Roundabouts may seem intimidating for those who grew up watching Clark Griswold drive past Big Ben and Parliament with his family countless times, unable to get left, in “National Lampoon’s European Vacation.” But don’t believe everything you see in the movies.
Roundabouts are a Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) proven safety countermeasure, reducing severe crashes by an average 82 percent compared with two-way, stop-controlled intersections, and 78 percent compared with signalized intersections.
The FHWA has designated this week (September 22-26) as National Roundabouts Week.
Roundabouts are versatile. They come in all shapes and sizes and can be used in rural, urban and suburban settings. Roundabouts also benefit all road users. They reduce conflict points between vehicles and pedestrians, who have shorter crossing distances while crossing only one direction of travel at a time.
What’s the difference between a roundabout and a traffic circle? Size, speed and traffic control. Most modern roundabouts are a single lane, 110 to 150 feet in diameter, and can handle larger vehicles with a mountable center island. Vehicles tend to travel slower, more consistent speeds (about 15 to 25 MPH). Drivers entering a roundabout are required to yield, keeping inside traffic moving. With no need to change lanes in a one-lane roundabout, there are fewer conflicts between drivers. A traffic circle looks like Route 12 in Flemington, Hunterdon County, pictured on the left, while a roundabout is more along the lines of Colts Neck, Monmouth County, pictured on the right.
Locally, there are 12 roundabouts planned in our region using federal Highway Safety Improvement Program funds under NJTPA’s Local Safety Program, in varying phases of completion:
Under construction
- Ironbound in Newark, Essex County (substantially complete)
- Walnut Street and West Hobart Gap Road in Livingston, Essex County (in the early stages)
Authorized and awaiting start of construction
- Stagecoach Road and Paint Island Spring Road in Millstone, Monmouth County
- New Central Avenue and North Hope Chapel Road in Jackson, Ocean County
Design phase
- Six roundabouts will replace stop-controlled intersections along Stagecoach Road in Millstone and Upper Freehold Township, Monmouth County, using federal funds
- Holmdel Road at North Beers Street and Crape Myrtle Drive in Holmdel
- Siloam Road at Ely Harmony Road in Freehold Township, Monmouth Road at the entrance to the Jackson Outlet Mall
Navigating a roundabout is easy but some people may not be familiar with them and thus a little tentative about them. For motorists, just remember to do what you should do generally when behind the wheel: slow down to allow more time to make a decision, yield to pedestrians and bicyclists, and if there’s more than one lane, use the left lane to turn left and the right lane to turn right, and all lanes to go through unless markings suggest otherwise.
For serious roundabout aficionados, there’s even a Roundabouts Database that aims to map locations of all roundabouts in the U.S.