Designing roundabouts with pedestrians and cyclists in mind
At a glance
The way we think and plan for new road systems and rehabilitating existing roadways has dramatically changed over the years. With climate change happening right before our eyes, municipalities have campaigned to get people out of their vehicles to walk or bike to their destination. To do this, our road systems need to adjust to make mobility through our communities safer for cyclists and pedestrians.
Across North America, we have seen more and more roundabouts planned and constructed, but how do we incorporate active transportation into these systems safely? With proper design considerations, vehicles, people and cyclists can co-exist in roundabout infrastructure wonderfully!
In Lafayette, California, a roundabout project was implemented to relieve congestion and help meet their Vision Zero goals of eliminating fatal road accidents. In designing the Lafayette project, there were numerous design considerations as well as many site specific factors to take into account, such as;
- The transition for cyclists from the bicycle lane across a right turn lane and into the through/left lane
- Connectivity to the existing trail system on the northwest side
- Considerations for utilities and right of way
- Speed control for vehicles on the exits, and more.
Roundabout design is a complex and iterative balancing act. A minor shift in the geometric layout, striping or signing could impact many other factors like yielding driver behaviour, vehicle speeds and more. All of these elements play an essential role in safe operations for cyclists and pedestrians. One small change could make the difference between a roundabout where bicycles, pedestrians and cars operate seamlessly and one where cyclists or pedestrians do not feel comfortable using it. When the right balance is achieved, all users can use the roundabout smoothly and safely - check out the project video, showing live bicycle and pedestrian considerations and how they interact with vehicles.
What works well at one roundabout, might not at another – it is all about understanding and adapting the design based on the context of the roundabout and its users.
In Rocklin, CA., our team designed another roundabout that safely accommodated all users, which converted two adjacent intersections into roundabouts that were located near a school, fire station, and shopping center, additionally we had to consider a busy transit route. This project needed to accommodate school-aged children, frequent emergency vehicles, transit and school buses, as well as experienced and non-experienced cyclists.
Here are some of the top things to think about when incorporating cyclists and pedestrians into your roundabout design:
When designing roundabouts, we also need to consider vehicle operations and driver behavior when deciding where to place crosswalks and bicycle ramps at all potential conflict locations. Between vehicles and pedestrians, vehicles and bicycles, and pedestrians and bicycles, these considerations ensure safe passage for all involved and lower the risk of injury and accidents. Creating a design that accommodates all of these considerations and provides the safest and most efficient design for all roundabout users takes a professional roundabout engineer with multifaceted knowledge and expertise.
GHD’s transportation team is equipped to efficiently and effectively provide customized, context-sensitive roundabout designs for all levels of cyclists and pedestrians while not compromising vehicle operations and accessibility. Their experience ensures that each roundabout helps our clients to meet not only their multimodal goals but also their Vision Zero goals by providing safe accommodations for all roadway users.
For more information about the safety of roundabouts for pedestrians and cyclist, contact Lindsey Van Parys or visit the Federal Highway Association website.