Roundabouts are often praised for improving traffic flow, reducing severe crashes and enhancing roadway safety. But as communities invest more in active transportation, accessibility and multimodal transportation networks, questions remain about how roundabouts serve people walking, biking, rolling and navigating with disabilities. Are roundabouts truly safer for everyone, or does their success depend on how they are designed?

In this episode, B&N roundabout expert Brian Walsh and active transportation expert Amy Rosepiler explore the balance between traffic operations, pedestrian and bicycle safety, accessibility, and user comfort. Together, they examine the perception that roundabouts are "good for cars but bad for bikes and pedestrians" and discuss how features like raised crosswalks, rapid-flashing beacons (RRFBs), pedestrian hybrid beacons (PHBs), separated bike treatments and lower-speed design can help create safer, more inclusive transportation systems without sacrificing performance.