Roundabouts

Roundabouts are installed at the intersections of two streets and intended to keep the speed to a minimum and increase safety at intersection crossings. Vehicles and cyclists entering the roundabout must yield to pedestrians crossing the crosswalk and circulating traffic.

Application/Considerations/Outcomes

• Applicable at intersections with higher traffic volumes, including where collector roads meet or where an arterial road intersects a collector
• Larger than neighbourhood traffic circles and can accommodate multiple lanes if needed
• Typically recommends speeds between 25-50 km/h
• Can accommodate larger volumes of traffic than neighbourhood traffic circles
• Include marked crosswalks to clarify where pedestrians are crossing
• Provide yield control for motor vehicles
• Larger design allows for additional landscaping and/or pedestrian treatments (e.g., crosswalk cut through centre)
• Where landscaping is added, materials should be selected to maintain sightlines
• Roundabouts have an excellent safety record, with a comprehensive review of over 200 roundabouts in Minnesota showing an 86% reduction in fatal crashes at intersections where roundabouts are installed. (A Study of the Traffic Safety at Roundabouts in Minnesota, 2021)

Image sources: WSP, New York City Street Design Manual