This study assisted the City of Rogers with planning its next bond issue program and updating the city&rsquo;s Master Street and Trail Plan. The study included a thorough review of previous planning documents, interviews with city departments and other organizations, tabulation of an unconstrained list of potential city infrastructure projects, ranking and prioritization for the next bond issue, and planning the logical and smooth sequence of infrastructure program development over a six-year period. &nbsp;
The study included management of a traffic engineering subconsultant to analyze existing and projected traffic volumes and patterns. Also included was an update to the city&rsquo;s Master Street and Trail Plan with an emphasis on reinstituting a city street grid and connecting isolated neighborhoods to increase the efficiency of traffic flow in the city.

Learn about Crafton Tull's work on Rogers Infrastructure Study.

Crafton Tull | Rogers Infrastructure Study

[X] Rogers Infrastructure Study

Education

Awards

P.E.

As Vice President of Municipal Development for the Infrastructure Division, Bill Burnett manages the Crafton Tull Civil Engineering department in Rogers. He also serves as a Project Manager and lead engineer on the majority of the public works projects performed in the office.
Bill has extensive experience guiding our municipal clients through the planning, design, and construction phases of public works projects, including roadways, water distribution systems, sewer collection systems, and storm water infrastructure.
Bill is known by area City Engineers for his sound judgment, thorough designs, and ability to meet demanding costs and schedules.&nbsp;
FUN FACT: Bill Burnett rode his 2012 Harley Davidson Electra Glide Ultra Classic to Sturgis, South Dakota for the annual rally in 2012. He also performs his own bike modifications.

Learn more about Bill Burnett and his role and experience at Crafton Tull.

Crafton Tull | Bill Burnett

As Vice President of Municipal Development for the Infrastructure Division, Bill Burnett manages the Crafton Tull Civil Engineering department in Rogers. He also serves as a Project Manager and lead engineer on the majority of the public works projects performed in the office.
Bill has extensive experience guiding our municipal clients through the planning, design, and construction phases of public works projects, including roadways, water distribution systems, sewer collection systems, bike and trail projects, and stormwater infrastructure. He is known by area City Engineers for his sound judgment, thorough designs, and ability to meet demanding costs and schedules.

Roundabouts have steadily emerged across our nation in recent years and have even become the new norm for many of our communities. The numerous benefits of roundabouts, including continuous traffic flow and decreased severity in crashes, are undeniable.&nbsp; However, there are also some poorly designed examples that showcase why it is crucial to design and construct roundabouts in an exceedingly prudent manner.&nbsp; This holds true, not only for vehicular considerations, but also for pedestrian safety.
There are some misconceptions that roundabouts pose a greater danger to pedestrians than traditional intersections with traffic signal or stop sign control. &nbsp;Roundabouts are a proven way to increase safety and efficiency for all those sharing the road &ndash; including pedestrians. &nbsp;Federal Highway Administration and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety studies have shown that properly designed roundabouts result in as much as a 40 percent reduction in pedestrian collisions along with other significant improvements in safety over more traditional intersections.
<img src="https://api.www.craftontull.com/media/uploads/insights/pedestrian_friendly_roundabouts/pedestrian_friendly_roundabouts_crafton_tull_engineering.webp" alt="Pedestrian friendly roundabout design" width="1000" height="667" />

A proper roundabout design is critical and must consider vehicles and pedestrians equally for a well-balanced solution that provides ample capacity, reduced delay, and increased safety for everyone.&nbsp; Unfortunately, pedestrian considerations are sometimes given a lower priority and are often treated as more of an afterthought rather than an integral component of the design. &nbsp;Below are some guidelines for designing and building a pedestrian friendly roundabout:

