By: Glenn Schulz
“I think it was a big waste of money. They should have added parking spots instead of adding a circle.” Jennifer Busch, a 20-year-old sophomore from Sicklerville, New Jersey, who is majoring in human services, shared her thoughts on the new circle that was completed by Camden County College this past semester. Busch also stated while drawing an eight with her finger, “It’s weirder than a circle. It’s like an eight.” Busch added that she tries to avoid the circle. “I have only been on there twice. That’s how much I don’t like it.”
The circle was constructed as part of a construction project that would eventually connect it with Route 42.
Busch is not the only student who expressed feelings about the circle. Veronica Rogers, a 21-year-old sophomore from Collingswood, New Jersey, who is majoring in education, stated, “People don’t yield at the yield sign. They should make that a stop sign.” According to Rogers, the yield sign causes people to “slam on the brakes.” While driving the circle, Rogers had a near collision. “We were both going at the same time. We were about to hit, but I slammed on my brakes.” The near accident has Rogers thinking that the college should get rid of the circle. Rogers said, “They should [get rid of the circle]. I don’t like circles. There should not be circles. People drive crazy driving in circles.”
Sam Metallo, a 21-year-old sophomore from Gibbsboro, New Jersey, who is majoring in communications, expressed her issues about the circle. She stated, “They [the circles] are so small. You have to drive really slow around it. It slows traffic.” Metallo added, “When you are coming off 42, [Route 42] they have no signs at all explaining the lanes to make it understandable for the driver. Everyone accidentally goes onto campus.” Metallo also added, “The state has spent so much money to remove our existing circles. It is very dumb.”
Not everyone has an issue with the roundabout. Brittany Burgo, a 20-year-old freshman from Sicklerville, New Jersey, who is majoring in psychology, stated, “I feel safe when I drive the circle. I have not had any accidents. I just yield, then go, then yield again, and before I know it I am in the parking lot.” Burgo believes that the reason she feels safe when driving the circle is because, “I have an 8 a.m. class. There is not much traffic, and I do not find the circle confusing.”
This comment comes almost two years after this article was posted and the construction being discussed has fully been completely. While the two circles were confusing to many students at the time of this article, there are now a total of five, redundantly unnecessary roundabouts around the campus. I have included a Google Earth map to show their locations. I agree with this article in that many of the students on campus are unaware of how to properly navigate through the circles. Traffic circles like these are seemingly only found in New Jersey and the state has made it a prerogative to remove them on major thoroughfares. This is largely because they serve contrary to their intended purpose and greatly impede the flow of traffic. This is especially true on the CCC campus. I personally feel that these circles are money well wasted. Rather than the school focusing on things such as… oh maybe… education., they are worried about the superficial aesthetics.