By Charles Pekow — Navigating roundabouts can be hell for bicyclists. But a study from the Transportation Research Board says they can be designed to make them safer and easier to get around. New technologies can help, but a problem installing them is that traffic circles are designed very differently across the country, says Background and Summary of a Guide for Roundabouts (https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/27068/background-and-summary-of-a-guide-for-roundabouts).
Many conflicts between cyclists and autos come entering right turn lanes.
The guide suggests many safety measures. For instance, if roundabouts don’t include separate bike lanes, they should include sharrows to encourage cyclists to ride down the middle of the lane. It also urges designers to install signs saying “Bikes May Use Full Lane” or “Do Not Pass Bikes.”
