By: Claire Collins
Ring-around-the-Rosie has become a traffic reality on University Avenue in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Getting stuck behind a long line of vehicles at a red light while trying to get coffee before work on a Monday morning is the last thing Cedar Falls wanted their community members to experience. Roundabouts are a growing trend, and Cedar Falls decided to jump on board with the change.
“A roundabout is a type of circular intersection that have been proven safer and more efficient than any other types of circular intersections” according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. A roundabout eliminates all traffic signals or stop signs, creating a circular traffic motion yielding at an entry to the circle and providing an easy access exit to the drivers desired street. Modern-day roundabouts are designed to reduce speeds to 15-20 mph, also reducing the likelihood of t-bone or head-on collisions.
