Dave Ferry

What’s in a name?

I couldn’t have picked a better time to move back to Warren County than at the dawn of “Roundaboutgate.”

Not only am I impressed with the positive changes that have been made in my hometown for over 20 years, but I’m also impressed that we are continuing to strive toward the future.

I’ve seen a few roundabouts about. Some I liked, some I didn’t. Washington D.C. comes to mind as a harrowing experience, but in small New York State towns like Glens Falls, they are downright charming and easy to navigate.

When I heard about the roundabout proposal for Warren, I immediately thought it would be a perfect addition to this town. And based on our Times Observer poll results, I’m not alone. But there seems to be a lot of disagreement that is either based on fact or a simple mistrust of change.

Perhaps it’s the name itself that turns people off.

Warren County doesn’t do things in a ’roundabout’ way. We like to get straight to the point.

It sounds indirect, non-committal…lazy.

Which is exactly the opposite of what a roundabout actually is… With only 8 potential vehicular contact points versus a standard intersection’s 32, it doesn’t get any more direct than that.

Maybe that’s the point. Maybe people want to go out knowing they are four times more likely to get into an accident. Life is hard, why make it easier? Making left-hand turns builds character.

Or maybe it just needs a new name.

Give Street-circle a try. Or if you want to get clever, how about The Asphalt Donut? The Brick Sphere?

Whatever your reason, change always happens whether we like it or not.

At least in this instance, we get to choose.