Roundabouts

Roundabouts are an urban design paradox.  As a pure traffic engineering intersection solution roundabouts generally reduce hazards for motor vehicles and have less delay than traffic lights or priority intersections.  But the traditional roundabout design offers little for cyclists or pedestrians. 

Whilst there is scant statistical data to determine crash trends at intersections within Noosa, data elsewhere often indicates that cyclists are two to three times as likely to be in a crash at a multi-lane roundabout than at an intersection controlled by traffic lights.  The most common roundabout crash type for cyclists involves a motor vehicle entering the roundabout and colliding with a cyclist who is already travelling around the roundabout (generally just over 50% of all cyclist/roundabout crashes fall into this category).  The next most common crash type involves motorists leaving the roundabout, colliding with cyclists who are continuing further around the roundabout carriageway.

The challenge that we have in Noosa is that roundabouts are a feature of the Noosa experience.  They are often landscaped in harmony with the natural environment and are a pleasing architectural street design feature.  Motorists like the free flowing network provided by the multitude of roundabouts.  Anecdotal evidence when speaking with experienced local cyclists suggests that they are relatively comfortable with the free flow of single lane roundabouts, but have serious safety concerns when negotiating multi lane roundabouts.  Pedestrians generally agree that it is difficult to cross the road at intersections controlled by roundabouts. 

Armed with this information, the team at Noosa Council have developed a program of lifting the design parameters of the roundabout into the realm of modern street design by retrofitting existing roundabouts with design features to improve their functionality for cyclists and pedestrians:

  • Where capacity permits multi lane roundabouts will be reduced to single lanes
  • Roundabout design speeds will be reduced to create calmer traffic flows
  • Reducing approach and exit lane widths with the inclusion of pedestrian refuges will reduce pedestrian exposure to vehicles when crossing the road
  • All roundabouts on traffic routes will eventually have marked bicycle lanes on  each leg of the roundabout, these lanes will be coloured green to raise the awareness of motorists and highlight the potential of conflict points.

Further information on the use of roundabouts for motor vehicle drivers can be found at Roundabout Traffic Rules  or for cyclists at Here we go round the Roundabout.  Noosa Council is continuing to research and develop new ideas for improved road user safety at roundabouts further information on this can be found at Ideas and Innovation.