Gwinnett Place Community Improvement District
The Benefits of Roundabouts
This summer, the Gwinnett County Department of Transportation and the Gwinnett Place Community Improvement District (GPCID) will break ground on the area’s first roundabout project located on Venture Drive at Day Drive. The project will be constructed by the Gwinnett Department of Transportation and funded through the 2017 and 2009 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) program, the State Road and Tollway Authority’s Georgia Transportation Infrastructure Bank and the GPCID.
Roundabouts are a type of circular intersection that virtually eliminate right-angle and head-on collisions. Many people believe roundabouts are frustrating and inefficient, but they have proven to increase safety while reducing traffic. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration, one-fourth of all traffic fatalities in the United States are associated with intersections. Roundabouts help to improve safety, decrease congestion, reduce pollution due to fewer stops and harder accelerations, and even save money. The introduction of roundabouts around the country has led to more than a 90 percent reduction in fatalities and a 35 percent reduction in all crashes (U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration). Roundabouts are also safer for bikers and pedestrians when crossing traffic due to reduced motorist speeds.
Still skeptical about roundabouts and think they aren’t safer and more efficient than traditional stoplight intersections? According to a 2017 article by CityLab, previous monitoring of 30 U.S. state’s 300-plus roundabouts revealed that these particular intersections, which were previously traffic-signal controlled, experienced a 38 percent drop in car deaths and injuries.
In 2015, WABE.org published an article that explains the traffic rules of roundabouts, which boil down to two main tips:
- Yield to the drivers already circling when your car approaches the roundabout
- Use your turn signal to alert the driver behind you when you plan to exit the intersection
The Venture Drive at Day Drive roundabout is one of three projects planned to alleviate traffic on Venture Drive. This project is expected to significantly reduce area traffic and collisions, which will provide faster, safer and more efficient routes for commuters and Gwinnett Place residents.
To learn more about upcoming projects, click here.
