ViaStrada and CDM Research are carrying out research on bicycle lanes at roundabouts for Austroads. At the 2011 Bike Futures Conference, Tony Barton gave a presentation "Providing for Cyclists at Roundabouts - Integrate or Separate?". The presentation given by Axel Wilke at the 2012 Bike Futures Conference built on Tony's presentation, and gives the research team's preliminary findings, based on a review of relevant literature, fieldwork and crash analysis.
The 2012 presentation was an update on the research project, commissioned by Austroads, entitled the "Assessment of the Effectiveness of On-road Bicycle Lanes at Roundabouts in Australia and New Zealand". In comparison to other intersection controls, roundabouts have shown to have lower crash rates for motorised vehicles. However, the risk for cyclists at these intersections is often greater, especially in the UK, New Zealand and Australia, and there is conflicting evidence about the effectiveness of cycle lanes at roundabouts.
The Austroads research report was released in May 2014. The 2012 conference presentation can be downloaded from our website.
2012 Bike Futures Conference, Melbourne