Community Corner
Data Says Roundabouts Are Quicker, Safer; Woodbury Has Most in State
According to data collected by the Minnesota Department of Transportation, roundabouts reduce fatalities by 90 percent because vehicles are forced to slow down as they approach intersections.
Woodbury is setting trends in Minnesota when it comes to roundabouts. In fact, a Pioneer Press article calls Woodbury the "state champion" of the circular intersections.
According to a St. Paul Pioneer Press article by Bob Shaw, which cites the Minnesota Department of Transportation, roundabouts make intersections much safer by reducing fatalities by 90 percent. Even as the intersection is safer, traffic continues to move and fewer vehicles are forced to queue up waiting for their turn.
Find out what's happening in Woodburywith free, real-time updates from Patch.
"The data show that they are the safest intersections we have," said Ken Johnson, a roundabout expert at MnDOT. ... No one has proved a connection, but fatalities started falling four years ago, which is about when the state's roundabout building binge began. ... Besides safety, the other primary advantage of roundabouts is speed.
During rush hours, MnDOT's Johnson said, cars travel through roundabouts an average of 10 seconds faster. In nonpeak hours, traffic slows only slightly at a roundabout instead of making a full stop at a red light, night or day.
Find out what's happening in Woodburywith free, real-time updates from Patch.
According to the article, Woodbury currently has nine roundabouts with two more planned, and a recent survey shows residents like them.
What do you think of roundabouts? Should other Minnesota communities have more? Tell us in the comments.
