Effective Print and Web Outreach 

U.S. Department of Transportation 

Federal Highway Administration 

Location 

Washington County, Minnesota 

(Central United States) 

Implementation Stage 

🗸 Planning 

🗸 Design 

🗸 Construction 

🗸 Launch 

🗸 Post-Implementation 

Roundabout Type/Setting 

Single- and Multi-lane 

Roundabouts in Urban and Rural 

Settings 

Target Audience 

🗸 General Public 

🗸 Elected Officials/Managers 

Strategies Employed 

🗸 Logo use across all materials 

🗸 Educational website 

🗸 Brochures (benefits of roundabouts, 

how to drive roundabouts, 

roundabout “rules of the road”) 

🗸 Public meetings (including Open 

Houses, Booths and Grocery Stores, 

and County Fairs) 

🗸 Promotional items (balloons, 

stickers, food, etc.) 

🗸 Mock-walkable roundabout 

🗸 Advertisements in newspapers 

Washington County, MN Educates 

Drivers Through Roundabout U 

Background 

In 2007, Washington County, 

Minnesota, began the process of 

planning for the widening of a 

two-lane, all-way, stop-controlled 

intersection in a residential area to 

Figure 1: The Roundabout U Logo used 

in Washington County, Minnesota for all 

roundabout-related outreach materials. 

accommodate growth in volume. The County Public Works Department considered 

implementing a four- or six-lane signal-controlled intersection configuration, but the 

analysis showed that the expected signalized system would require much more land 

than county residents and elected officials would approve for construction. 

The jurisdiction decided a multi-lane roundabout was the best solution for enhancing 

safety while efficiently accommodating projected traffic volumes and maintaining a 

pedestrian-friendly intersection. 

However, during the planning stage, Washington County staff attended several public 

meetings where concerned citizens repeatedly asked the same kinds of questions, such 

as “How do you drive through a roundabout?” and “Will a roundabout be safe?” 

Approach 

Washington County staff recognized a need to raise broad awareness about the 

benefits of modern roundabouts. They developed an online “Roundabout University” 

– “Roundabout U” – encompassing a wide variety of public outreach techniques

designed to increase knowledge about, and equip people to help raise awareness

and support for, roundabouts. The program started with a website, and has grown

to include a range of products over time. To tie all of the products together, staff

developed a logo for use on all materials. The original Roundabout U website

presented the benefits of roundabouts, how to successfully navigate a roundabout,

what proposed roundabouts would look like, and project updates.

The website has since expanded to include a range of general roundabout public 

outreach products that are easily adaptable for specific projects and needs across the 

County. The current website contains, in addition to the original material developed, 

a section on common misconceptions of roundabouts, and a list of roundabouts 

implemented across the County. Supplemental Roundabout U products include: 

• A Step-by-Step Guide to Driving a Multi-Lane Roundabout brochure, providing a seven-step

guide to successfully navigating a multi-lane roundabout

• A series of flyers that police officers provide to the public to help explain laws regarding

yielding in a roundabout and proper lane use

• Promotional materials and advertisements in newspapers that raise awareness about

educational roundabout-related events

• Public engagement events at local grocery stores, county fairs, and open houses - At

each of these events, staff provide a variety of products, including food, balloons, and

stickers to encourage families with small children to approach the booth and learn about

FHWA-SA-11-024 

Revised July 2020
 

Potential Outreach Idea: 

Use a walkable mock roundabout 

or toy car-sized roundabout at 

your next public outreach event to 

provide a hands-on way to learn 

about roundabouts.

roundabouts. Staff discuss how to safely drive a roundabout and how to cross a roundabout 

as a pedestrian. They also provide project updates and answer citizens’ questions about 

roundabouts. 

Results 

Anecdotal responses from citizens, elected 

officials, and internal staff have affirmed the 

success of the program. 

According to staff, the outreach has been 

so successful that other jurisdictions across 

Minnesota have asked to borrow outreach materials and bring in Washington County 

Public Works Department staff as experts-on-hand to help sway public perception of 

proposed roundabouts. The products are designed to be adaptable and customizable,

making it easy for other agencies to apply what Washington County has developed to 

their own roundabouts. 

Figure 3: Police Officers distribute handouts like 

this to citizens pulled over for traffic violations 

in roundabouts. These flyers provide officers 

with a quick and effective way to communicate 

roundabout laws to people. 

Figure 2: Brochure describing, in a visually 

appealing manner, how to successfully navigate a 

multi-lane roundabout. 

Learn More 

Joe Gustafson 

Transportation Engineer 

Washington County Public Works 

651.430.4351

joe.gustafson@co.washington.mn.us 

Jeffrey Shaw 

Intersections Program Manager 

FHWA Office of Safety 

202.738.7793

jeffrey.shaw@dot.gov 

Lessons Learned 

• Use a consistent message across all outreach products.

• Use several outreach products to get the message across. This jurisdiction won an uphill

battle in explaining the difference between traffic circles and roundabouts to persons from

other parts of the country who were familiar with traffic circles.

• Early communication is key when engaging with the public.

• Work with your local law enforcement early and often to ensure everyone is on the same

page with regard to roundabout laws.

• Look closely at your jurisdiction to develop targeted outreach materials for specific

population segments that may otherwise be overlooked (e.g., younger drivers, out-of-state

drivers, and older drivers).

Outreach Investment 

Washington County Public Works believes that their Roundabout U program is a 

relatively low-cost investment, as compared with the construction of a comparable 

signalized intersection. All products were developed in-house initially, and updates to 

materials to customize them for specific audiences/roundabout projects take no more 

than a few hours. Ads in the newspapers reached a broader audience, but were quite 

expensive to produce relative to their benefit. 

Related Products 

General Information Website 

Washington County’s Roundabout U Website 

https://www.co.washington.mn.us/490/Roundabout-U 

Video 

How About a Roundabout? The Minnesota Experience 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuvqClEjPxQ 

Brochure 

Roundabout U: A Step-by-Step Guide to Driving a Multi-Lane Roundabout 

https://www.co.washington.mn.us/DocumentCenter/View/6395/Roundabout-UBrochure-Oct2014?bidId=