Roundabouts

What is a Roundabout? How to Use a Roundabout

Benefits of a Roundabout Milton Roundabouts For More Information

What is a Roundabout?

A roundabout is an alternative to using traffic lights at intersections. Roundabouts are used throughout the world to reduce crashes, traffic delays, fuel consumption, air pollution, and construction costs. Roundabouts, because of their design and slower speed of vehicles, have also been credited with reducing the number one killer at conventional intersections - the high-speed, head-on or broadside T-bone crash.

Roundabouts are not the best type of intersection in all situations, however when they are utilized there are many benefits.

The information on this page will help you understand how to use a roundabout and the various benefits one brings to the table.

How to Use a Roundabout

Slow down. Obey traffic signs
Yield to pedestrians and bicyclists
Move into the correct lane for the direction you want to travel
Yield to traffic on your left already in the roundabout
Enter the roundabout when there is a safe gap in traffic
Keep your speed low within the roundabout and do not change lanes within the roundabout
As you approach your exit, turn on your right turn signal in front of the splitter island just prior to your exit to indicate your intention to exit.
Yield to pedestrians and bicycles as you exit

Refer to this interactive animation from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation so you can see how a roundabout intersection works.

Benefits of a Roundabout

There are many benefits to using a roundabout rather than conventional intersections. As discussed above, a roundabout can reduce the amount of deadly intersection collisions because of the reduced speed and circular design. It also reduces the need or desire for drivers to speed up in order to make it through a yellow light.

The Statistics:
90% reduction in fatal crashes
76% reduction in injury crashes
30-40% reduction in pedestrian crashes
10% reduction in bicycle crashes

Other benefits include:
1. Reduce delay and improve traffic flow
2. Save money

Refer to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation website for additional information about the benefits of roundabouts.

Roundabouts in Milton

Milton is in the process of welcoming its first roundabouts into the City with the State Highway 59 Realignment that will be completed in 2009.

Click on the map to view a larger map of the plans for the State Highway 59 realignment and for the State Highway 26 bypass that has a timeframe of 2012 to 2014. The bypass will also incorporate the roundabouts developed during the State Highway 59 reallignment.

For More Information

Click here to view more resources from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.