AMHERST — Advocates for pedestrian, bicyclist and vehicular safety are suggesting that a proposal to build four roundabouts on South East Street — to accommodate the influx of traffic associated with the new elementary school under construction and an affordable housing development at the former East Street School — be sent back to the drawing board.

At a joint meeting Thursday of the Town Services and Outreach Committee, Transportation Advisory Committee, and Disability Access Advisory Committee, the four-roundabout plan for the section of road between Main Street and Route 9 came under criticism for focusing on maintaining traffic flow rather than the safety of walkers and bicyclists.

Disability Access Committee Chairwoman Myra Ross said she can’t overestimate the level of concern she has for pedestrians and bicyclists under the plan, and that people with disabilities can’t cross roundabouts safely when vehicles are never required to stop.

“This is a huge, huge problem, and it seems like perhaps there may need to be changes internal to the site that will mitigate some of the concerns with traffic,” Ross said. “The people who need to cross, who need electronic controls, don’t have any safe way to get through this intersection in any direction.”

The three committees received a presentation from Melody Butler, an engineer with CDM Smith of Boston, who said the company was contracted to provide the Town Council a conceptual plan in July, titled “Fort River Elementary School Traffic Engineering Services.” That plan shows one roundabout at the intersection of Main, North East and South East streets; another just to the south at the main public entrance to the new school; a third at the bus entrance to the school; and the fourth at the intersection of South East and College streets.

Butler explained that since the school circulation plan changed, with buses using only the southern end and with parents and faculty using the northern end, the northern end would get bogged down due to cars lining up at Main Street. The challenge is how to enter and exit the north driveway without creating more backups, understanding there is a lot of conflict in this zone.

Even if a signalized intersection could be placed near a roundabout, this would cause congestion at adjacent roundabouts, Butler said.

Department of Public Works Superintendent Guilford Mooring said there are challenges having the new 575-student, K-5 school at the Fort River site, with students at the current Wildwood School also coming there. Mooring said his first recommendation was not to build the school there, and the second was to move the driveway into the middle, though that would have required the town buying a house or getting an easement through a private property.

Mooring said the plans are also limited by not wanting to take much of the green between South East Street and East Street.

“One of the constraints is to keep it the way it is,” Mooring said.

CDM Smith’s plan is based on intersection analysis and traffic counts, as well as information gathered from the installation of a new traffic light at the entrance to Fort River School. The idea of the plan is to both slow traffic and provide better safety.

Transportation Committee Chairwoman Tracy Zafian said roundabouts are safer than signalized intersections overall, with very few fatalities. “But I do see that there could be challenges, particularly when you’re looking at commuter traffic, convincing cars to yield and stop long enough to let younger students cross,” Zafian said.

Possibly using a peanut, or a modified roundabout, and possibly taking some of the common were suggested as potential changes.

District 3 Councilor George Ryan, who serves on the council committee, said he doesn’t want to throw the baby out with the bathwater. “I don’t like the idea of starting all over, I like the idea of trying to reduce this to at least three (roundabouts), rather than four,” Ryan said.

District 5 Councilor Bob Hegner said there is a likelihood that many drivers won’t stop for pedestrians at the roundabouts, even with signs in place.

Zafian said she would like to see an option with a dedicated red light, guaranteeing that vehicles will be stopping, not just yielding, perhaps to be activated during peak times.

Transportation Committee member Christine Lindstrom said crossing guards will have to be layered into the budget to provide an essential service.

Steinberg, who chairs the Town Services committee, said the proposal is complex to address challenges for traffic near the new elementary school when it opens. He said there will be a community engagement process commencing in the new year before any decisions or recommendations are made.

“This is not a short process and there is no decision to be made tonight,” Steinberg said. “This is really a learning opportunity.”

“If we think of it as a traffic problem, it is one thing,” Ross said. “If you think of it as a gestalt that has to involve people walking, people riding bikes, people driving cars, it would be more understandable, though I don’t know how it would less anxiety inducing. It’s really quite the problem to solve.”

Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.