Pedestrian Crosswalk Signals at Roundabouts: Where are they Applicable?

The proposed American Disability Act (ADA) Guidelines have recommended that traffic signals be located at all roundabout crosswalks to improve pedestrian safety and to allow for the crossing of the visually impaired. There are many roundabout locations that may warrant a pedestrian signal and this paper shows some recent examples of successful installations and one roundabout location where the pedestrian signal was subsequently removed. Midblock crossing signal warrants are described in the USA and the UK. Many engineers and planners feel that the decision of whether to install pedestrian crosswalk signals at a roundabout should be based on engineering judgment and warrants and should not be mandated by a blanket policy. This paper includes: • Introduction to modern roundabouts; • US Access Board proposed guidelines at roundabouts; • Pedestrian signal thresholds/warrants in Great Britain and the USA; • Examples of roundabouts with pedestrian crosswalk signals; • Mid-block crossings at roundabouts; and