City transportation staff presented alternatives this week for the five‑leg intersection at Last Chance Gulch — ranging from modest pedestrian improvements to a full modern roundabout — and the commission agreed to continue the roundabout design while staff returns with funding options.

The presentation, led by Transportation Director Drew Kanopy and consultants, contrasted the current all‑way stop configuration with a reconfigured all‑way stop that adds refuge islands and a full roundabout. The consultant’s pedestrian analysis estimated the existing stop‑controlled layout has 24 pedestrian and 32 vehicular conflict points, while a roundabout would reduce those counts to nine each, a change staff said would lower the risk of severe collisions.

“Roundabouts reduce conflict points and slow traffic so that crashes are less severe,” Kanopy said during the briefing. He also cited studies summarized by the consultant showing reductions in injuries and fatalities associated with well‑designed roundabouts.

The tradeoff is cost and construction complexity. Staff reported the city has already authorized and paid amendments totaling $286,624 for preliminary design work. The consultant placed the pedestrian‑improvement option at about $1.1 million (approximately $1.4 million when construction contingencies, mobilization and testing are included). Converting to a full modern roundabout would require additional grading, drainage work and new approaches; staff estimated an incremental $2.0 million in today’s dollars to convert the improved intersection to a roundabout and later provided a full‑roundabout construction estimate of roughly $3.4 million (about $4.1 million once project administration and contingencies are included).

Commissioners split on whether to prioritize long‑term safety or near‑term budget constraints. One commissioner said the $2.5‑to‑$3 million difference “is a pretty big chunk of money” given other city needs. Another noted that cost escalation means delaying the project could make it substantially more expensive in the future.

Public commenters and several business stakeholders weighed in from both sides. Julie Gustafson of the Parking Advisory Committee and downtown business owners expressed support for investments that improve safety and wayfinding downtown; several residents, including parents and cyclists, urged caution, saying roundabouts can be unfamiliar and potentially less safe for pedestrians and people with disabilities unless additional measures — like rapid‑flashing beacons — are installed.

Kanopy told commissioners the city’s contract already covers roundabout design work and that staff could amend the scope to pursue the pedestrian‑improvement package on a faster timeline if the commission preferred that option. He said the project would require state review because the intersection is on an urban route and that staff would phase construction to limit downtown impacts.

The commission did not adopt a final budget or schedule at the meeting. Instead, members gave staff a nod to continue the roundabout design under the existing contract and asked that funding options, phasing plans and additional public outreach be returned to the commission before construction authorization.

Next steps: staff will bring back refined cost estimates, funding scenarios and a recommended phasing plan for commission review before any construction contract is put to bid.