<div class="row customLists">
<ol>
<li>
SPEED REDUCTION
Design the roundabout approach curves to progressively reduce vehicular speeds prior to entry.&nbsp; Slower speeds at or below 20 mph are much safer and enable pedestrians to find gaps in traffic to safely cross and encourage vehicles to yield to them as they step up to the crosswalk.
</li>
<li>
CENTRAL ISLAND
Place earth fill and architectural features in the central island to make it visible to approaching drivers.&nbsp; A raised central island prevents drivers from seeing all the way through to the other side of the roundabout and encourages them to slow down to negotiate the turns.&nbsp; This places the driver&rsquo;s focus and attention back to the near side crosswalk rather than looking further ahead through the roundabout.
</li>
<li>
SPLITTER ISLANDS
Provide refuge for pedestrians within the splitter islands of sufficient width to accommodate the length of bicycles.&nbsp; The refuge island allows pedestrian and bicycle users to look left first at oncoming traffic, then look right after reaching the island. Negotiating traffic one direction at a time reduces the user stress levels, which can lead to a safer outcome. Raised splitter islands with low landscaping or architectural features can encourage reduced vehicle speeds and make pedestrians feel safer while in the island as long as the low elements don&rsquo;t block visibility.
</li>
<li>
LIGHTING
Install roadway luminaires in the appropriate locations on the approach side of each crosswalk. &nbsp;This ensures that pedestrians are illuminated from the approaching driver&rsquo;s point of view.&nbsp; Lights installed on the opposite side of the crosswalk will illuminate the wrong side of pedestrians, causing them appear as shadows from the approaching driver&rsquo;s view.
</li>
<li>
CROSSWALKS
Follow FHWA guidelines on placement of crosswalks to allow for one car length or approximately 25 feet from the edge of the circulatory roadway.&nbsp; Vehicle speeds are relatively slow in these locations.&nbsp; Consider raised &ldquo;speed table&rdquo; type crosswalks that offer more visibility along with slower speeds that can encourage vehicles to yield to the pedestrians. Speed tables also reduce the need for ADA curb cuts allowing wheelchairs and bicycles to continue through the crossing at sidewalk level.
</li>
<li>
PEDESTRIAN CHANNELIZATION
Consider adding pedestrian channelization features such as railings, bollard-and-chain barriers, landscaping, planters, or other architectural elements.&nbsp; Such features will guide pedestrians to the appropriate crosswalk locations where scattered or random crossing movements become problematic.
</li>
<li>
STRIPING + SIGNAGE
Place crosswalk striping and accompanying signs in such a manner as to maximize their visibility to drivers.&nbsp; Consider high-contrast colored and patterned pavement treatments to provide additional visibility for the crosswalks.&nbsp; Advanced warning signs should also be placed to alert drivers they are approaching a roundabout and encourage speed reduction.&nbsp; Striping and signage are absolutely critical to the function of roundabouts and should be refreshed on a regular basis.
</li>
<li>
ADDITIONAL PEDESTRIAN WARNING TREATMENTS&nbsp;
Consider additional signage and signals in areas of heavier pedestrian movements.&nbsp; Such treatments could range from simple flashing beacons, to pedestrian activated devices such as LED edge lit signs, Rectangular Rapid Flash Beacons, or embedded pavement lights, to full-fledged pedestrian hybrid beacons or &ldquo;HAWK&rdquo; signals.&nbsp; If possible, extremely heavy pedestrian volumes should be re-routed away from a roundabout via a tunnel or bridge.
</li>
<li>
PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT + AWARENESS&nbsp;
It is no secret to those in the industry that roundabouts can be a hot-button issue. One way to allay community concerns is to keep residents in the loop through public outreach via the city&rsquo;s website, social media, and press releases. The FHWA compiled a&nbsp;<a href="https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/intersection/innovative/roundabouts/roundabouttoolbox/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Roundabouts Outreach &amp; Education Toolbox</a>&nbsp;to help cities and towns gain support for roundabouts, including animated videos.&nbsp;
</li>
</ol>
</div>
Cities across the U.S. are seeing the benefits of implementing roundabouts into their transportation networks. As municipal engineers manage the design and construction of these types of transportation nodes, ample consideration should also be given to pedestrian safety using the guidelines above.

Roundabouts are a proven way to increase safety and efficiency for all those sharing the road - including pedestrians.

Bill's Work

Learn about Crafton Tull's work on Magnolia Street + Bridge.

Crafton Tull | Magnolia Street + Bridge

Learn about Crafton Tull's work on Runway Bike Park Pump Track.

Crafton Tull | Runway Bike Park Pump Track

P.E., LEED AP

Learn more about Matt Crafton and his role and experience at Crafton Tull.

