MyWHaT

Roundabout Resource Page

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The Roundie Love Continues

Graphic by USA Today introducing the modern roundabout and what is and what it isn't.

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It’s amazing how much attention a simple traffic device can garner! The modern roundabout continues to be a story, not only locally, but nationally. The U.S.A. today is the most recent high profile publication to cover it with this story by Mike Chalmers titled, ‘States embrace roundabouts for intersections‘

It’s a fairly standard story; it gives the talking points about safety and mentions that they tend to be unpopular where proposed, and loved after installed. The reader comments are also predictable, ranging from the “I hate them” to the “Why is this a story? They work. Learn how to drive people.”

The article quotes a 2007 study by the National Cooperative Highway Research Program of the National Academies that confirmed previous studies on the increased safety of roundabouts. Stating:

“Converting a traditional intersection to a roundabout led on average to a 35% drop in crashes and a 76% drop in fatal or serious injury crashes.“

The NCHRP study (pdf) had a particular focus on modern roundabouts in the United States in order to highlight national cultural and context specifics.

Roundabouts are still on the table in Traverse City and will be for the foreseeable future. Division Street is being modeled this summer and the city will know more details for that corridor by August.

The MyWHaT roundabout resource page continues to be populated with links to further information, including a map of where the roundabouts can be found in Michigan. If you’re on a road trip downstate, swing through a roundabout.

Please peruse the resources and leave a comment if you have a question or something to add.

The goal: informed consent.