SENIOR CITIZENS

A roundabout is a circular intersection or junction of two or more streets or highways. By design, roundabouts are intended to move traffic more smoothly and consistently with fewer and less severe collisions than other types of intersections. All roundabouts are characterized by special approaches, instructional signage, and a center circle island that often is landscaped. Many roundabouts have “splitter” islands at exits to separate exiting and entering vehicles, pedestrian crossings, sidewalks, and bicycle lanes.

Roundabout traffic moves in a counterclockwise fashion around a center island. Drivers exit at the adjoining street or highway of their choosing. Unlike traditional intersections that control traffic flow with lighted signals or stop signs, roundabouts are yield-only. Unless there are vehicles in the roundabout, drivers approaching the roundabout do not have to stop. In a common four-leg roundabout, a driver making a right turn takes the first exit; the second exit to continue going straight; and the third exit to turn left.

Yes, in many ways, they are. Research shows roundabouts move 30-50 percent more traffic, have far fewer “accident points” (16 compared to 56 for traditional intersections), reduce fatal crashes by 90 percent, save $5,000 per year on average in electricity and maintenance costs, cut vehicle emissions and fuel use, and last 15 years longer than intersections with traffic signals.

According to traffic research studies, it won’t. The National Cooperative Highway Research Program reports that there are 76 percent fewer crashes with injuries on roundabouts compared to traditional intersections. The crashes that do take place on roundabouts usually are sideswipes, not the more severe right-angle “T-bone” crashes.

Occasionally, they do. But almost all collisions that occur in roundabouts are slower-speed sideswipes, not high-speed right-angle “T-bone” crashes more common with traditional intersections. As such, the rare collisions in roundabouts usually result in less severe injuries and property damage compared to traditional intersections.

A number of instructional resources have been and will continue to be developed as the construction timeline moves forward. In addition, a public event will be planned at which drivers of all ages can learn more about roundabouts and even drive a roundabout simulation for practice. Check this project website regularly for more details.

It is doubtful. The reason a roundabout is replacing the existing intersection is that previous two-way and four-way stops, while reducing vehicle crashes, led to traffic backups. When those methods were replaced by a traffic light, fewer backups took place, but crashes increased. Adding more police patrols at the intersection would only take officers away from other important law enforcement duties.

Roundabouts have been proven to improve traffic flow and reduce the number and severity of vehicle crashes.

Taxes will not go up to pay for the roundabout. The funding for this project comes from existing tax money that was brought in by sales and income tax.

Two reasons: the first, and most important, is improving the safety of an intersection that has seen hundreds of crashes over the years. Between 2016 and 2018, there were nine incapacitating crashes, two others with less serious injuries, and 25 with property damage only.Two highway safety rating indices place the intersection at a 2.74 for crash frequency and 2.85 for crash cost. Intersections rated “safe” come in at 1.0 or lower on both indices.

Second, traffic flow and volume will increase. Since there are no mandatory stops other than waiting to enter, roundabouts keep traffic moving. Studies also show that vehicle capacity in roundabouts is 30-50 percent higher than traditional intersections. Moreover, roundabouts are becoming a fact of everyday life in both urban and rural America, their number multiplying almost 600% from 2007 to 2023.

The project is still in the design phase, but the single-lane, four-leg roundabout will allow vehicles access to both east-west travel on Indiana 64 and north-south travel on Indiana 162, as the intersection is now. Because the roundabout is in a rural area heavily traveled by trucks, farm machinery, and other large vehicles, the dimensions likely will be larger with other features to allow for easier navigation.

No, it won’t. The Jasper courthouse square is a form of traffic circle, not a roundabout. Traffic circles work opposite of roundabouts. Vehicles traveling around a traffic circle yield to those entering the circle, while vehicles entering a roundabout yield to vehicles already traveling in the roundabout.