The UK’s first Dutch-style roundabout has opened in Cambridge today, giving cyclists and pedestrians priority at the junction over drivers.
The roundabout features a red bicycle lane around it and motorists need to give way if a cyclist is using it. Narrowed roads with pedestrian crossings on the entry and exit of the junction are also designed to slow traffic to give drivers more time to adjust and react to people walking.
The roundabout looks set to become the first of a raft of new measures to prioritise pedestrians, cyclists and other vulnerable road users, with proposed changes to the Highways Code currently being drawn up.
The first-of-its-kind roundabout is located on Fendon Road, Cambridge, officially opening today (31 July) at 11am.
The junction is heavily used by commuters, especially the many who cycle to Addenbrooke’s Hospital and Cambridge Biomedical Campus.
It will also boost safety for children and parents who use the roundabout to reach various schools in the area.
The design of the junction was co-developed with Dutch consultancy firm, Royal Haskoning, and mirrors the roundabouts that prioritise cyclists in Amsterdam and other towns and cities in the Netherlands.
It adheres to the roundabout design standards advocated by SWOV, the Dutch Institute for Road Safety Research.
The first-of-its-kind roundabout is located on Fendon Road, Cambridge, officially opened on Friday 31 July
vThe bright red lanes around the circumference is the most distinctive feature, which is a path to separate cyclists from other road users
Using these dedicated red lanes gives cyclists priority at the junction, meaning drivers will need to stop to allow them to ride across
What is a Dutch-style roundabout?
A Dutch-style roundabout has parallel crossings (cycle and pedestrian zebra crossings) on each arm which enables pedestrians and cyclists to have priority over motorists.
The entry and exit arms are perpendicular, rather than tangential, to the roundabout and have minimal flare.
Also, by reducing the width of the arms and circulatory carriageway, vehicle speeds reduce.
A central over-run area will allow larger vehicles to manoeuvre round the roundabout.
The bright red lanes around the circumference is the most distinctive feature, which is a path to separate cyclists from cars, vans, lorries and motorcycles.
Using these dedicated red lanes gives cyclists priority at the junction, meaning drivers will need to stop to allow them to ride across.
Pedestrians also get priority crossings, meaning motorists will have to be extra vigilant to ensure they are giving way to both types of road users when entering and leaving the roundabout.
By narrowing the roads in and out of the junction, the goal is for it to reduce traffic speed so drivers have more time to be aware of those walking and pedalling.
While the aim is for the complicated-looking roundabout is to improve safety for all, it has come at an astronomical financial outlay.
It had originally been estimate to cost around £1.4million when proposed in 2016, rising to £1.5million last year.
However, CambridgeshireLive reported that the amount ballooned to an estimated £2.4million.
The project was originally proposed to cost £1.4million. The forecast was adjusted in 2019 to £1.5million, though eventually cost closer to £2.4million
The roundabout conversion was due to be completed in April, but delays means it did open until the last day of July
New Highway Code changes also aim to better protect pedestrians and cyclists
Proposed updates to the Highway Code look set to see new laws established as part of sweeping changes being made by the Department for Transport – and most will be focused on protecting vulnerable road users.
They are primarily aimed to improve safety for pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders, the DfT said.
Changes will see three new laws introduced to the road, including a revolutionary ‘Hierarchy of Road Users’ concept.
New rules being drawn up by the Department for Transport as part of an update to the Highway Code could see drivers issued with fines if they are caught cutting across riders when turning into a junction or changing lanes
This policy means those road users who are likely to do the most harm will have the biggest responsibility to reduce road danger, starting with drivers of large vehicles, followed by those behind the wheel of cars and taxis.
It will also mean that cyclists and horse riders will have a responsibility to pedestrians if there are no cars nearby.
It means drivers could potentially be issued with fines if they cut across riders when turning into a junction or changing lanes.
The DfT says the hierarchy system does not give priority to pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders in every situation, but ensures a ‘mutually respectful’ and ‘considerate culture’.
In a statement released by the Government department, it said: ‘Everyone suffers when road collisions occur, whether they are physically injured or not.
‘But those in charge of vehicles that can cause the greatest harm in the event of a collision bear the greatest responsibility to take care and reduce the danger they pose to others.
‘This principle applies most strongly to drivers of large goods and passenger vehicles, followed by vans/minibuses, cars/taxis and motorcycles.
‘Cyclists, horse riders and horse drawn vehicles likewise have a responsibility to reduce danger to pedestrians.
‘Always remember that the people you encounter may have impaired sight, hearing or mobility, and may not be able to see or hear you.
‘None of this detracts from the responsibility of all road users, including pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders, to have regard for their own and other road users’ safety.’
The Highway Code will also include the Dutch Reach concept, where vehicle users will need to make safety checks to ensure a cyclist isn’t incoming before their open a car door
Also included in the Highway Code changes will be the recommendation for the ‘Dutch Reach’ concept when vehicle users open their door.
This will require drivers and passengers to check whether a cyclist is in their blindspot before swinging their doors open and decamping.
New laws will also ‘create clearer and stronger priorities for pedestrians’ which will ‘clarify where pedestrians have right of way’.
Guidance is also given on passing roadside workers and the safe charging of electric vehicles.
Nicholas Lyes, RAC head of roads policy, said the motoring group supported the introduction of the Dutch reach principle to the Highway Code, deeming it a ‘small change every motorist can make when exiting their vehicle that can make a huge difference to the safety of passing cyclists’.
He added: ‘There should be an expectation that all road users follow the laws of the road, but from a motorist’s point of view, giving extra space when overtaking, not blocking bike boxes at junctions and always checking mirrors for cyclists will go a long way in improving safety on our roads.
‘RAC research shows one-in-five drivers cycle relatively frequently and many cyclists likewise use a car, so it is also important that efforts are made to try and end the ‘us versus them’ narrative, whereby drivers are pitted against cyclists and vice-versa, when the reality is that motorists and cyclists are simply road users trying to complete a journey safely.’
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