Roundabouts in Alameda

Diagram of roundabout from NACTO urban bikeway design guide

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. Learn more about Alameda's roundabouts, and how to use them, here!

As roundabouts open in Alameda, here are some tips on how to travel through them in a car, on foot, or on bike. The most important things to remember are to yield to people walking and biking in crosswalks, and to yield to traffic inside the roundabout.

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.
  • Do not stop in the middle of the roundabout unless it is for an emergency.
  • 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.

Existing Roundabout Locations:

  • Central Avenue/Main Street/Pacific Avenue (2026)
  • Central Avenue/Third Street/Taylor Avenue (2025)
  • Central Avenue/Fourth Street/Ballena Boulevard (2025)
  • Tilden Way/Fernside Boulevard/Blanding Avenue (2026)
  • Mecartney Avenue/Maitland Avenue/Melrose Ave (2026)

Approved and Funded Roundabout Locations:

  • Stargell Avenue/5th Street (construction to begin in 2028)
  • Lincoln Ave/5th Street (construction to begin in 2028)
  • Gibbons Drive/Northwood Drive/Southwood Drive (quick-build pilot project to be installed in 2027)
  • Southwood Drive/Bayo Vista Avenue/Fairview Avenue (quick-build pilot project to be installed in 2027)

Projects that Include Roundabouts:

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 (Federal Highway Administration). 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.

Roundabout Information

The City worked closely with blind and low-vision community members when planning the Central Ave roundabouts, the first planning for modern roundabouts in Alameda. Tactile maps are available at the Reference Desk of the Alameda Main Library. If you would like to discuss these maps, please contact ada@alamedaca.gov. In Alameda's roundabouts, pedestrians must only navigate across one lane of traffic, in one direction, at a time. 

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:

Transportation

Transportation plans, projects, and programs

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How we build, improve, and maintain streets for safety

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