Washington State Focuses on Outreach, Illustrates How to Drive a Roundabout

2011PDFBriefFHWA-SA-11-026RoundaboutsOutreachInterchanges and intersectionsTraffic safetyUnited StatesUnited States. Federal Highway Administration. Office of SafetyUnited States. Federal Highway Administration. Office of SafetyWalsh, BrianShaw, JeffreyFederal Highway AdministrationThe Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) faced resistance planning its first roundabouts in 1997 because the concept of "round" intersections was new and unknown to the general public. Aware of the compelling benefits that properly designed modern roundabout intersections offer compared with traditional intersections, the agency hoped to build many of them to increase safety and ease congestion across the State highway network. Through a concerted outreach campaign using public meetings, traffic safety design courses with local municipalities, and print/web outreach, the agency successfully overcame initial resistance to roundabouts. WSDOT has since built more than 200 roundabouts and plans several more as part of the State's continued focus on road user safety and congestion reduction. The agency attributes its success with roundabouts in part to the proactive and effective public outreach program that informed the public of the benefits of these designs, helped build support for them, and taught people how to navigate roundabouts safely and successfully.93