What's with Ottawa's love-hate relationship with roundabouts?

Ottawa has 85 roundabouts, which earns it second place for the number of roundabouts in a Canadian city, just behind Calgary.

The roundabouts are popping up more and more in Ottawa's suburbsas an alternative to traditional intersections controlled by traffic lights.

But despite being so commonplace, they remain contentious.

As CBC'sThis Is Ottawafound out, the safety concerns aren't necessarily backed up by statistics.

How do roundabouts work?

When approaching a roundabout, drivers are expected to slow down, yield the right of way to pedestrians and cars already within the roundabout, travel in a counter-clockwise direction, stay in the same lane until exiting, and signal their intentions.

The City of Ottawa has a webpagededicatedon the ins and outs. Itsvideoon roundabout use is one of its most viewed.

Why so many?

According to Emmett Proulx, a specialist in development review and roadway modification at the City of Ottawa,they aren't as dangerous as one might think.

The City of Ottawa has a policy to consider roundabouts when it'slooking at a new intersection or at upgrading an intersection due to capacity issues,he said.

If an intersection in need of a facelift meets the criteria forturning itinto a roundabout, such as available space for the lanes required, the city will give that option preference.

The city does this because roundabouts often improve overall traffic flow, create fewer opportunities for vehicles to hit pedestrians, andrequiredrivers to slow down.

According to Proulx,emissions ateach roundabout are downabout 30 per cent fromthe idling and stop-and-go traffic of an intersection with a traffic light.

And while they're more expensive to install, roundabouts don't require the long-term electrical maintenance or repairs that traffic lights do after accidents.

Why the pushback?

While roundabouts may be a preferred option from the city, those who have seen close callsstill worry.

In April, about a hundred people showed up to a public meeting to protest a new roundabout in Orlans. Construction began in August, and is expected to wrap up in summer 2025.

Heather O'Connell's children attend school nearby. She said she's worried about their safety.

"I've seen buses take roundabouts before and they often clip the sidewalk or they clip the side of the roundabout itself, she said."I think that's a danger."

In September, a cyclist died after being injuredat a roundabout in Ottawa's west end.

Despite this, evidence suggestsroundabouts in the United Statessee a 78 per cent reduction in fatal collisions compared to intersections controlled by traffic lights.

Proulx said while he also gets nervous about the safety of his own children,the single-lane roundabout is statistically much safer.

"I understand people's concerns," he said. "But I have to say [those concerns are] not accurate at all."