Roundabouts are increasingly common in here in the KC area, including several streets that also have bike lanes. They are quite easy to use once you know a little bit about your options and how to make the best choice for you.
Where’d my bike lane go?
When approaching a roundabout you will notice that the bike lanes disappear, but don’t work, this is by design. It is actually safest for cyclists to take a lane and go through the roundabout like a vehicle, which keeps keeps us out of motorists’ blind spots. Roundabouts naturally slow to traffic to around 15 m.p.h., a perfect speed for cyclists and motorists to share the road safely.
Decision Point
Click to zoom.
If you aren’t comfortable taking a lane, well-designed roundabouts will give you other options and plenty of notice to make a decision. As you approach the roundabout, you have a choice to make:
1. Take a lane and ride like a car. Look over your left shoulder, signal, and merge into the middle of the automobile lane. When you get to the roundabout, look left for oncoming traffic and signal to stop or slow down as necessary.
2. Dismount and become a pedestrian. Well-designed roundabouts should provide a small ramp so you can ride up onto the sidewalk with stopping to hop the curb. Look over your right shoulder for pedestrians, signal, and stop on the sidewalk to dismount. Always yield to pedestrians. Walk around the roundabout, using the crosswalks at each leg where a street enters.
3. Use a sidepath trail. If the street has a multi-use trail alongside it, there should also be ramp to take you from the curb to the trail. Look, signal, and merge onto the trail. As you go around the roundabout, be sure to stop at the crosswalks at each leg where a street enters. Longview Road at Bridlewood Drive in Lee’s Summit is a local example of a multi-use trail going through a roundabout.
If you chose #2 or #3, there will hopefully be a ramp after the roundabout to ease your transition back onto the street.
Right: Bike lane ends and ramp allows cyclist to transition to sidepath.
Left: Ramp takes cyclist from sidepath to street, where bike lane resumes.
Multiple roundabouts.
Sometimes two or three roundabouts are placed one after the other, often when they are used on either side of a freeway interchange. If the spacing is close, the bike lanes might not resume until after the last roundabout. North Congress Avenue is an example where roundabouts are used on either side of a freeway and the bike lanes don’t resume until after the second roundabout. Longview Road features three roundabouts in succession, but the bike lanes do resume in between each roundabout.
Local bike lane routes with roundabouts:
- North Congress Avenue at 152 Hwy in the Northland
- Longview Road at US 71 in the south Kansas City.
- Sheridan and Ridgeview at I-35 in Olathe.
- East 87th Street at I-435 (under construction for 2011 completion).
Local trail corridors with roundabouts:
- Longview Road at Bridlewood Drive in Lee’s Summit.
- Lamar Avenue at 133rd in Overland Park.
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My concern with the above photo (not sure where it is) is that the bike lanes should probably be dashed as they approach the roundabout or end sooner to encourage bicyclists to take the lane through the roundabout. I saw this problem in Asheville. They had very nice bike lanes into the roundabouts but because of the design it appeared that riding up the ramp to the sidewalk was the only option.
Other than that, I think providing multiple avenues for passing through the roundabout is a great way to accommodate all levels of cyclists. But better signage would help people know what those ramps are for… plus they could encourage cyclists to dismount while on the sidewalk.