Wenatchee To Build New Roundabout, Offering Instructional Video

The city of Wenatchee has a new video that's meant to boost public awareness and acceptance of roundabouts. 

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The video is being made available as the city looks to build a second roundabout on Crawford Avenue. 

Wenatchee Project Engineer Zachary Horton says they've had some success in easing public resistance to roundabouts. 

"Honestly, we've changed several peoples' opinions who have been against roundabouts," said Horton. "They've even called us to the point and said, 'Ya know I hated these things. But then you brought one to my Neiborhood and you made me a believer.’" 

The city has several mini-roundabouts and will be installing another one at Crawford Avenue and Okanogan Avenue on the southern side of Wenatchee. 

A similar roundabout (photo below) was recently constructed at Crawford and Methow Street, about a quarter mile away. 

Both are on the walking/bicycle route for The River Academy and are also identified as “suggested” or “potential” walking/bicycle routes for Lincoln Elementary School. 

Horton says they look at installing roundabouts when doing so would improve safety, slow vehicles speeds and shorten wait times at stop signs. 

"There's a process we go through, it's called intersection control evaluation," Horton said. "And roundabouts don't always win out, but a lot of the times if the context is appropriate, they are the resolution that rises to the top." 

New roundabouts in Wenatchee are financed by money generated through the carbon cap and invest program in Washington's Climate Commitment Act.  

The city was awarded roughly $2 million for the roundabout at Crawford Avenue and Okanogan Avenue, which was administered through the Safe Routes to School Program.   

The Washington Legislature passed the Climate Commitment Act (CCA) in 2021 which establishes a comprehensive, market-based program to reduce carbon pollution and achieve the greenhouse gas limits set in state law. 

Critics of the law say it's led to a major spike in gas prices statewide. Initiative 2117 on the ballot in the upcoming November general election would repeal carbon cap and invest program. 

If the law is repealed by voters, funding for future roundabout projects like the current one in Wenatchee would likely have to come from a different source.