PennDOT: PA roundabouts are reducing crashes

A study by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) shows crashes have decreased in 19 roundabouts, also known as rotaries.

PennDOT reviewed police crash data from the roundabouts from between 2000 and 2018, and found fatalities, injuries, and crashes decreased overall. 

“We are glad to promote the use of roundabouts throughout the commonwealth,” said PennDOT Secretary Leslie S. Richards said. “The facts speak for themselves. Roundabouts save lives and reduce crash severity over standard stop or signal-controlled intersections.” 

The transportation department made sure that each roundabout had three or more years of data to analyze, and chose intersections that were previously stopped or signal-controlled. 

According to a press release, the numbers show that: 

•   Fatalities were reduced (from 2 to 0)

•   Suspected Serious Injuries were reduced by 90 percent (from 10 to 1)

•   Suspected Minor Injuries were reduced by 79 percent (from 24 to 5)

•   Possible/Unknown Severity Injuries were reduced by 81 percent (from 70 to 13)

•   Property Damage Only crashes increased by 10 percent (from 69 to 76)

•   Total number of crashes decreased by 34 percent (from 138 to 91) 

Additionally, penndot.gov reports that roundabouts typically carry about 30 percent more vehicles than similarly sized signalized intersections during peak flow conditions.

Roundabouts are commonly installed to handle safety issues as well as helping the flow of traffic in an area. They also help increase pedestrian mobility. 

In addition to the 19 rotaries that met PennDOT’s criteria, 29 others have been built on state routes and 40 more are currently in design. 

The 19 roundabouts included in this study are as follows, according to PennDOT: 

•   Allegheny County – Route 3070 (Ewing Rd.) & Business 376 Ramp, opened in 2011;

•   Beaver County – Route 0068 (Adams St.), Route 1034 (Brighton Ave.) and Route 6018 (Brighton Ave./Rhode Island Ave.), opened in 2011;

•   Bucks County – Route 2043 (Trevose Rd.) & Somerton Rd., opened in 2012;

•   Butler County – Route 3024 (Glen Eden Rd.) & Powell Rd. & Freshcorn Rd., opened in 2015;

•   Chester County – Route 0082 (Doe Run Rd.) & Unionville Rd., opened in 2005;

•   Chester County – Route 0052 (Lenape Rd.) & S. Wawaset Rd.  & Lenape Unionville Rd., opened in 2014;

•   Cumberland County – Route 0034 (Spring Rd.), Route 1007 (Sunnyside Dr.) & Mountain Rd., opened in 2014;

•   Dauphin County – Route 0039 (Linglestown Rd.) and Route 3019 (Mountain Rd.), opened in 2011; 

•   Delaware County – Route 1023 (N. Newtown St.) and Route 1046 (St. Davids Rd.), opened in 2008;

•   Delaware County – Route 0320 (Chester Rd.) & Rutgers Ave. & Fieldhouse Ln., opened in 2014;

•   Erie County – Route 0019 (High St.) and Route 0097, opened in 2014;

•   Luzerne County – I-81 Exit 178 (three roundabouts) – Route 0315 (Airport Rd.) & Williams St./Ramp, Route 0315 & Ramps & Terminal Rd. & Navy Way Rd. and Williams St. & Ramp, opened in 2015;

•   Montgomery County – Route 0029 (Gravel Pike) and Route 0073 (Big Rd.), opened in 2009;

•   Washington County – Route 0519 (two connected roundabouts) – Route 0519 & Brownlee Rd. and Route 0519 & Thompson Eighty Four Rd., opened in 2015;

•   York County – Route 0116 (Main St.) & Hanover St. & Roths Church Rd., opened in 2007;

•   York County – Route 0074 (Delta Rd.) & Bryansville Rd., opened in 2008.