Roundabouts: an increasing occurrence in Minnesota. Perhaps you’ve seen them in increasing amounts on you way home from campus on a long week, or maybe, you’re like me and dread the stop light alternative. Expect to see more of them because they aren’t going away anytime soon.

At the time of their introduction to the state in 2002, roundabouts were more of a fad or experiment by transportation agencies; however, now, they are here to stay. In fact, every year, more roundabouts are increasingly constructed, but what is the reason for roundabouts other than annoying drivers with an additional inconvenience after a long day at work or a trip back home to see their family?

Not so shockingly, roundabouts do serve a valid purpose. The first American roundabouts were constructed near Las Vegas in 1990 to help serve the rapid population growth in the area. As in this case, roundabouts are often implemented because of their versatility. They do a good job at servicing a large variety of traffic flow quantities. Essentially, a roundabout can be constructed for a reasonable cost in a low traffic flow area and still adequately fit the needs of the community after quite a bit of growth.

While drivers do lose some time slowing down for the curve, many save time by not having to wait for a red signal to turn green, even when there is no cross traffic, which can be even more frustrating for drivers.

In contrast, a traffic signal requires further studies and analysis from professionals to determine the red and green times for every approach to the intersection, often at different hours of the day. 4-way stop signs also do not have physical deterrent from speeding through the intersection like roundabouts have. This just makes the roundabout a very robust solution to many intersections in the state; although, this is not even what drives the construction of so many roundabouts.

Many engineers turn to roundabouts to replace existing intersections that have a high fatality index from car crashes. According to highways.gov, This is because roundabouts have been shown to reduce fatalities by up to 90%. Furthermore, pedestrian access is up to 70% safer. This is the main reason why we see roundabouts
popping up everywhere. They force drivers to slow down and pay attention to their surroundings.

From the design perspective, roundabouts also eliminate right angle crashes, one of the deadliest crash types that exist. This is because the approach geometry of each leg of the roundabout causes any crashes to occur at a less harsh angle, which causes a less severe impact on the occupants. When it comes to pedestrian safety, when proper signage is used, pedestrians can be easily recognized when crossing, and, due to the nature of the design, pedestrians only cross one direction of traffic in a single span. This allows the pedestrians to have more time to react to vehicles that are not paying attention. Additionally, some cities are promoting driver awareness about roundabouts and how to navigate them like the City of Edina, which has 10 roundabouts of various sizes according to Kare11. This will only make the safety of roundabouts further increase.

Ben Shreve, University of Minnesota Civil Engineering student stated that “Roundabouts have proven themselves time and time again. Because if their consistency to perform and safety improves, roundabouts are here to stay.”

The foremost concerrn for transportation engineers and the local government is to protect the safety of the occupants that use the roads. Often, road projects that have a high fatality index are prioritized in funding over projects that potentially have a lower pavement quality or high traffic times.

Between this and its versatile traffic flow capabilities, roundabouts are becoming increasingly more common in the state of Minnesota. With 498 current roundabouts in the state, drivers should expect to see more of these being constructed in low to medium traffic flow streets, especially in areas of high pedestrian foot traffic like most of the surrounding area of campus. So, if you love them or hate them, don’t expect them to go away anytime soon.