The City of Carmel – with 140 roundabouts (and counting) – will once again join the Federal Highway Administration in celebration of National Roundabouts Week beginning Monday, Sept. 20 and continuing throughout the week with special events and educational outreach.
Highlights include a Roundabout Trivia Night on Tuesday at Midtown Plaza, a ribbon-cutting for the new 140th roundabout on Wednesday, a celebration of the “Homage to Hoagy” roundabout sculpture with the Carmel Symphony Orchestra on Thursday and the week will end with special Bike Carmel Roundabout Rides on Saturday.
Photo provided by City of Carmel
Carmel has more roundabouts than any city in the United States and continues to replace signalized intersections with more roundabouts. The city of about 102,000 has only 15 traffic lights remaining and continues to earn national recognition, such as a study released in August by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety that credits the city’s double-teardrop interchange design over Keystone Parkway and other historically dangerous intersections for an 84 percent reduction in personal injury crashes and a nearly two-thirds drop in all accidents. Carmel is also being highlighted this month by the Federal Highway Administration as a “Roadway Safety Champion” on the federal agency’s website.
“It’s important for us to recognize this week and celebrate the many positive results of our network of roundabouts, most importantly their safety,” said Mayor Jim Brainard, who has led the charge to build roundabouts since the late 1990s. “The average fatality rate in cities across the country is about 14 deaths annually per 100,000 population. In Carmel, that number is two. We know they are safer, they move traffic more efficiently and they are better for the environment because they drastically reduce emissions from vehicles because less time is spent idling in traffic, waiting for a light to change.”
Although roundabouts are still the scene for accidents, most of those result in property damage only. Because of their design, the often-deadly T-bone crashes that are common in intersections, where a driver runs a red light and strikes another car broadside, have been eliminated. Roundabouts force drivers to slow down and yield as they enter the circle at an angle. Federal statistics show that roundabouts lead to 80 percent fewer personal injury accidents and 40 percent fewer accidents of all types.
In addition to the events listed below, please keep an eye on the City of Carmel’s Facebook page for trivia, information and other surprises throughout the week.
National Roundabouts Week Events
Wednesday
- Ribbon cutting at Roundabout No. 140, 3:30 p.m. at Range Line Road and Walnut Street
- Facebook trivia with a chance to win prizes
- Shop for roundabout shirts and gifts at All Things Carmel, 110 W. Main St.
Thursday
- Celebrate the “Homage to Hoagy” roundabout sculpture at the intersection of 3rd Avenue SW and City Center Drive. Meet the sculptor, Arlon Bayliss. Light snacks and adult beverages available for purchase and a performance by Carmel Symphony Orchestra.
- Facebook trivia with a chance to win prizes.
- Shop for roundabout shirts and gifts at All Things Carmel, 110 W. Main St.
Friday
- “Wear Your Roundabout Shirt to Work Day” and share your selfies on social media, tagging @CityofCarmel and #RoundaboutsWeek.
- Facebook trivia with a chance to win prizes.
- Shop for roundabout shirts and gifts at All Things Carmel, 110 W. Main St.
Saturday
- Bike Carmel presents a 25- and 50-mile Roundabout Ride at Midtown Plaza. Registration from 7 to 7:45 a.m.; rides begin at 8 a.m. Sponsored by IU North Hospital. $5 of each registration will be donated to the Rollfast Foundation for suicide prevention.
- The Roundabout Ride will begin and end in Midtown Plaza where a post-ride meal will be provided with music and a complimentary beer from Sun King Brewing Company.
- Click here to read more.