Cambridge considers new traffic circle to stop speeding near school zone

CAMBRIDGE, Md- The Town of Cambridge is looking to cut down on speeding through neighborhood street, and believe a traffic circle to be the best option to force drivers to slow down.

The town is proposing a traffic circle on the street across from the YMCA and Athletic Fields. Town Commissioners say they have tried cones and even speed cameras to get drivers to drop their speeds.

Those speed cameras found one vehicle was driving 90 miles per hour.
Commissioner BrianRoche from Ward 1 says a traffic circle is the only way to make sure every driver slows down by making them change their behavior, rather than suggest behavior with a posted speed limit.

He tells us the traffic circle will keep the community safe by forcing drivers to be driving around 20 miles per hour to navigate it safely while making traffic flow better than a complete stop would.

“What we are actually trying to solve is the inability to go any faster than that through an intersection,” Roche said adding “the only way to guarantee a slowed car on the road is to change the road.”

He tells us the study the town ran that measured over 8,000 and found a majority of drivers were speeding, and while the 90mph driver was an outlier, it only takes an outlier at those speeds to create a fatal crash in a school zone.

“That is the person who cannot speed if there is a traffic circle, to get them to change behavior,” he said.

Roche tells us they have heard from community leaders who are in support of the project, and hopes to hear even more feedback during a November 14th public hearing scheduled to discuss the circle.