OBSERVER file photo One of the few inconveniences created by the roundabout at Route 20 and 60 included a tractor trailer with an oversized load that tied up traffic in June.

Apprehension within the northern Chautauqua County community that included a lawsuit by a local business to stop the road project greeted the announcement of a proposed roundabout at Routes 60 and 20 in the village of Fredonia in 2017. Even today, some opponents remain vocal regarding the New York state Department of Transportation’s decision about eight years ago for a traffic circle at the location.

But more than five years since the pattern went live at the heavily traveled intersection, it appears officials were ahead of the curve — so to speak.

Last month, the state DOT praised the security that comes from roundabouts. In a Facebook post, the agency noted that for every story about a backup or a crash it does not change the results. “Roundabouts are proven safer than traditional intersections” due to fewer conflict points, slower speeds and a drastic reduction in serious crashes.

That does not mean the pathways do not come without hassles. In mid June, a tractor trailer with an oversized load created a bottleneck after it couldn’t take the left-hand turns and affected traffic coming from Route 60 creating an inconvenience of about 30 minutes.

That has been one of the few headaches.

Across New York state, there are about 250 roundabouts keeping drivers and pedestrians safer with shorter crosswalks, slower cars, and only eight conflict points — locations where vehicle paths intersect, creating a risk of collision — compared to 32 at a traditional intersection.

Those features, according to the DOT, lead to 90% fewer fatalities, 76% fewer injuries and 35% fewer crashes. High numbers of motor-vehicle accidents at the Routes 20 and 60 intersection were an important formula in making the roundabout happen.

Over a four-year period — with a traffic signal — the DOT said that of the 102 accidents, 41 occurred at the intersection while 61 happened along the approach segments. The DOT says 54 of 61 accidents can be attributed to motorists entering or exiting the driveways at the approaches to the intersection.

One thing the traffic circle forces is a calming of traffic. That is much different than what happens when a yellow light appears at a signal. Some motorists ultimately speed up to beat the light, while others slam on the brakes.

That equation adds to the mishaps. It is also why the state is currently considering more roundabout projects in Chautauqua County in the coming years.

On a regional basis, a new circle opened this week in Cattaraugus County at the end of the U.S. Route 219 Expressway with another unveiled last month at Fisher and Orchard Park roads in West Seneca.

Unsurprisingly, the neighboring Pennsylvania Department of Transportation recently announced that roundabouts provide safe, efficient travel across the state. Since 2005,104 roundabouts have been built to improve traffic flow and/or decrease crash severity, and more than 30 additional roundabouts are in various stages of design and construction across Pennsylvania.

A controversial roundabout opened in Warren at Pennsylvania Avenue and Market Street in 2023. Despite worries, the ride for many motorists is much smoother than it was through the intersection.

“For us, it’s simple. Roundabouts remove cross-traffic turns and eliminate T-bone crashes, while improving traffic flow” said PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll. “Any design that dramatically reduces the most serious crashes we see on the road is worthy of consideration in our projects.”

PennDOT finalized a data review through 2024 using 20 years of crash data from roundabouts around the state. Study findings showed that crashes with injuries were reduced by 51% and total crashes decreased by 7%. Pennsylvania data reflects national studies that found changing two-way sign-controlled intersections to a single-lane roundabout reduced injury crashes by more than 80%. Likewise, changing a signalized intersection to single-lane or multilane roundabout reduced crashes with injuries by up to 78%.

In a recent press release, PennDOT noted that even the Federal Highway Administration lists roundabouts as a “proven safety countermeasure” that reduces vehicle speeds by angling incoming traffic. Crashes that do occur tend to be sideswipe crashes with vehicles traveling at slower speeds rather than T-bone or head-on collisions, resulting in fewer injuries.

In addition to safety, roundabouts carry, on average, approximately 30 percent more vehicles during peak traffic than similar intersections. In off-peak hours, roundabouts cause almost no delay, compared to traffic signals.

Those results prove a true balance. One that comes with fewer hazards and a bit more convenience.

John D’Agostino is editor of The Post-Journal, OBSERVER and Times Observer in Warren, Pa. Send comments to jdagostino@observertoday.com or call 716-487-1111, ext. 253.