Fendon Road Dutch Style Roundabout, Cambridge. Photo copyright Durman Stern Ltd. Supplied by Cambridgshire Council
Roundabouts with annular cycle tracks are very common in the Netherlands. However, the first ‘Dutch-style’ roundabout in the UK was only opened in 2020, in Cambridge (at the junction of Fendon Road and Queen Edith’s Way). As shown in the photo, it has a circulatory cycle track, three parallel crossings (northern, southern and western arms) and a combined priority cycle crossing and zebra on the eastern arm.
Transport Initiatives has been studying this roundabout for Cambridgeshire County Council since it opened in 2020, using videos from temporary cameras. The DfT’s guidance is set out in Local Transport Note 1/20 Cycle Infrastructure Design (LTN 1/20). This includes a generic design for a ‘Dutch-style’ roundabout, shown in Diagram 10-37. Our studies of Fendon Road and other subsequent locations conclude that this guidance should be significantly amended, or withdrawn, since the recommendations as shown pose significant risks for users.
Local Transport Note 1/20, Diagram 10.37
The Fendon Road roundabout has two sorts of cycle crossings over its four arms. Three follow the guidance in the Dutch Design Manual for Bicycle Traffic (CROW, 2016) and look like curved parallel crossings. These do not conform to the guidance in Diagram 10-37 of LTN1/20 which shows straight crossings, aligned to the parallel crossing design in other parts of UK guidance.
The fourth crossing is a cycle priority crossing. There is an offset zebra crossing (due to the presence of a private access) which has give way markings on the carriageway (with a triangle marking for vehicles exiting the roundabout). In our observations, this arm worked better than the other three crossings with a significantly higher proportion of drivers giving way to cycles.
Cambridgeshire County Council would have preferred to see give way markings and triangles at the three parallel crossings as well but their request for authorisation was refused by DfT. With hindsight they would also have preferred to see all four crossings on tables to further reinforce cycle and pedestrian priorities but this would also require authorisation.
Cycle priority and parallel crossings are different both legally and in their design. While cycles have priority at both, the precise operation of that priority is different:
- At cycle priority crossings cycles have automatic right of way and do not (legally) have to take account of vehicles on the carriageway, and so can proceed over the crossing without stopping
- At parallel crossings priority has to be requested by the person cycling (or walking) positioning themselves correctly and confirming that vehicles on the carriageway are giving way (as they are required to in law)
Hence a roundabout, such as Fendon Road, where the layout implies to cyclists that they can just continue without pausing should have cycle priority crossings, not parallel ones.
Compact roundabout with parallel cycle crossings.
©Transport Initiatives
We suggest that there are three options.
- Diagram 10.37 should be revised to show cycle priority crossings
- Additional guidance on roundabouts and parallel crossings could be re-designed to a form where the layout itself makes it clearer to all road users (whether on the carriageway or crossing) how it operates (as shown right).
- Give way triangles are permitted at parallel crossings on roundabouts.
One added issue with a circulatory cycle track and parallel crossings are that they are both legally bi-directional. This contrasts with the roundabout carriageway which is one-way. We observed a small number of cyclists travelling anti-clockwise around the junction, especially when turning right.
Our suggested design would also work well with an explicit two-way cycle track around the roundabout and make it clearer to drivers on the carriageway that the crossings may be used in both directions. It would make it easier for cyclists to turn right by travelling the ‘wrong way’.
As the first and exemplar ‘Dutch-style roundabout’ in the UK, a more in-depth study of this roundabout would be beneficial for other local authorities seeking to implement similar designs. We suggest that ATE should consider commissioning this, to include other roundabouts under construction (e.g. West Bar in Sheffield) and in design (e.g. Boxgrove roundabout, Guildford). This could make use of the permanent cameras similar to those now installed at Fendon Road to gather data on the movements of pedestrians, cycles and motor vehicles (which has not yet been analysed).
There is more about our work at Fendon Road Roundabout here.
Steve Essex, Transport Initiatives
12 March 2024 (posted 13/03/24)