This week two cities in North Texas – Fort Worth and Allen – discussed plans to install new roundabout intersections.
A roundabout is a circular intersection controlled by yield signs, as opposed to traffic signals or stop signs, which has proven to be increasingly with traffic engineers in the Metroplex.
Frisco, just named as the fastest-growing big city in the United States, appears to lead the pack among local cities with roundabouts. There are 43 of them in place already, seven more that are currently under construction and two more that are in the planning stages at this point, according to a city spokesperson.
Fort Worth appears to have the second-most roundabouts in North Texas – there are 29 roundabouts today and more than 20 either in the construction stage or the design process, according to a city official.
The next roundabouts to debut in Fort Worth will be along Park Vista Boulevard in far North Fort Worth, according to a news release.
Three other North Texas cities also chimed in with reports of how many roundabouts they have. Allen has five, Arlington has three and Dallas has two. Each of them has active plans to install more roundabouts in the near future, as well.
Studies have shown that modern roundabouts are the safest of all at-grade intersections.
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“They create slower speeds, fewer conflict points for pedestrians and motorists, and reduced collision angles compared to stop sign or traffic signal control,” the City of Fort Worth notes on a web page dedicated to roundabouts.
That same page cites statistics that claim intersections that have been converted to roundabouts noticed the following results:
• A reduction in collisions of all types of 40 percent.
• A reduction in injury collisions of 75 percent.
• A reduction in fatal and incapacitating collisions of about 90 percent.
