The City of Lincoln, Nebraska, retained MTJ Engineering to complete an in-service design review and provide recommendations to improve the very poor safety record of the roundabout located at the arterial intersection of N. 14th and Superior Streets.
The roundabout opened in 2012 built for traffic volumes in the 2030s. MTJ Roundabout Engineering’s recommendations included easing the complexity of the roundabout by reducing the number of lanes and installing fences to keep drivers from seeing the entire intersection as they enter.
After the recommended modifications were in place, the number of accidents at the multi-lane roundabout dropped dramatically after the city shut off lanes – just four accidents were reported in October 2013 after the changes, down from 17 accidents in the previous month.
Thomas Shafer, design/construction manager for the Public Works and Utilities Department of Lincoln said the city will make future roundabouts “right-sized for the volumes we have, with the ability to expand if the volume increases… We won’t make them bigger than they need to be.”
See the the full Journal Star article here.