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Traffic Incidents Decrease at Roundabouts, PennDOT Says
The roundabout in Romansville, Chester County PA, opened in 2017

Roundabouts Decrease Traffic Incidents, PennDOT Reports

HARRISBURG PA – Local roundabouts are among 39 in Pennsylvania where serious traffic incidents decreased overall since their installations, the state reported Monday (Sept. 18, 2023).

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation data from 2003 through 2022 shows that, collectively at the reviewed roundabouts, crashes involving suspected serious injuries were reduced by 24 percent. Additionally, crashes involving suspected non-serious injuries were reduced by 51 percent, and the total number of crashes were reduced by 3 percent.

“The data on roundabouts remains consistent on saving lives and reducing crash severity,” department Secretary Mike Carroll said.

PennDOT recently reviewed data for 36 single-lane and six multi-lane roundabouts on state routes at intersections previously stop- or signal-controlled. Its update to data last released in 2022 now includes an additional seven roundabouts. All locations were selected because they had at least three years of crash data available before and after the roundabouts were built.

Agency’s study included local sites

The list of reviewed intersections includes one in Montgomery County, at

  • Route 29 and Route 73 in Schwenksville, opened in 2009;

Three in Berks County, at

  • Route 222 and Route 662 in Moselem Springs, opened in 2018,
  • Route 73 and Lynx Drive in Oley, opened in 2019, and
  • Route 73 and Oley Road in Oley, opened in 2019;

And three in Chester County, at

  • Doe Run Road and Unionville Road in Unionville, opened in 2005;
  • Route 52, South Wawaset Road and Lenape Unionville Road near Pocopson, opened in 2014; and
  • Route 3062, Romansville Road, and Shadyside Road in Romansville, opened in 2017.

Roundabouts are frequently installed to address intersections with safety issues. They are also commonly installed to improve traffic flow, or for other reasons such as traffic calming, PennDOT added. Their use is recognized by the Pennsylvania State Transportation Innovation Council as a standard practice within the transportation community.

Map graphic from Google Maps
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