MALTA — Residents are upset with plans to build two new roundabouts on Round Lake Road, but the head of the committee making the recommendation said they are the safest option.

More than 200 people signed petitions opposing the rotaries at Chango Road and where Rhule and Raylinski roads connect to Round Lake Road. Both are near Exit 11 on the Northway.

"It's a huge issue with regard to safety for children getting through the area and crossing the street," said Tim Downey, a 22-year resident of the town. "They talk about moving traffic because of the industry that has moved in, but they don't talk about safety."

One roundabout would be at the road leading to Chango Elementary School. A senior living center and shopping plaza with a Hannaford supermarket is at that corner.

"A traffic light will stop traffic so you can cross that road," Downey said. "Where there are roundabouts or rotaries, the traffic doesn't stop."

Maggi Ruisi, a Town Board member and chairwoman of the committee recommending the roundabouts, said pedestrian safety is a top concern.

The proposal calls for a median along the road between the two roundabouts, she said. Crosswalks would be set far back so pedestrians would not cross by the roundabout, she said.

"We looked at a lot of different options," Ruisi said. "These are proven safer for pedestrians."

Supervisor Paul Sausville said a final decision has not been made.

"There are pros and cons to the roundabout solution," he said. "Roundabouts are not the only solution to transportation problems. They seem to be working elsewhere in town."

The Town Board likely will discuss the proposal at 7 p.m. Monday at Town Hall, but Sausville said a public hearing will be held at a future session. The board must then decide to accept or alter the recommendations, and a preliminary design would be done. Another public hearing likely would follow, he said.

Round Lake Road is owned by Saratoga County, but county officials said they did not have money to upgrade the intersections, Sausville said. The town received a federal highway grant to cover 80 percent of the $4.75 million cost.

Round Lake Road residents Murray and Kathleen Eitzmann signed the petition in opposition.

"We are at a rural residential exit that has a grade school," he said. "The roundabouts, unfortunately, they don't slow traffic. They are not conducive to a residential school exit."

Last year, the Times Union studied accident data at every roundabout built in the Capital Region where a previous intersection existed.

Crashes increased at 15 of the 20, with fender benders even more likely to rise, sometimes dramatically, at two-lane rotaries. Accidents dropped at all the single-lane roundabouts built by the state, but rose at almost all those built by counties and towns. The severity of the crashes diminished.

"I don't think it's unreasonable to expect you will see similar results here," resident Tony Tvarkunas said.

In Malta, the roundabout at Route 9, Route 67 and Dunning Street went from an average of 7.8 crashes a year before the rotary to 45.7 a year afterward.

Ruisi said that is a two-lane roundabout, which she agreed is treacherous to cross.

"These are single-lane roundabouts," she said. "These are not the roundabouts at Exit 12. They don't compare to the double-lane roundabouts you see on Route 9."

By setting the crosswalks back and placing a median in the road, pedestrians would cross a single lane at a time, she said.

"There have been several studies done here and in Europe," Ruisi said. "The farther back the crosswalk is placed, the safer it is."

Ruisi said traffic is legally required to stop for pedestrians in crosswalks.

But Tvarkunas replied: "It's my experience people are not very good about yielding to pedestrians in crosswalks."

All parties agree the explosive growth of homes and businesses in the area requires action.

"There is definitely something that needs to be done with the intersections," Tvarkunas said. "The area has grown, and the intersections have not kept up with that growth."

tobrien@timesunion.com • 518-454-5092 • @timobrientu