Roundabouts in Alameda

Diagram of roundabout from NACTO urban bikeway design guide

Find out the latest about construction on the Central Avenue Safety Project on the project webpage

Roundabouts have safety and operational benefits for all roadway users and are an important safety treatment in many of the City’s corridor improvement projects, including on Central Avenue, Clement Avenue/Tilden Way, Lincoln/Marshall/Pacific Avenue, and Stargell Avenue. This website provides resources and information on roundabouts and how to use them.

If you or someone you know is blind or low-vision and would like to request in-person training or check out a tactile map for one or more new roundabout locations, please contact Michaela Wood at 510-381-8963 or mwood@alamedaca.gov.

As roundabouts open in Alameda, here are some tips on how to travel through them in a car, on foot or on bike.

How to use a roundabout graphic

View roundabout instructions graphic as PDF

When driving:

  • Approach slowly and use caution.
  • Yield to people walking and biking in crossings when you enter and exit the roundabout.
  • Yield to drivers in the circle before entering.
  • Drive with the flow of traffic counterclockwise around the center island.
  • Use your turn signal before exiting and watch for people walking and biking in crossings.
  • If an emergency vehicle approaches from behind and you can do so safely, pull to the side where there is room for the emergency vehicle to pass. Otherwise, proceed through the roundabout and pull over at the earliest opportunity. If you are in the roundabout and an emergency vehicle is approaching from an upcoming entry, yield to the emergency vehicle.

When walking:

  • Use marked crosswalks.
  • You have the right of way, but always stop and look both ways before crossing.
  • Do not cross to the center of the roundabout.

When biking:

  • As you approach the roundabout, go slowly and use signs and pavement markings to choose your path of travel. In most locations, bikeways will transition to shared paths with pedestrians with dedicated or shared crossings.
  • Go slow and yield to pedestrians. Be aware that some pedestrians may be unable to see or hear you and may not be able to move quickly out of your path of travel.
  • Before crossing the street, look both ways to check that drivers see and yield to you.
  • You may also choose to ride through the roundabout with vehicle traffic, following the instructions under “when driving” above.

Modern roundabouts are now commonly used around the country because of their safety and efficiency. Roundabouts can reduce the types of crashes where people are seriously hurt or killed by up to 78 percent when compared to signalized intersections (FHWA). Roundabouts result in lower vehicle speeds and fewer potential conflicts. Crashes that occur will be less severe because of this reduced speed and the nature of the potential conflict points. Pedestrians are generally safer at roundabouts and are faced with simpler decisions at any one time. Alameda is only installing single-lane roundabouts, which are the safest for people walking and bicycling.

Educational Resources on Roundabouts

To date, roundabouts are included in the following corridor improvement projects: Central Avenue, Clement Avenue/Tilden Way, Lincoln/Marshall/Pacific Avenue, and Stargell Avenue. Locations and their expected completion dates are:

  • Mecartney Avenue/Maitland Avenue (2025)
  • Central Avenue/Third Street (2025)
  • Central Avenue/Fourth Street (2025)
  • Central Avenue/Main Street/Pacific Avenue (2026)
  • Tilden Way/Fernside Boulevard/Blanding Avenue (2026)
  • Stargell Avenue/5th Street (2028)

Due to the benefits of modern roundabouts, the City prioritized roundabout planning through the following actions:

Many Bay Area cities are implementing modern roundabouts because of their safety benefits. While you are walking, biking, or driving in the region, you can check out roundabouts and how they work. Each roundabout design is different, and Alameda’s roundabouts will each have features and details specific to its context. Note that Alameda is only planning single-lane roundabouts. Examples around the region include:

Building Safer Streets

How we build, improve, and maintain streets for safety

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Working towards a goal of zero traffic fatalities and severe injuries

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