Crafton Tull | Matt Crafton

Matt Crafton is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Crafton Tull.&nbsp; After graduating from the United States Air Force Academy, Matt started his career as a civil engineer in the U.S. Air Force, where he managed the design and construction of many projects for Air Force missions around the world, serving in both Operation DESERT STORM and Operation RESTORE HOPE (Somalia).&nbsp;
In 1998, he transitioned to the Air Force Reserve and came to the company his father, Bob Crafton, co-founded. In his early years with Crafton Tull, Matt managed several large highway design projects and rose to the position of Chief Operating Officer before the Crafton Tull Board of Directors appointed him to the position of CEO in 2009. Today Matt oversees the operations of Crafton Tull&rsquo;s nine offices and provides quality control on a variety of engineering projects.
He holds Professional Engineer licenses in seven states, is a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Accredited Professional, the past president of the American Council of Engineering Companies of Arkansas, past chapter president of the Arkansas Society of Professional Engineers, and past chairman of the Rogers-Lowell Chamber of Commerce. He is a deacon at First Baptist Church of Rogers, serves on several local nonprofit boards, and retired from the Air Force Reserve at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He and his wife, Kristi, have four children.

One of my interests outside of work is coaching my son&rsquo;s travel baseball team. He and his teammates are passionate about the sport, so the other coaches and I really enjoy the time helping the boys improve their skills and learn the game. We try to keep the actual travel to a reasonable amount, but we do get to see different ballparks in our region.&nbsp; It has been interesting to see communities make investments that replace ordinary ballparks with attractions that draw visitors from outside of their town. From firsthand experience, the quality of the park itself is a leading factor when teams consider where to play tournaments.

In September of 2017, a Time Magazine cover article quoted statistics from WinterGreen Research, a private firm tracking the economics of youth sports over a ten-year period. The report showed a 15 billion dollar market with a rate of growth averaging 7 percent per year. A different report published in 2013 by the National Center for Charitable Statistics estimated out of town tournaments accounted for 27 percent of family travel.
Both studies found the industry to be remarkably resistant to recession. In fact, revenue from sports tourism is a proven boon to the economies that host athletes and their families.
Brad Lacy, president of the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce in Arkansas, has seen the positive impact youth sports can have on a city&rsquo;s economy. &ldquo;In trying to be realistic and deliberate about our opportunities for economic development, youth sports became the mechanism through which we built a destination spot,&rdquo; he said. The City of Conway constructed a five-field softball park called City of Colleges Park in 2009 and a nine-field baseball park called Conway Station Park in 2011. Both of these parks are among the best of their kind in the central United States. Both are exceptionally maintained and feature covered bleachers, air-conditioned restroom and concession facilities, and fields built to appropriate dimensions for youth sports.
Large-scale tournaments pump money into a city&rsquo;s local economy through the hotel and restaurant industries, but also in less apparent sectors. For example, anyone who has traveled to an out of town tournament can attest to the amount of downtime involved. During their free time, families go to the movies, shop, or attend a local event. It is not uncommon to see groups decked out in uniforms and team colors around town throughout the year.
<img src="https://api.www.craftontull.com/media/uploads/insights/sports_parks_as_economic_drivers/sports_parks_economic_drivers_crafton_tull_arkansas.webp" alt="Tourism dollars" width="800" height="551" />

<h2>Factors to consider before a community should invest in a major sports park project</h2>
<div class="row customLists">
<ol>
<li>Before investing in a major park project, consider conducting an economic feasibility study to include conservative estimates for expected revenue and realistic cost estimates for construction and maintenance.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Next, be sure to hire qualified, experienced, licensed professionals to design and construct the park. Brad Lacy addressed the importance of this, saying &ldquo;We build for quality. From the facility&rsquo;s architecture, lighting, seating, etc. This leads to positive experiences and helps us stand out as a destination.&rdquo;</li>
<li>Once your park is constructed, dedicate a qualified staff and a sufficient budget to adequately maintain the park. Immaculately maintained parks improve the experience for the user and leave a lasting impression on visitors, which may lead to repeat tournaments.</li>
<li>Repeat bookings are essential to maximizing the return on your investment. Before allowing a third party to run tournaments at your park, be sure to have a written agreement with them that outlines all the terms of use and ensures they are a good representative of your city. When people feel welcome, safe, and fairly treated, they remember it.</li>
<li>Youth sports have become not only a source of enjoyment for families, but a significant economic benefit for some cities. If your city is considering such an investment, the steps outlined above provide a good starting point in the planning process. The next step is to evaluate the non-sports activities your community offers that cater to families.</li>
</ol>
</div>
&nbsp;

Youth sports have become not only a source of enjoyment for families, but a significant economic benefit for some cities.

Matt's Work

Learn about Crafton Tull's work on The Railyard Bike Park Renovations.

PROJECTS

Rogers Infrastructure Study