Roundabouts: An Informational Guide – Second Edition (2010)

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Appendix B Page B-1 Roundabouts: An Informational Guide APPENDIX B USER EDUCATION CONTENTS B.1 USING A ROUNDABOUT AS A DRIVER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-3 B.1.1 General Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-3 B.1.2 Special Considerations for Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-4 B.2 USING A ROUNDABOUT AS A PEDESTRIAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-5 B.3 USING A ROUNDABOUT AS A CYCLIST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-6 B.4 REFERENCES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-6

Roundabouts: An Informational Guide Page B-2 Appendix B LIST OF EXHIBITS Exhibit B-1 Vehicular Movements at a Roundabout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-4

Appendix B Page B-3 Roundabouts: An Informational Guide B.1 USING A ROUNDABOUT AS A DRIVER B.1.1 GENERAL PROCEDURE • Select the appropriate lane for your intended destination before you enter the roundabout: – Turning right: Unless posted otherwise, use only the right-hand lane if there are multiple approach lanes. Use your right-turn signal. See Exhibit B-1(a). – Going straight ahead: Unless posted otherwise, you may use any lane to go through. Do not use any turn signals on approach. See Exhibit B-1(b). – Turning left or making a U-turn: Unless posted otherwise, use the left-hand lane if there are multiple approach lanes. Use your left-turn signal. See Exhibit B-1(c). • Reduce your speed. • Keep to the right of the splitter island. • Watch for bicyclists merging into the roadway from a bicycle lane or shoulder. Bicyclists making left turns may be merging over to the leftmost entry lane. • Watch for and yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk or waiting to cross. • Move up to the yield line and wait for an acceptable gap in traffic. Do not enter next to someone already in the roundabout, as that vehicle may be exiting at the next exit. • Within the roundabout, you do not have to stop except to avoid a collision; you have the right-of-way over entering traffic. Always keep to the right of the central island, and travel in a counterclockwise direction. • Maintain your position relative to other vehicles. Stay to the inside if you entered from the left lane, or stay to the outside if you entered from the right lane. Do not overtake other vehicles or bicyclists when in the roundabout. • When you have passed the last exit before the one you want, use your right-turn signal and continue to use your right-turn signal through your exit. Maintain a slow speed. • Watch for and yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk or waiting to cross.

Roundabouts: An Informational Guide Page B-4 Appendix B B.1.2 SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR DRIVERS • Motorcyclists and cyclists: Give them plenty of room. Bicyclists may merge into the approach lanes from a bicycle lane or shoulder. Bicyclists may mistakenly keep to the right on the roundabout; in this case, be aware of their position as you exit the roundabout. It is best to treat bicyclists as other vehicles and not pass them while on the circulatory roadway. Well- designed, low-speed, single-lane roundabouts should not present much difficulty to bicyclists. Keep in mind that drivers should be traveling at about 15–20 miles per hour, close to the speed of bicycles. • Motorcyclists should not ride across the mountable truck apron next to the central island, if present. • Large vehicles (as a driver near a large vehicle): Do not overtake large vehicles (for example, trucks and buses). Large vehicles may have to swing wide on the approach or within the roundabout. Watch for their turn signals Exhibit B-1 Vehicular Movements at a Roundabout (a) Turning right (b) Going straight through (c) Turning left Source: Kansas Roundabout Guide (1)

Appendix B Page B-5 Roundabouts: An Informational Guide and give them plenty of room, especially since they may obscure other conflicting users. • Large vehicles (as a driver of a large vehicle): You may need to use the full width of the roadway, including mountable aprons if provided. Be careful of all other users of the roundabout. Prior to entering the roundabout, you may need to occupy both lanes. Signal your intentions well in advance, and satisfy yourself that other users are aware of you and are giving you consideration. • Emergency vehicles: Do not enter a roundabout when an emergency vehicle is approaching on another leg. This will allow traffic within the round- about to clear in front of the emergency vehicle. When an emergency vehicle is approaching, be sure to proceed beyond the splitter island of your approach leg to ensure the emergency vehicle has adequate room to turn and exit the roundabout at any approach. B.2 USING A ROUNDABOUT AS A PEDESTRIAN Pedestrians have the right-of-way within crosswalks at a roundabout; how- ever, pedestrians must not suddenly leave a curb or other safe waiting place and walk into the path of a vehicle if it is so close that it is an immediate hazard. Identifying gaps in the appropriate time to enter can be problematic for pedestri- ans who are blind or have low vision. Specific education beyond these general instructions may need to be provided for pedestrians with vision impairments to use the minimal information provided for them. • Do not cross the circulatory roadway to the central island. Walk around the perimeter of the roundabout. • Cross only at the designated crosswalks. If there is no crosswalk marked on a leg of the roundabout, cross the leg about one vehicle- length away [20 ft (6 m)] from the circulatory roadway of the roundabout. • Look to the left and listen for approaching traffic. Choose a safe time to cross from the curb ramp to the opening in the raised median between the entry and exit lanes. Although drivers are required to yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk, if approaching vehicles are present it is prudent to first satisfy yourself that conflicting vehicles have recognized your presence and right to cross through visual or audible cues, such as vehicle decelera- tion or driver communication. If a vehicle slows for you to cross, be sure that any vehicles in adjacent lanes have done likewise before crossing into the next lane. • Most roundabouts provide a raised median island halfway across the roadway; wait in the opening provided and use the techniques described above to look to the right and choose a safe time to cross the second half of the roadway.

Roundabouts: An Informational Guide Page B-6 Appendix B B.3 USING A ROUNDABOUT AS A CYCLIST At most roundabouts you have the option of traveling through the round- about like other vehicles or traveling through like a pedestrian: • Like other vehicles: If you are comfortable riding in traffic, ride through the roundabout in the same manner as other vehicles. Obey all of the driv- ing instructions provided for drivers. On the approach to the roundabout, you should merge out of any bicycle lane or shoulder into the roundabout entry lane, in line with other vehicles. When making a left turn at a multi- lane roundabout, you will need to merge into the left lane with other left-turning vehicles. Right-turning cyclists may keep to the right side of the entry lane; others should be near the center of the lane. When circulat- ing, watch out for entering vehicles as some entering drivers may not notice bicyclists because they are inappropriately focused on larger vehi- cles. Watch out for large vehicles on the roundabout, as they need more space to maneuver. It may be safer to wait until they have cleared the roundabout. If you do not feel comfortable “taking the lane,” then your best solution is to travel through the roundabout like a pedestrian. • Travel like a pedestrian: If you are uncomfortable riding in traffic, dis- mount and exit the approach lane and move to the sidewalk. At some roundabouts, special bicycle ramps are provided to allow bicyclists to exit the roadway to the sidewalk. In some places, it is illegal to ride your bicy- cle on the sidewalk; in this case, once on the sidewalk, you should walk your bicycle like a pedestrian. Where it is legal to ride on the sidewalk, you should yield to pedestrians and take extreme care when crossing the exit and entry roadways in the crosswalk. Even where it is legal to ride in crosswalks, it is best to dismount and walk your bike across. Motorists do not expect fast-moving bicyclists in crosswalks. If a ramp is provided to re-enter the roadway, you should verify that it is safe to do so before traveling down the ramp. B.4 REFERENCES 1. Kittelson & Associates, Inc., and TranSystems Corporation. Kansas Roundabout Guide: A Supplement to FHWA’s Roundabouts: An Informational Guide. Kansas Department of Transportation, Topeka, Kansas, 2003.