Community enhancement

Roundabouts have been proposed as a part of a community enhancement project and not as a solution to capacity problems. Such projects are often located in commercial and civic districts, as a gateway treatment to convey a change of environment and to encourage traffic to slow down. Traffic volumes are typically well below the thresholds shown in Exhibit 3-1; otherwise, one of the more operationally oriented selection categories would normally be more appropriate.

Roundabouts proposed for community enhancement require minimal analysis as a traffic control device. The main focus of the planning procedure should be to demonstrate that they would not introduce traffic problems that do not exist currently. Particular attention should be given to any complications that would imply either operational or safety problems. The urban compact category may be the most appropriate roundabout for such applications. Exhibit 3-3 provides an example of a roundabout installed primarily for community enhancement.