LAFAYETTE, La. - Acadiana Regional Transportation Safety Coalition, hosted by the Acadiana Planning Commission, is spreading the word on the safety and effectiveness of roundabouts in Acadiana.
Acadiana is Louisiana's leader in the development and implementation of roundabouts in Louisiana. The first modern roundabout in Louisiana was constructed in Acadiana by DOTD in 2003 at Ridge Road and Rue De Belier.
DOTD and local governments in Acadiana have worked hard to reduce fatal and series injury crashes at intersections by identifying, studying, and funding more roundabouts in the region, according to Ashley Moran, Acadiana Planning Commission.
A well-designed roundabout can significantly improve the safety of an intersection. Greater safety is achieved primarily by slower speeds and the elimination of severe crash types such as right-angle crashes. DOTD has constructed roundabouts across Louisiana to increase safety at select locations, with Acadiana leading the state in planned and constructed roundabouts.
As of 2020, 17 roundabouts have been built in Acadiana, and 24 are planned to be built over the next few years. The newest roundabout project, Girard Park and Hospital Drive, is currently under construction. The roundabout is being constructed with a combination of FHWA Highway Safety Improvement Program funds and FHWA Metropolitan Planning Organization funds in coordination with DOTD and Lafayette Consolidated Government. The project addressed a location with an overrepresentation of severe crash types in Lafayette, and the roundabout configuration will create a safer intersection for the city.
"Reducing intersection related fatalities and serious injuries is one of the major initiatives of the Acadiana Regional Transportation Safety Coalition," says Ashley Moran, Planner with the Acadiana Planning Commission. "Roundabouts are a FHWA Proven Safety Countermeasure that can reduce fatal crashes by 80% at certain intersection locations. The Acadiana Regional Transportation Safety Coalition continues to work to identify and study intersections for roundabouts to reduce fatal and serious injury crashes in Acadiana."
For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/AcadianaRegionalTransportationSafetyCoalition/
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