Roundabouts are appearing in more communities around Wisconsin. Traffic safety studies show that roundabouts compare well with traditional intersections, resulting in fewer crashes and less severe crashes with fewer serious injuries and fatalities.
The design of a roundabout forces vehicles to slow down, reducing the severity of crashes. The shape of a roundabout basically eliminates the head-on crashes and "T-bone" crashes that occur at traditional intersections, too often resulting in serious injuries and fatalities. Drivers of any age have no difficulty negotiating a roundabout after driving through one the first time or two.
A recently built roundabout on U.S. 18 and Bennett Road in Dodgeville, where the speed limit on U.S. 18 is 55 mph, has seen fewer and less serious crashes than the intersection it replaced, according to Craig Hardy, the Iowa County highway commissioner. Hardy said driver comments include that the roundabout forces all vehicles to slow down, vehicles have less of a wait than with a stop-light intersection, and there is a definite decline in the amount of and seriousness of accidents and injuries.
A brochure by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation reports that roundabouts often are less expensive to construct than a signalized intersection, and roundabouts usually are less expensive to maintain.
In some communities, when a roundabout has been proposed as an alternative to consider, concerns have arisen because the roundabout may take more real estate than a reconstructed intersection. A roundabout may have more impact on nearby businesses, homes and other property improvements.
Fortunately, in Wisconsin we have state laws that require multiple alternative designs to be considered and, thanks to the practice of "community sensitive design," community members have the opportunity to participate in the decision making process on whether a roundabout or a new intersection makes sense for a neighborhood.
Because of safety and cost advantages, roundabouts are proving to be a viable design choice in a growing number of Wisconsin communities. To receive the free DOT brochure on roundabouts, contact me at sen.schultz@legis.wi.gov or call my office at 800-978-8008. The brochure also is available on the web at http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/.
- Sen. Dale Schultz, R-Richland Center, serves a large region of southwest Wisconsin, including Lafayette County.
The design of a roundabout forces vehicles to slow down, reducing the severity of crashes. The shape of a roundabout basically eliminates the head-on crashes and "T-bone" crashes that occur at traditional intersections, too often resulting in serious injuries and fatalities. Drivers of any age have no difficulty negotiating a roundabout after driving through one the first time or two.
A recently built roundabout on U.S. 18 and Bennett Road in Dodgeville, where the speed limit on U.S. 18 is 55 mph, has seen fewer and less serious crashes than the intersection it replaced, according to Craig Hardy, the Iowa County highway commissioner. Hardy said driver comments include that the roundabout forces all vehicles to slow down, vehicles have less of a wait than with a stop-light intersection, and there is a definite decline in the amount of and seriousness of accidents and injuries.
A brochure by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation reports that roundabouts often are less expensive to construct than a signalized intersection, and roundabouts usually are less expensive to maintain.
In some communities, when a roundabout has been proposed as an alternative to consider, concerns have arisen because the roundabout may take more real estate than a reconstructed intersection. A roundabout may have more impact on nearby businesses, homes and other property improvements.
Fortunately, in Wisconsin we have state laws that require multiple alternative designs to be considered and, thanks to the practice of "community sensitive design," community members have the opportunity to participate in the decision making process on whether a roundabout or a new intersection makes sense for a neighborhood.
Because of safety and cost advantages, roundabouts are proving to be a viable design choice in a growing number of Wisconsin communities. To receive the free DOT brochure on roundabouts, contact me at sen.schultz@legis.wi.gov or call my office at 800-978-8008. The brochure also is available on the web at http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/.
- Sen. Dale Schultz, R-Richland Center, serves a large region of southwest Wisconsin, including Lafayette County.
