“Pedestrians have a safe crossing (at roundabouts), albeit a very frustrating one because the drivers don’t yield,” said John Hourdos, director of the Minnesota Traffic Observatory at the University of Minnesota, who has conducted studies on roundabouts and pedestrian safety.ĭuring a study published in 2012 that examined pedestrian and bicycle crossings at two roundabouts in Minnesota, Hourdos and his team planned to use the data it collected to study the accidents and near-accidents but was unable to do so because none occurred during the data collection period. On a national scale, however, research has shown that, despite public perception, roundabouts are safe for pedestrians, although they can be less convenient. The city attorney’s office denied a public information request from Current to view information about accidents involving a vehicle and pedestrian or bicyclist, citing the request as a “fishing expedition.” But information on their impact on pedestrians in Carmel is a bit harder to find. “The nature of a roundabout is that cars always have the right-of-way and pedestrians never have a clearly delineated time to cross, so pedestrians are always crossing at the mercy of cars,” said Carmel resident Kate Brandt, who enjoys traveling the city as a pedestrian and bicyclist but has trepidation about crossing roundabouts.Ĭarmel Mayor Jim Brainard has long touted the safety benefits of roundabouts for drivers, which include reducing injury accidents in the city by approximately 80 percent (and reducing accidents overall by approximately 40 percent) and fuel savings achieved by spending less time idling at traffic lights. ![]() That’s left some Carmel residents wondering if it’s possible for a city to promote vehicle efficiency and pedestrian safety at the same time. Carmel has become renowned, in Indiana and beyond, for its 140-plus roundabouts, which have been shown to improve efficiency and safety for drivers compared to signalized intersections.Īt the same time, the city has spent the past several years redeveloping its downtown and Midtown areas and adding pathways elsewhere to encourage more travel by foot and bike.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |