VDOT’S ROUNDABOUT MAT

The interchange at Interstate 95/Temple Avenue in Colonial Heights was becoming

dangerous and congested.

Through extensive study, the Virginia Department of Transportation’s (VDOT) Richmond

District engineers determined that a roundabout would be the best approach to improve

safety and traffic flow.

Roundabouts can be intimidating.

Virginia Department of Transportation

But, some locals expressed concern because roundabouts can be intimidating to those

who aren’t familiar with them. VDOT needed to create a way for target audiences to safely

experience the new intersection before opening.

Newer drivers and older drivers.

Through research on social media, including information from the very popular

Facebook group “Colonial Heights Issues,” which has a membership of over 14,000

members in a community of fewer than 18,000 (2015 U.S. Census), the team identified

two major groups as target audiences: adults over the age of 60 and new drivers.

Who was worried about a new roundabout?

Virginia Department of Transportation

The Roundabout Mat

Virginia Department of Transportation

Enter the Roundabout Mat: a

large, walkable mat complete

with signs and pavement

markings.

Roundabout

mat design

VDOT’s communications team created the mat as a way to take the roundabout to local

residents before it was constructed. This would allow them to learn to use the

roundabout on foot, in an engaging and safe manner, before having to do so in a car.

Walking the roundabout

Virginia Department of Transportation

Colonial Heights High School driver’s

education students try out the

roundabout design A ‘Seniors on the Move’

church group navigates the

new design

Colonial Heights school bus drivers

previewed and experienced the new

design weeks before opening

In the weeks before the new intersection opened to traffic, over 800 community

members attended seven demonstrations and used the mat as an educational tool.

Demonstrations were held for the following groups: Crater Antique Car Club, Mount

Pleasant Baptist Church Senior Group, Wesley United Methodist Church ‘Seniors on the

Move’ group, Colonial Heights Baptist Senior Group, Colonial Heights Public Schools

bus drivers , Disputanta Ruritan Club , Colonial Heights High School (four) driver’s

education classes and Colonial Heights Public Library (open to the public).

Reaching our audience

Virginia Department of Transportation

The demonstration events were covered heavily by local media, resulting in five local

news stories (including two front page stories) and a total of over 10,000 social media

impressions.

The media jumped on board

Virginia Department of Transportation

Positive feedback from the community

Virginia Department of Transportation

Multiple crashes were reported at the previous intersection alignment. However, no

crashes have been reported at the roundabout location since it was constructed.

Results

Virginia Department of Transportation

Crash data for 2015:

61 reported crashes

at I-95/Temple Ave.

(highest amount in

corridor shown):

Crash data for 2016:

74 reported crashes

at I-95/Temple Ave.

(highest amount in

corridor shown):

Crash data for 2017:

33 reported crashes at

I-95/Temple Ave. The

number drastically

decreased as the

roundabout alignment

took shape and then

opened in October

2017.

Crash data for 2018:

Only 5 reported

crashes at I-

95/Temple Ave. (as

of June 2018). Only

one injury-related

crash has been

reported: