, visit TucsonAZ.gov.

You can also learn more about the city's climate action plan and GSI program at ClimateAction.gov.