Accommodating Bicyclists and Pedestrians at Multi-lane Roundabouts

Alta announces the release of the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) report, "Identifying Factors that Determine Bicyclist and Pedestrian-Involved Collision Rates and Bicyclist and Pedestrian Demand at Multi-Lane Roundabouts." Caltrans and local agencies are installing roundabouts on roadways throughout the state of California.  Research indicates that while single-lane roundabouts may benefit bicyclists and pedestrians by slowing traffic, multi-lane roundabouts may significantly increase safety problems for these users, especially those who are disabled.

Alta worked collaboratively with U.C. Berkeley's Safe Transportation Research and Education Center over the course of two years to observe and catalogue interactions between bicyclists, pedestrians and motorists at multi-lane roundabouts in the United States.  The resulting report examines the safety and demand issues for pedestrians and bicyclists at multi-lane roundabouts.The report contains an analysis of biyclcist and pedestrian comfort at multi-lane roundabouts, and design recommendations for building multi-lane roundabouts that better accommodate bicyclists and pedestrians.