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Safe System | September 2021
E 116th Street and Hazel Dell Parkway, Carmel, Indiana
Source: City of Carmel, Indiana
E Carmel Drive and Keystone Parkway, Carmel, Indiana
Photo Source: City of Carmel, Indiana
“Over the last 20 plus years, roundabout construction has become institutionalized in the city. The success of the program in improving safety and mobility for all road users has encouraged adjacent communities to construct more roundabouts resulting in a much safer regional roadway network.”
- Jerry Kashman, Carmel City Engineer
Intersection traffic crashes in Carmel, Indiana were a major concern. Roadway corridors were historically designed to optimize traffic flow allowing for high speeds and limited travelling accommodations for bicyclists and pedestrians.
Determined to improve safety for all roadway users and reduce emissions, Carmel converted more than 120 intersections to roundabouts through multi-departmental collaboration and use of various funding sources between 1996 and 2019. Today Carmel is constructing its 140th roundabout. This policy change in intersection design stemmed from an influential roundabout champion—the City’s mayor, Jim Brainard. Led by the Mayor, the city developed products to educate and facilitate communication among all stakeholder groups. A comprehensive outreach program was developed which included informational postcards, video animations of future corridors, branded project websites, and community meetings.
Led by the strong support of the Mayor, the City successfully gained the public’s support for roundabout projects. Carmel has noted a 70 percent decrease in injury crashes per capita throughout the city’s roadway network since the program began. Improved traffic safety has translated to safer conditions for road cyclists and pedestrians. In recent years, roundabouts received additional improvements by retrofitting them to accommodate pedestrians and allow children to walk safely to school in urban areas. The City Engineer’s office determined that roundabouts were significantly lower cost to build than signalized intersections and saved more than $5,000 per year in electricity costs. Fewer cars idling resulted in an environmental benefit as well with lower emissions. As the City has done in the past, Carmel will be celebrating its success with roundabouts during National Roundabouts Week later this month. Roundabouts are one of the proven safety countermeasures that embraces a Safe System Approach, encouraging safe speeds to reduce fatalities and serious injury crashes.
Read the “How Carmel, Indiana Uses Innovative Media to Shape Public Perception of Roundabouts” study.
Learn more about roundabouts and other proven safety countermeasures.
RSPCB Program Point of Contact
Felix Delgado, FHWA Office of Safety
Felix.Delgado@dot.gov
FHWA Office of Safety
Staff and Primary Work Responsibilities
FHWA Office of Safety
Safety and Design Team
FHWA Resource Center
