Engineering Professional Programs

Course Faculty: Brian L. Ray, Wade Scarbrough and Lee A. Rodegerdts

Circular intersection forms have been part of the transportation system in the United States for over a century. Their widespread usage decreased after the early 1960's. The advantages of the modern roundabout, including modified and improved design features, have again been recognized, more fully explored, and put to the test in the United States.

The instructor experts for this course will present the findings and guidelines relative to the development and design of the modern roundabout. They will highlight the distinct differences between the older traffic circle and rotary designs and the new design features. They will also address the typical questions of why, where, when and how a roundabout design should be considered as an appropriate intersection solution.

In this course, you will review the planning phase of a roundabout, the operational analysis steps, and detailed design guidelines for roundabouts. The planning phase focuses on where roundabouts should be considered and issues inherent in the design and operation. The operational analysis covers the detailed performance of a roundabout and typical measures of effectiveness, such as capacity, delay, and queues. The design phase includes issues related to size, horizontal and vertical alignment, transit, pedestrians, bicyclists, signing, and striping. You will perform exercises in team settings and apply and discuss the various elements, standards, and features relevant to the development and design of modern roundabouts.

The basis for the course is the FHWA document entitled, Roundabouts: An Informational Guide.

Course Topics

Characteristics of early circular intersections and present-day roundabouts

Roundabout site selection

Roundabout planning

Effectiveness measures for roundabouts

Roundabout design

Who Should Attend

This course is appropriate for transportation planners and traffic engineers responsible for planning, implementation and evaluation of traffic control devices; public officials charged with the evaluation of traffic control alternatives; and planners and urban designers involved in neighborhood and downtown revitalization. 

Continuing Education Units and Professional Development Hours

Course participants will earn 2.1 CEUs/21 PDHs upon successful completion of this course. The CEU is a nationally recognized measure of participation in a noncredit continuing education program that meets established criteria for increasing knowledge and competency.