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news
Dutch-style roundabout, Cambridge (picture via Cambridgeshire County Council)Work starts on UK's first truly Dutch-style roundabout next month
Work to construct what is set to be the UK’s first truly “Dutch-style” roundabout is due to start next month in Cambridge.
The roundabout will be located at the junction of Queen Edith’s Way and Fendon Road close to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in the south of the city.
With a cycle path running around the outside, picked out in the same red as is used on the city’s segregated cycleways, and zebra crossings at each exit, the roundabout prioritises cyclists and pedestrians over motorists.
According to Cambridgeshire County Council, the roundabout will cost £800,000, of which £550,000 is being met by the Department for Transport, and it is scheduled to be completed by next April.
Councillor Ian Bates, chair of the Cambridgeshire County Council’s economy and environment committee, said: “Safety is at the forefront of all our cycling scheme projects and our aim is to encourage more people to cycle more often, more safely and support healthy communities.
“The Dutch-style roundabout design for Fendon Road and Queen Edith’s Way in Cambridge will seek to improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians in a number of ways.
“One of the key elements is a change in carriageway width, designed to change behaviour so that drivers will travel more slowly through the junction.
“Although there will be disruption in the local area while work is taking place, the long term benefits will mirror those at the nearby Perne Road, Radegund Road roundabout – the re-design of that roundabout included aspects of a Dutch-style roundabout and has proved to be a highly successful scheme, which has drastically reduced reported cycle collisions at that location.”
There have been several roundabouts here that have been described by local authorities as “Dutch-style” but which in fact do not meet the design standards that apply in the Netherlands – including one in
One, at Queen’s Circus in Battersea, South London, was criticised as “hugely complicated” when it was
> Cool reception for "hugely complicated" London segregated roundabout
Since then, two vulnerable road users – an e-scooter rider last month and a cyclist a year earlier – have been killed there, both in collisions in which a lorry was involved.
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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17 comments
Less about the indicating, it's the not properly looking to their right (where traffic already on the roundabout is coming from) when entering the roundabout that gets me. Unfortunately several, very violent and painful times.
UK drivers haven't got their head around normal roundabouts yet. I reckon about 5% of drivers here indicate properly.
At the risk of sounding like one of our transatlantic cousins... why do we have such an obsession with roundabouts? At major road junctions, especially outside towns, fine, have the priority fluid, let traffic flow.
But in urban areas I can't help thinking that they're not the right answer. Is it so the council gardeners have somewhere to plant a load of daffodils? Otherwise, creating 'a fiendishly complicated roundabout with crossings immediately before the entry and exit' - vehicles could reasonably be stopped three separate times to cross even a minor junction - just creates congestion which is bad for the air quality and starting/stopping unnecessarily wastes energy.
What's wrong with a simple crossroads, controlled by traffic lights, with parallel cycle lanes? You can set the cycle lanes as having priority until a vehicle appears and 'requests' green, like a pelican crossing, which subtly makes the point that you'd rather people used the cycle lane. Less road works, less coloured paint needed, wider lanes because of fewer tight corners so safer for everyone and more accessible to non-standard bikes.
That roundabout is on my commute to work. Guess I'll find out how much priority drivers give. It's not *that* bad now for me, but I wouldn't be very happy to take my 10yo daughter on it, which I guess is the whole point. (If we have to go that way together, I take us on a detour to avoid it.)
Could not agree more with those who point out that this will not work in Britain, because drivers in this country are not properly punished for endangering others.
Across Blackheath in south east London, there are several shared paths which crisscross the actual roads. It was almost impossible to cross these paths as a cyclist or a pedestrian before, especially in rush hour as the flow of cars, lorries and motorcycles is almost constant.
So they put in a couple of zebra crossings, which - you've guessed it - are also ignored. I make a point of forcing them to stop, but the sound of horns being sounded and threats being shouted, is making me wonder if it's a wise strategy.
Exhibit One…
https://anonfile.com/Z4M9Dd24nc/networkrail_png
I'm in the Netherlands, and the planned roundabout seems to miss a vital element: clear signs on the road for drivers to show that cyclists on the roundabout have way. Painting a lane red isn't good enough...
I attached a drawing of a Dutch roundabout: the little triangle-shaped signs show that you have to give way. Works well here.
Rotondes.png
The concept drawing does have the UK equivalent 'give way' markings - a double row of dashed lines with a large white triangle. (Whether anyone will actually pay attention to them is another question.)
In the UK, the row of little triangles shown on the Dutch drawing would indicate a raised surface. Which wouldn't necessarily be such a bad idea, but probably isn't part of the design.
Or they could have saved a shit ton of money and closed one side of the existing road off to motors which is safer as no conflicts.
In this country this will not work to increase safety only increase conflict and as I'll say yet again is the leading cause of deaths of people on bikes in the Netherlands. if 60 and more are being killed at these types of junctions/conflict with motorists in arguably the worlds safest cycling country I can bet you a pound to a penny it'll happen here only worse.
There are 4 lanes of traffic conflicting if one wants to make a second exit turn, also the crossing is not far enough away from the roundabout so a bus (as per the picture) will block the roundabout to other motor traffic, not thought this through very well!
Good
We aren't concerned about how easy it will be for motors, we are concerned about vulnerable road users safety aren't we?
Might get a few more people out of motors if they get much slower
No, not good, because it means that buses, HGVs, long wheelbase vans etc are LESS likely to stop knowing that their arse end is hanging out over the rbt!
I'm concerned for the safety of the people using the cycle lane not the actual consideration of the motorists hence why if you'd bothered to read I siuggested actually taking half the road away which is a cheapr, quicker and safer solution for safe, accessible cycling and also slows motors down even more and does more to get people out of motors!
You simply waded right in without actually considering for one split second why not having enough space for a large arse motor to stop/give way and not block the lane is a bad idea with respect to the actual safety of the vulnerable road users and that also in Netherlands this is precisely where they have most deaths!
Cyclists in the Netherlands rarely get killed by bad road design, they're killed by intoxicated drivers...
There is a certain amount of distortion in the photo, but it looks to me as though that bus has room to stop at the crossing without blocking the roundabout.
Also, I'm assuming this is the existing junction that includes "aspects" of 'Dutch' design, since it isn't continuous across all the arms. Hopefully the designers will take any shortcomings from that and improve on them for the new junction.
This is a positive development. I think most drivers will respect the priority arrangements, and those that drive the route regularly will get used to it.
If anyone insists on grumbling, I'll give them a balloon and piece of cake to cheer them up.
It may be only a local initiative and yes, some motorists won't understand it, but hey, it's progress so lap it up!
Have to agree with srchar here, look at the stuff said concerning the filming of motorists not giving way when crossing a painted cycle lane recently.
The odd Manchester traffic light controlled cyclops design looks safer. TRaffic lights can be camera enforced. It's suprising how effective that particular sign is.
300px-UK_Cams_Sign1.jpg
Unfortunately, many motorists will prioritise themselves over cyclists and pedestrians, regardless of what's painted on the road. I expect this will see a lot of conflict.
Still, glad this sort of thing is now being built in the UK.
srchar is right, and no amount of paint on the road is going to change that. Until such time as failing to observe the rights of others is properly punished things, won't change much in this country. Might it right is too ingrained on our roads.