Texas Strategic Highway Safety Plan

Intersection Safety

Intersection crashes are the second most common type of crash in Texas.

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Countermeasure: Roundabouts
Roundabouts Action Plan
Description

Construct roundabouts and create an outreach program to educate the public and public officials about roundabout advantages and safety benefits.

Steps For Implementation
  1. Identify stakeholders (TxDOT, local agencies, DPS, and the Department of Motor Vehicles [DMV]).
  2. Develop training, design, and construction.
  3. Provide designers/planners with education about roundabout application and design. This includes making agencies aware of the free FHWA peer review program. Fund roundabout design/application training through webinars; the Fort Worth, Dallas, and Atlanta Districts have received this training. Expand it through the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) or other methods. Provide training at TxDOT Short Course and Texas District of the Institute of Transportation Engineers (TexITE) meetings.
  4. Adopt/implement the ICE process as part of project planning. The process can look at all intersection control strategies and not just roundabouts.
  5. Identify sources for construction funding.
  6. Design and construct roundabouts by identifying locations based on safety performance; incorporate roundabouts in the capital improvements program; design; and construct.
  7. Implement an education and outreach program.
  8. Provide documentation of how roundabouts can result in the wide nodes/narrow roads concept, which may defer or eliminate the need for bridges or road widening.
  9. Ensure roundabout information included in the Texas driver’s manual is up to date and covers both single-lane and multi-lane roundabouts.
  10. Include roundabout questions on the driver’s license exam.
  11. Provide driver training facilities and online driver education programs with roundabout information.
  12. Create a public service announcement on roundabouts for use across the state.
  13. Document successful roundabout implementations across the state so agencies can share with their local appointed and elected officials.
Participating Organizations

TxDOT’s Design Division and Traffic Operations Division, districts, city and county agencies, TexITE, FHWA, Texas Trucking Association, and TEEX

Effectiveness
*****
Cost to Implement
$$$$$
Time to Implement
Short
Medium
Long
Barriers
  • Overcoming the inertia of not using roundabouts.
  • Overcoming public perceptions.
  • Identifying and securing a champion.
  • Obtaining sufficient and sustained funding to build roundabouts.