Use of Public Involvement 

U.S. Department of Transportation 

Federal Highway Administration 

Montpelier, Vermont, Constructs Roundabout 

Thanks to Local Roundabouts 

Steering Committee 

Background 

In the 1980s, a regional transportation plan for Montpelier, Vermont, identified the 

intersection of Main and Spring Streets as deficient. The three-way “T” intersection 

lacked pedestrian facilities and created a confusing traffic pattern for the public due to 

a triangular central island and a commercial driveway. To complicate matters further, 

a middle school was located nearby, which meant a number of children traversed this 

intersection to get to and from school. 

Although the City planned to install a signal, a group of citizens approached the City 

Council about constructing a roundabout at the location instead. They successfully 

lobbied the Council to create a steering committee to investigate the feasibility of a 

roundabout at the intersection of Main and Spring Streets. 

Because there were no roundabouts in the region at this time, and because this was 

several years before roundabouts were embraced by FHWA, the community as well as 

the Montpelier Department of Public Works were concerned about the validity of the 

design. With the assistance of a consultant experienced in constructing roundabouts in 

Florida, the City completed the design. 

Approach 

The Roundabouts Steering Committee 

actively lobbied the City Council and 

worked with the media to tout the benefits 

of roundabouts and dispel common myths. 

“There was... skepticism in 

house. We were inventing 

the wheel here, so to speak.” 

While the Roundabout Steering Committee — Thomas J. McArdle engaged the media to gain public support, 

they also prepared informational pamphlets Assistant Director of Public Works 

Montpelier, Vermont for distribution to drivers’ education 

programs at the local schools. The group 

also worked closely with the Montpelier 

Department of Public Works and the Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT), which 

performed a pre- and post-construction traffic study. Once the roundabout was 

opened, the committee placed a flyer in the local newspaper with instructions on 

how to drive the new roundabout to assist citizens in navigating this new type of 

intersection. 

Results 

Engaging the public and elected officials through the Roundabouts Steering 

Committee gave Montpelier, Vermont the distinction of constructing one of the first 

modern roundabouts in the northeast, and one of the earliest in the entire United 

States as well. A follow-up survey conducted one year after the project’s completion 

showed that 85 percent of the respondents had a favorable or neutral opinion of the 

roundabout. 

FHWA-SA-11-042 

Revised July 2020 

Location 

Montpelier, Vermont 

(North-Eastern United States) 

Implementation Stage 

All phases of roundabout 

construction, including: 

🗸 Planning 

🗸 Design 

🗸 Construction 

🗸 Launch 

🗸 Post-Implementation 

Roundabout Type/Setting 

Single-lane roundabouts in a 

suburban location 

Target Audience 

🗸 General public 

🗸 Elected Officials 

🗸 Engineers/Managers 

Strategies Employed 

🗸 Presentations 

🗸 Public Meetings 

🗸 Flyers 

🗸 Brochures 
Figure 1: Overhead photo of the second 

roundabout completed in Montpelier. 

Learn More 

Thomas J. McArdle 

Assistant Director 

Montpelier Department of Public Works 

802.223.9508

tmcardle@montpelier-vt.org 

Jeffrey Shaw 

Intersections Program Manager 

FHWA Office of Safety 

202.738.7793

jeffrey.shaw@dot.gov 

In addition, this roundabout has improved safety, reducing speeds at the intersection 

of Main and Spring Streets, and providing more favorable crossing conditions for 

pedestrians. Officials at the middle school affected by the roundabout have said 

that the intersection is much safer after the construction. Prior to construction, a 

limited number of pedestrians traversed the intersection, but after the roundabout 

construction, a large number of students use the route on their way to and from school 

(30-50 in the mornings and 150 in the afternoons). 

Montpelier’s pioneering effort with Vermont’s first roundabout has been followed by 

successful installations of roundabout intersections in Brattleboro and Manchester, and 

a second roundabout recently has been completed in Montpelier. 

Lessons Learned 

• Public outreach is a critical step in the planning process. It’s important to engage the local 

emergency service agencies, schools, stakeholders, and residents in an intersection design 

alternative review process. 

Outreach Investment 

There were costs associated with the printing of flyers but much of the public relations 

work was completed gratis for the Montpelier Department of Public Works by a 

volunteer and staunch roundabout advocate. 

Figure 2: A flier developed to outline roundabout features.