‘ROUND AND ‘ROUND WITH ROUNDABOUTS with John Guzze, PE
Maybe you’ve heard of a roundabout. Maybe you’ve heard of a traffic circle. Maybe you’ve heard of a rotary. Maybe you’re just wondering why sometimes traffic lanes make you drive in a circle instead of straight line or corners.
Today we talked with John Guzze, PE, Senior Transportation Engineer to find out why roundabouts are so popular and why he likes designing them so much.
Q: So, what exactly is a “roundabout”?
A: A roundabout is technically an intersection, just one that is formed around a circle. There will always be a center island in a roundabout. Unlike a standard intersection, in a roundabout, traffic only flows in one direction.
Q: What makes a roundabout different from a traffic circle or a rotary?
A: Modern roundabouts are generally smaller than traditional traffic circles and rotaries, which means that their marked speeds are also reduced. Traffic circles (of which there are many less than there used to be) required that vehicles already within the circle grant right-of-way to incoming vehicles. Roundabouts follow the “yield-at-entry� rule, which means that cars coming into the roundabout must wait for an appropriate space in which to enter. Rotaries typically have multiple lanes to encourage weaving to get to your exit point, and those lanes are either not striped or have dashed lines to allow drivers to change lanes. Roundabouts are relatively newer (a lot of rotaries were designed in mid-1900s) and focus on driver safety and lower speeds.
Q: Have you designed a roundabout?
A: Actually, I’ve helped design more than one! In New Britain, CT, I was part of the Phase IV Streetscape Design Team, which improved safety at the Bank Street and Columbus Boulevard Intersection.
A few others that are currently in the design phase are two roundabouts in Avon, CT at their Avon Village Center area; a double roundabout in Bloomfield, CT as part of their Town Green Revitalization Project (which will provide connectivity to Filley Park);
a new roundabout in Springfield, MA at the Six Corners intersection (currently under construction); in Windsor Locks, CT as part of a complete downtown revitalization project; one in New London, CT on Jefferson Avenue and Chester Street; and in Stamford, CT on Greenwich Avenue. And I’m working on a few more that are in the conceptual phase right now! CLICK THE PLAY ARROW TO WATCH A COOL VIDEO RENDERING OF A ROUNDABOUT IN ACTION!
Q: What do you like about designing roundabouts?
A: I like that I know I’m improving safety. Slower speeds and making traffic flow in one direction both contribute to driver safety. I like the analysis that goes into designing them, but I also just think they look really interesting and modern. And the space in the middle can be designed for art or signage or something the city or town finds interesting. This adds a fun element to the design that isn’t normally part of road design.
John Guzze, PE is a Senior Transportation Engineer in Fuss & O’Neill’s Manchester, CT headquarters. He has experience in roadway and streetscape design, roundabouts, off-street parking facilities, bikeway facilities, detour and maintenance and protection of traffic designs, and intersection improvements. He is also the proud parent of Mia, a beautiful 4-year old German Shepherd.