Manzanita Avenue Roundabout Simulation

Manzanita is a two lane road through an environmentally-sensitive area adjacent to Bidwell Park in Chico, California. Traffic analysis and forecasts indicated that the road would need to be widened to four lanes to provide sufficient congestion relief. In addition to the corridor's environmental sensitivity and recreational uses, physical constraints such as homes and utilities were present.

An analysis was done on a variety of two, three, and four-lane alternatives, including variations on lane widths, turn lanes, and intersection control. All of the traffic operations analyses were conducted using the CORSIM and VISSIM micro-simulation traffic models. The VISSIM model was used specifically to evaluate an alternative containing roundabouts at key intersections. The study concluded that a two-lane roadway with roundabout traffic control at key intersections would provide sufficient capacity; thereby striking a balance between mobility and the environment. Based on this study, the City of Chico is revising their General Plan to maintain Manzanita Avenue as a two-lane roadway.

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