Larger vehicles — like buses, emergency vehicles and delivery trucks — will be able to pass through the intersection down the middle, using the “traversable central island.”
Drivers in Cadboro Bay can take a new roundabout for a spin.
The traffic circle at the intersection of Sinclair Road and Cadboro Bay Road was paved last week and is expected to be complete by August, when signage will be installed, the District of Saanich said in a statement.
The district said the design is called a mini-roundabout, meaning that larger vehicles — like buses, emergency vehicles and delivery trucks — will be able to pass through the intersection down the middle, using the “traversable central island.”
It also features extra-wide shared-use sidewalks to accommodate cyclists, Saanich said.
Roundabouts offer environmental benefits by reducing braking and accelerating, which reduces emissions, the district said.
A roundabout installed at Cook and Southgate streets at the north end of Cook Street Village has been a point of contention as a result of confusion among some drivers about how to navigate it properly.
Kate Harris, owner of DriveWise B.C., said her driving instructors teach the ins and outs of roundabouts to students preparing to take ICBC licensing tests.
She said that, like any new traffic pattern, roundabouts take some time to understand, adding that the most important thing drivers can do when approaching them for the first time is to read the signage carefully.
Even with directional signs, navigating a roundabout can be intimidating for some, Harris said.
“When you’re not educated properly and just thrown into a situation, it can be kind of a daunting thing to be involved in,” she said.
Harris said it’s crucial to yield to traffic already in the circle, adding that drivers must signal upon exiting, and can even do so as they approach the roundabout.
She suggests those who are still apprehensive about using roundabouts should use Google maps to get a feel for the intersections before attempting the real thing.
“The time in a roundabout happens quickly, so that’s why it’s so important to know ahead of time what you’re doing,” she said.
Laura Minet, an assistant professor of engineering at the University of Victoria, said roundabouts, which have long been popular in Europe, are becoming more common in North America because they are much safer than four-way stops.
Minet said roundabouts reduce the potential for collisions because cars only enter from one direction, and drivers don’t have to determine who has the right of way.
Four-way stops have 32 points of potential conflict where collisions can happen, she said, whereas roundabouts only have eight.
Minet said learning how to navigate roundabouts is worthwhile because of the long-term safety benefits they provide. “The more roundabouts there are, the more people are going to get used to them.”
The Cadboro Bay roundabout is part of the Sinclair Road project, which features underground pipe upgrades, improved bike lanes and new landscaping, and is set to be finished by March 31 of next year, the district said.
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