Neighbourhood Traffic Circles

Neighbourhood traffic circles are installed at the intersections of local streets within residential areas. Neighbourhood traffic circles are intended to keep the speed to a minimum and increase safety at minor intersection crossings. Vehicles and cyclists entering the roundabout must yield to pedestrians crossing the crosswalk and circulating traffic.

Application/Considerations/Outcomes

• Applicable on roads with less than 1,500 vehicles per day and should be avoided at intersections with high pedestrian volumes
• Appropriate for local and collector street intersections
• Include marked crosswalks to clarify where pedestrians are crossing
• Provide yield control for motor vehicles
• Provide about 5 metres of clearance from the corner to the widest point on the circle
• In case landscaping is planned – sightlines should be respected
• Shared lane markings or intersection crossing markings should be used to guide cyclists through the intersection
• Crosswalks should be marked to clarify pedestrian crossing points and that they have priority
• Approximately 4.5m of clearance from the corner to the widest point on the circle should be provided to reduce traffic speeds
• Restricted access for trucks and longer school buses
• Resulted in reductions in speeds of up to 12 km/h (Source: U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration)
• Automobile accidents have been reduced by 94% (Source: Mundell, J., n.d.)

Image sources: NACTO, City of Vaughan