CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION NEWS RELEASE 2800 BERLIN TURNPIKE P.O. BOX 317546 NEWINGTON CONNECTICUT, 06131-7546

FOR RELEASE: November 6, 2013

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS TELEPHONE: (860) 594-3062 FAX: (860) 594-3065 WEB SITE: www.ct.gov/dot

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Washington, DC -- At an awards ceremony on Capitol Hill, the Roadway Safety Foundation (RSF) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) today recognized the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) for its project in Killingworth, CT to convert the rotary at Routes 80 and 81 to a modern roundabout, resulting in a 50% reduction in the number of crashes and a 86% reduction in injuries at that site.

CTDOT selected this site based on crash history, volumes, constructability, and the potential for improvement. CTDOT worked with the community to ensure that their appearance and landscaping concerns were addressed while keeping with the design needs of the project.

Comparing the latest available three year period (2009-2011) crash history to the 2005-2007 data, the total number of crashes was reduced from 20 to 10 (50% reduction); the number of injury crashes was reduced from 6 to 1 (83% reduction); and the number of injuries was reduced from 7 to 1 (86% reduction).

“We are proud to honor the Connecticut Department of Transportation for its successful implementation of a rotary to a roundabout conversion, which is reducing crashes and preventing injuries,” said Gregory M. Cohen, P.E., Executive Director of the Roadway Safety Foundation.  “This project can serve as a model for other jurisdictions wishing to modernize outdated traffic circles.”

“Achieving the highest level of safety for the public that we serve is our top priority and we are pleased and honored to be recognized for our efforts,” stated Commissioner James P. Redeker.  “The team at the Connecticut Department of Transportation has been very successful at reducing crashes and increasing operational efficiencies through the use of modern roundabouts.  This award speaks volumes about  the dedication of the Department’s men and women who are constantly working behind the scenes to make our infrastructure safer.”

Despite having similar names, modern roundabouts are completely different than rotaries. Outdated rotaries were designed to accommodate vehicles while maintaining high speeds, contributing to frayed nerves and crashes. On the contrary, modern roundabouts are designed to force drivers to reduce speeds (to roughly 10-20 MPH) and requires entering traffic to yield the right of way to the circulating traffic. These differences result in substantially safer intersections, as the Killingworth project demonstrates.

National Roadway Safety Award recipients were evaluated on three criteria – innovation, effectiveness, and efficient use of resources. Program categories included infrastructure improvements, operational improvements, and program planning, development, and evaluation. 

Blue Ribbon Panel Judges included:  Philip J. Caruso, Deputy Executive Director for Technical Programs, Institute of Transportation Engineers; Gregory M. Cohen, P.E., Executive Director, Roadway Safety Foundation; William A. Crank, Senior Community Relations Manager, Michelin North America; Anthony Giancola, P.E., Consultant, formerly of the National Association of County Engineers; Michael Griffith, Director, FHWA Office of Safety Technologies; Tony Kane, Consultant, formerly of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, and Richard Pain, Transportation Safety Coordinator, Transportation Research Board.

Roadway safety programs are a critical part of the nation’s solutions to saving lives and preventing injuries on our nation’s highways.  There were 32,367 people killed in traffic crashes on U.S. roads in 2011.
 
The Federal Highway Administration and the Roadway Safety Foundation present the biennial National Roadway Safety Awards to programs and projects across the nation exhibiting excellence in roadway design, operations and planning. The RSF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable and educational organization solely dedicated to reducing the frequency and severity of motor vehicle crashes by improving the safety of America's roadways. 

For additional information on RSF, please visit www.roadwaysafety.org; on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/roadwaysafetyfoundation; and on Twitter at @roadway_safety, #RoadwaySafetyAwards. 

For additional information on FHWA safety programs, please visit http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov; on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/pages/Federal-Highway-Administration; and on Twitter at @USDOTFHWA, #RoadwaySafetyAwards.

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ATTENTION EDITORS – Digital photographs of the award winners at the luncheon in Washington, DC will be available. Detailed information on the award winning programs can be found at www.roadwaysafety.org.

Roadway Safety Foundation contact:
Cathy Gillen
desk (202) 857-1203
cell (443) 463-4449
cathygillen@roadwaysafety.org