Investigating Bicyclist Safety Perceptions and Behaviors at Roundabouts

As roundabouts become increasingly popular, and as many communities promote bicycle use, the safety of roundabouts for people bicycling is of major concern. In this project, the authors studied bicyclists’ safety perceptions of and preferences for roundabouts with different characteristics. First, the authors performed a systematic literature review on bicycle safety at roundabouts, reviewing 49 different resources with empirical findings. Next, the authors developed a 20- minute online questionnaire to collect data from up to 613 U.S. adult bicyclists. The survey presented respondents with hypothetical roundabouts with various controlled design and operational attributes, represented using text and simulated images. The authors then analyzed cyclist preferences from a discrete choice experiment and bicycle perceptions of comfort. Overall, U.S. bicyclists prefer roundabouts with smaller central islands, fewer travel lanes, lower traffic volumes, lower speed limits, and separated bicycle lanes. The most comfortable roundabouts for bicycling had many of the same characteristics. Notably, women and “interested but concerned” cyclists had stronger preferences for separated bicycle lanes. The authors suggest updating U.S. roundabout design guidelines to include “protected roundabouts” allowing these separated bicycle lanes. Considering bicycle preferences and perceived comfort at roundabouts can help encourage cycling for people of all ages and abilities.

• Record URL:
  https://www.ugpti.org/resources/reports/details.php?id=1156
• Record URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/74191
• Summary URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/74192
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This document was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation, University Transportation Centers Program.
• Corporate Authors:

  Utah State University, Logan

  Civil and Environmental Engineering Department
  Logan, UT  United States  84332

  Mountain-Plains Consortium

  North Dakota State University
  Fargo, ND  United States  58108

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Singleton, Patrick
  • Poudel, Niranjan
• Publication Date: 2024-3

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 82p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Behavior; Cyclists; Highway design; Roundabouts; Safety; Stated preferences
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01915490
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: MPC 24-516
• Contract Numbers: MPC-603
• Files: UTC, NTL, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Apr 18 2024 9:47AM