The City of Carmel will pay tribute to its historic first roundabout – located at the intersection of Main Street and River Road – during this week’s celebration of National Roundabout Week. The roundabout, which opened 23 years ago on the city’s eastside, will be getting new signage to be unveiled on Wednesday that will honor it as the first of Carmel’s 134 roundabouts (as of today), which is more than any city in America.
Each year, the Federal Highway Administration celebrates National Roundabouts Week during the third week in September. Carmel has been a leader in the construction of roundabouts and the promotion and education of their safety benefits to cities across the nation.
“It is important that we take time each year to celebrate our increasingly safer streets and intersections by paying tribute to roundabouts, which reduce severe crashes by about 80 percent compared to traditional two-way stop-controlled intersections,” Mayor Jim Brainard sai. “We also hope to use this week to educate our residents and visitors on how to navigate roundabouts and stay safe while driving or while crossing them as a pedestrian.”
This year’s events will be downsized in order to keep crowd sizes down and make it possible to follow CDC guidelines on physical distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the federal government, there are more than 4,000 roundabouts in the U.S. today. In just a few short weeks, Carmel will add two more to the list (116th Street at Guilford Road and 116th Street at College Avenue) and plans have been announced to begin construction on three more roundabouts along 111th Street near the Monon Community Center.
The Federal Highway Administration, the Transportation Research Board and the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety encourage transportation agencies to consider roundabouts during new construction and reconstruction projects, as well as for existing intersections that have been identified as needing safety or operational improvements. Roundabouts are an effective safety countermeasure. Click here to check out the FHWA website.
Meanwhile, make sure you follow the city of Carmel Facebook page for daily activities beginning Monday.
Monday, Sept. 21 – Visit Midtown Plaza for special video presentations and trivia questions on the big screen throughout the day. While you’re there, shop for roundabout shirts and other fun stuff from the All Things Carmel booth, which will be set up from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 22 – Visit Midtown Plaza for special video presentations and trivia questions on the big screen throughout the day. You can also shop for roundabout shirts and other fun stuff from the All Things Carmel booth, which will return and be set up from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Sept. 23 – The City will pay tribute to the first roundabout built in Carmel by unveiling a special new sign. Homeowners from the surrounding neighborhood at Main Street and River Road will be invited to join in a small gathering near the clubhouse located just northwest of the roundabout. The event will begin at 6 p.m. and will be streamed live on the City’s Facebook and YouTube pages.
Thursday, Sept. 24 – Bike, walk or run to the roundabout nearest you and take a selfie on the path/sidewalk with the art in the background. Share your photos on social media and tag #NationalRoundaboutsWeek for your chance to win a gift card to a local business in Carmel. Download the Bike Carmel app on Google Play or Apple Store to find the best route to one of the following roundabouts nearest you:
- East: 116th and Hazel Dell
- South: 96th and Westfield
- Midtown: Pennsylvania and Old Meridian
- West: Jackson Circle in the Village of West Clay
Friday, Sept. 25 – Show your Roundabout Pride by wearing your roundabout shirt to school, work or during your virtual meetings on this special end of the week celebration. Snap a photo and share on social media with #NationalRoundaboutsWeek for your chance to win a gift card to a local Carmel business.
All week long – Follow the City of Carmel on social media for roundabout trivia and your chance to win special gifts and prizes local Carmel business. Don’t forget to use #NationalRoundaboutsWeek when posting and sharing.
Without a light or a stop sign to manage traffic flow, a roundabout is a challenge for pedestrians. In a vehicle approaching a roundabout, a driver looks left for oncoming traffic. A pedestrian on their right is at their mercy. There are a lot of careful, courteous drivers, but there are also too many with other things on their minds. Installation of on-demand push-button flashers at busy intersections would seem worthwhile to not just celebrate roundabouts, but to show leadership in their implementation.