GRAND HAVEN, MI — A new roundabout at Lincoln Street and 144th Avenue has left area motorists confronting one of the most complicated traffic situations ever introduced to Ottawa County: looking left and waiting approximately four seconds.
The intersection, located along the Grand Haven and Robinson Township border, was converted into a roundabout this summer as part of an Ottawa County Road Commission project.
Reaction from residents has been measured.
“This is insane,” said local driver Dennis VanKampen. “Yesterday I approached it and there were three cars already in the circle. Three. How am I supposed to know what all three of them are thinking?”
Traffic engineers say drivers approaching the roundabout should slow down, yield to vehicles already inside, enter when there is an opening and then exit at the appropriate road.
This explanation has not helped.
“So I yield, but then I go?” asked VanKampen. “Which is it?”
Officials acknowledged they had underestimated the complexity of the situation.
The intersection previously used stop signs, a traffic-control technology widely understood throughout West Michigan because it allows drivers to stop, stare at one another and repeatedly wave for someone else to go.
The roundabout eliminates much of that familiar interaction.
“There’s no communication,” said Grand Haven Township resident Lisa Brouwer. “At a four-way stop, I know exactly what to do. I stop. Then the other person stops. Then we both go. Then we both stop again. There’s a system.”
Brouwer said she recently spent nearly six minutes parked near the roundabout studying traffic patterns before attempting entry.
“I saw a Buick go around twice,” she said. “I don’t know if he was confused or just couldn’t get out.”
The Ledger was unable to locate the Buick.
Local officials have repeatedly assured residents that roundabouts are designed to improve traffic flow and reduce certain types of crashes.
But many residents remain skeptical of any intersection that asks motorists to make decisions without assistance from a colored light.
“Green means go. Red means stop,” explained retired electrician Gary DeWitt. “Those are the two options I was promised when I got my license in 1978.”
DeWitt said the roundabout introduces several additional concepts, including yielding, merging, lane positioning and spatial awareness.
“That’s a lot to throw at somebody doing 35 with a coffee between his legs.”
Perhaps the greatest source of confusion is the center island.
Several motorists initially believed it was a small park.
Others assumed it was decorative.
One resident reportedly drove directly over it after deciding the circle was “more of a suggestion.”
Ottawa County transportation officials have installed pavement markings and permanent signs to help motorists navigate the intersection.
Additional signage is reportedly being considered.
Proposed signs include:
YIELD
SERIOUSLY, YIELD
LOOK LEFT
NOT THAT LEFT
WAIT
OKAY, GO
NO, YOU MISSED IT
TRY AGAIN
Local driving instructor Paul Hendricks believes most residents will eventually adjust.
“People tend to overthink roundabouts,” Hendricks said. “You simply wait for an opening, enter the circle and leave at your desired exit.”
Hendricks was immediately surrounded by seven residents demanding he explain it again.
Some motorists have developed their own strategies.
One woman said she avoids the intersection entirely and now drives an additional 4.7 miles each morning.
A Robinson Township man said he only enters the roundabout if another vehicle goes first so he can “follow somebody who looks confident.”
Another resident said she simply closes her eyes briefly and trusts the Lord.
Traffic officials strongly discouraged that approach.
Despite the controversy, early observations suggest most vehicles are successfully navigating the intersection.
Officials estimate approximately 99 percent of drivers eventually emerge from the roundabout on some road.
Whether it is the road they intended remains under investigation.
Meanwhile, VanKampen says he intends to continue using the intersection but believes additional education is necessary.
“I’m not against progress,” he said. “I just think if you’re going to completely redesign how roads work, people deserve some warning.”
He then entered the roundabout, activated his left turn signal and disappeared toward Robinson Township.
At press time, he had not returned.
