What is a Modern Roundabout?

The modern roundabout is a one-way, circular intersection, designed to provide safe and effcient traffic flow. Not to be confused with older style traffic circles and rotaries, a modern roundabout utilizes "yield at entry" and special geometry to calm traffic, dramatically reducing injury accidents while improving traffic flow over standard signalized intersections. Delay is reduced due to the smooth flow of vehicles entering the roundabout. Roundabouts are much smaller in size than many of the traffic circles that were built 30-50 years ago.

Safety

The City of Hilliard believes safety is paramount and is committed to investing in solutions for a safer community.

Roundabouts are designed to move traffic through an intersection at a slower speed but steady rate, increasing safety and reducing delays. Two primary design features accomplish this goal:

• Drivers enter the roundabout facing a central island and yield to vehicles within the circulatory roadway, keeping weaving to a minimum
• Roundabout entrances and exits are curved to promote low traffic speeds

In the proposed design, traffic will circulate counterclockwise, passing to the right of a central island. Raised splitter islands will divide the roadway at entrances and exits. These splitters ensure that drivers travel in the intended path and separate opposing traffic. Splitter islands also improve pedestrian safety and provide spaces for aesthetic enhancements.

Studies from around the world show that roundabouts typically reduce crashes by 40-60 percent compared to stop signs and traffic signals. They also reduce injury crashes by 35-80 percent and virtually eliminate incapacitating injury and fatal crashes. Two recent U.S. studies are consistent with these results.