‘Fix Crash Corner’ – a Roundabout Story

In 2020, a new roundabout was constructed at the intersection of Church and Victoria Streets, Auckland, New Zealand. It replaced a ‘Stop’ controlled cross-roads junction with adverse crash history, nicknamed ‘crash corner’ by locals, having 54 crashes reported over five years. The constructed roundabout was the first ‘Safe System – Vision Zero’ design of its kind in New Zealand, being a fully raised roundabout with four pedestrian crossings. Independent crash analysis determined that the new roundabout had reduced reported crashes at the junction to zero. The ‘lifetime’ crash cost savings of the new roundabout were estimated at a Present Value of over $NZ 10 million. The roundabout also improved pedestrian amenity, upgraded access to public transport and local shops, encouraged modal shift, improved social well-being, and helped reduce carbon emissions. The project progressed from scheme design to successful construction within six months, and was selected as a finalist in the IPWEA NZ ‘Asset Management Excellence Awards’ (2022).

The peer-reviewed paper is available from the Journal of Road Safety here.