We commend the Farmville Town Council for taking the first step in answering the question of whether or not a roundabout should replace the existing traffic layout at Oak Street, High Street and Griffin Boulevard.

Moreso, we commend town leadership for making community involvement such a big part of the study.

People who live on or directly off High, Oak or Griffin, or those who travel through the intersection have a variety of feelings about whether the intersection should be realigned or replaced with the Longwood University-proposed roundabout. We urge those residents and motorists to keep open minds, seek out independent factual research and become involved in the town-commissioned study, which Longwood graciously agreed to pay for half of.

According to the agreed-to scope of work, the public will be heavily involved in the study, with an initial public meeting slated for early February, according to a letter from the firm to Town Manager Gerald Spates, and a community meeting to “present the results, collect and respond to comments obtained at the meeting and document all public input in a technical memorandum.”

It’s of the utmost importance that those who live in Farmville, and those who use the intersection, to become involved in this most appropriate process.

Watching plans unfold and a decision made, then deciding to interject an uneducated opinion is not the right thing to do. The right thing to do is to become educated, weigh the pros and the cons of either project, then speak out and weigh in. Don’t let emotions dictate the traffic pattern at that intersection.

“One of the key things I think is important in that scope is that we have (an) initial public meeting to hear from the public and all the parties involved,” said Spates.

We agree with him in that it’s key for those affected and interested to become involved.

The town council has afforded the opportunity for the public to do so, as it should have. Now it’s time to take advantage of it.