At the December 4 public meeting, Oakwood City Council voted unanimously to suspend work on a project that considered the conversion of the Far Hills Avenue, Oakwood Avenue and Thruston Boulevard intersection along State Route 48, often referred to as Five Points, from a traditional traffic signal to a roundabout.
Last year, the city of Oakwood commissioned a comprehensive traffic signal study with the purpose to develop a long-range plan for major capital improvements to Oakwood’s traffic signal system, which consists of 17 signalized intersections. In May of this year, the primary focus of the study was directed on the Five Points intersection. The traffic study concluded that a roundabout could function well at Five Points.
Over the past six months, the city showed the citizens of Oakwood and the Dayton region how the roundabout could function and obtained extensive public input and feedback. The public reaction has been mixed. While there is support for building the roundabout, there is also opposition.
“A roundabout at Five Points would be a change to how the intersection functions”, said City Manager Norbert Klopsch. “There remains enough unfamiliarity with how roundabouts operate to compel City Council to no longer advance the project at this time. For the time being, the city will continue to maintain the existing traffic signal. All of the work completed in studying the roundabout option will be very useful in the future when the city will likely reconsider this matter”, Klopsch added.
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT
Norbert S. Klopsch, City Manager
(937) 298-0600
klopsch@oakwoodohio.gov