PennDOT Celebrates the Success of Roundabouts

Roundabouts are becoming an increasingly used form of technology to replace traditional intersections throughout Pennsylvania. Roundabouts are frequently installed to address intersections with safety issues but may also be installed to improve traffic flow as well as other reasons such as traffic calming, and to facilitate pedestrian mobility. 

Roundabouts are recognized by the Pennsylvania State Transportation Innovation Council (STIC) as an innovation that has become standard practice within the transportation community. The Pennsylvania STIC facilitates the rapid implementation of proven, well-researched and documented state, regional, national and international technologies, tactics, techniques and other innovations that are new to Pennsylvania. 

“We continue to see that Pennsylvania’s roundabouts save lives and reduce crash severity,” said PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian. “While they aren’t the right option in every intersection, we’re pleased that they help to make our roadways safer.” 

PennDOT recently reviewed data for 36 roundabouts on state routes at intersections that were previously stop or signal controlled. These roundabouts were selected based on having at least three years of crash data available before and after the roundabouts were built. This accounts for a total of 387 before years and 220 after years of data.  

Department data from 2002 through 2021 – based on police-submitted crash reports and weighted based on the number of before and after years, but not for increases in traffic volume – shows the following:  

• Suspected serious injuries were reduced by 76%;

• Suspected minor injuries were reduced by 22%;

• Possible/unknown severity injuries werre reduced by 70%; and

• Total number of crashes decreased by 9%.

• Route 68 (Adams Street), Route 1034 (Brighton Avenue) and Route 6018 (Brighton Ave./Rhode Island Ave.), opened in 2011. 
  

• Route 222 and Route 662, opened in 2018.
  

• Route 2043 (Trevose Road) and Somerton Road, opened in 2012; and
  
• Route 213 (Bridgetown Pk./Maple Ave.) and Route 2010 (Bridgetown Pk.), opened in 2016.
  

• Route 3024 (Glen Eden Road), Powell Road and Freshcorn Road, opened in 2015; and
  
• Route 228 and SR 2005 (Saxonburg Blvd.), opened in 2018.
  

• Route 82 (Doe Run Road) and Unionville Road, opened in 2005;
  
• Route 52 (Lenape Road, S. Wawaset Road and Lenape Unionville Road, opened in 2014; and
  
• Route 3062 (Strasburg Road), Romansville Road and Shadyside Road, opened in 2017.
  

• Route 6/19 (Main Street) and Route 198 (South Street), opened in 2017; and
  
• Route 6/19 (Main Street) and Route 198 (Brookhouse Street), opened in 2017.
  

• Route 34 (Spring Road), Route 1007 (Sunnyside Drive) and Mountain Road, opened in 2014; and
  
• Route 2004 (W. Lisburn Road) and Grantham Road, opened in 2018.
  

• Route 39 (Linglestown Road) and Route 3019 (Mountain Road), opened in 2011;
  
• Route 322 (Governor Road) and Homestead Lane, opened in 2016; and
  
• Route 322 (Governor Road) and Meadow Lane, opened in 2016.
  

• Route 1023 (N. Newtown Street) and Route 1046 (St. Davids Road), opened in 2008; and
  
• Route 320 (Chester Road), Rutgers Avenue and Fieldhouse Lane, opened in 2014.
  

• Route 19 (High Street) and Route 97, opened in 2014; and
  
• Route 5 and Route 4016 (Millfair Road), opened in 2018.
  

• I-81 Exit 178, Airport Road interchange, opened in 2015;
  
• Route 2008 (Middle Road) and Espy Street, opened in 2017;
  
• Route 415, Church Street, Lake Street and Main Street, opened in 2018; and
  
• Route 2008 (Middle Road) and Kosciuszko Street, opened in 2018.
  

• Route 718 (Dock Street) and Connelly Blvd., opened in 2018.
  

• I-80 Exit 310 and Route 2028 (Broad Street), opened in 2018.
  

• Route 29 (Gravel Pike) and Route 73 (Big Road), opened in 2009.
  

• Route 4013 (Park Drive) and Route 4015 (Walnut Lane), opened in 2018.
  

• Route 519 and Brownlee Road, and Route 519 and Thomas Eighty-Four Road, opened in 2015; and
  
• I-70 Exit 32 and Route 2040 (Wilson Road), opened in 2018.
  

• Route 116 (Main Street) and Hanover Street and Roths Church Road, opened in 2007; and
  
• Route 74 (Delta Road) and Bryansville Road, opened in 2008.