Effective Print and Web Outreach 

U.S. Department of Transportation 

Federal Highway Administration 

Location 

Bend, Oregon 

(Pacific Northwest 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 

🗸 Cyclists/Pedestrians 

🗸 Large Vehicle Operators 

Strategies Employed 

🗸 Coloring books with accompanying 

Lesson Plan for teachers for 

elementary schools 

🗸 Brochures targeting all roundabout 

users 

🗸 Video 

🗸 Website 

Teaching Through Children: 

How Bend, Oregon Used Coloring Books to 

Communicate About Roundabouts 

Background 

In 1997, the City of Bend, Oregon proposed their first roundabout and then quickly 

put the project on hold, due to overwhelmingly negative responses from the public, 

who were concerned about safely navigating a roundabout. Two years later, when the 

City decided to propose another new roundabout, that 1997 experience led them to 

develop a strategy to generate early public support for the project. To achieve this, the 

City developed a variety of outreach products to explain how roundabouts are easy to 

navigate and why the City was proposing the roundabout for that specific location. 

In particular, City officials recognized a need to conduct outreach at a local school near 

the proposed roundabout. During public outreach meetings, some of the strongest 

resistance came from parents in the nearby school community, who expressed concern 

about building a roundabout near the school. The parents’ consensus seemed to be “a 

roundabout is okay here, but not there at the school.” Tailoring their outreach efforts 

to this particular audience, the City decided to develop a coloring book aimed at thirdthrough fifth-grade children and their parents illustrating the safety and community 

benefits of roundabouts. 

Approach 

The City of Bend’s approach to roundabout public outreach had an overarching 

focus—to make the public feel as comfortable with roundabouts as they feel with 

traditional intersections by showing them how roundabouts work, as well as their 

benefits and why they are the best intersection solution for a designated location. 

The coloring book contained five “lessons:” basic roundabout terminology, signage in 

and near roundabouts, pedestrian crossings, navigating a roundabout as a bicyclist, and 

responding when an emergency vehicle approaches a roundabout. It presented the 

roundabout as “just another safe intersection,” and showcased the safety advantages 

of roundabouts compared with traditional intersections. Following each lesson there 

was a fun quiz to reinforce key concepts covered in the activity book. City staff also 

developed an accompanying “lesson plan” that teachers could use to guide students 

through the coloring book. The City distributed the coloring books at the local school 

in the community of the proposed roundabout. 

The coloring books complemented a series of additional public outreach products that 

were part of a comprehensive campaign, including: 

Brochures that targeted all roundabout user groups, including: 

» Bicyclists – distributed to Countywide Bicycle Advisory Committee and bike shops 

» Commercial truck drivers – distributed to Driver and Motor Vehicle offices and at freight 

advisory committee meetings 

» Pedestrians – distributed to neighborhood action groups and schools 

Video about roundabouts that introduced terminology and key navigational concepts 

Website titled “Roundabouts – Another Safe Intersection,” which provided information on 

current roundabout projects, frequently asked questions, and a link to each of the completed 

products discussed above. FHWA-SA-11-027 

Revised June 2020
Figure 1: A sample page from the coloring book that 

Bend, Oregon used to educate children and their 

parents about roundabouts. 

Figure 2: A sample quiz from Bend, Oregon’s 

roundabout coloring book. 

Learn More

Robin Lewis 

City Transportation Engineer 

City of Bend, Oregon 

541.330.4025

rlewis@ci.bend.or.us 

Jeffrey Shaw 

Intersections Program Manager 

FHWA Office of Safety 

202.738.7793

jeffrey.shaw@dot.gov 

Results 

The City found that much of the opposition to roundabouts was rooted in 

misunderstanding about roundabouts—many people confused roundabouts 

with traffic circles or rotaries. The City’s public outreach successfully clarified the 

distinguishing characteristics of roundabouts, including why they are beneficial for 

Bend, and equipped citizens with the knowledge to use a roundabout safely and 

comfortably. As a result of the outreach through coloring books, the City constructed 

the roundabout near the school and has heard only positive feedback from parents 

since construction. 

The coloring books effectively raised awareness and support for roundabouts by 

engaging parents who looked at the coloring books that their children brought home 

from school. 

City staff concluded that the brochures helped increase public support for 

roundabouts, particularly among the groups targeted with each brochure. 

As a result of the success of the comprehensive outreach efforts and the roundabouts 

themselves, City Transportation Engineer Robin Lewis noted that Bend classifies itself as 

a “roundabout-first city,” meaning that during the design process, intersection planners 

are required to document why a roundabout would not work before they can proceed 

with a traditional intersection. 

Lessons Learned 

• Talk early and often to all stakeholders (including school communities, emergency medical 

service providers, etc.). It is much easier to get these groups behind the idea of roundabouts if 

they are involved from the beginning. 

• In areas near schools where roundabouts are being proposed, involve the school district and 

teachers in the content development/conceptual design of educational outreach targeted 

toward children and their families to win their support and buy-in. 

Outreach Investment 

City of Bend, Oregon staff feel that the outreach products have been a very low-cost 

investment overall. 

Related Products 

Lesson Materials 

Roundabouts – Another Safe Intersection Child’s Activity Book 

http://www.ci.bend.or.us/roundabouts/docs/Activity_book.pdf

Roundabouts – Another Safe Intersection Lesson Plan 

http://www.ci.bend.or.us/roundabouts/docs/Activity_Book_Answer_Sheets.pdf

General Information Website 

Roundabouts – Another Safe Intersection 

http://www.ci.bend.or.us/roundabouts/index.html

Brochures 

Roundabouts and Bicyclists – Making Safe Choices 

http://www.ci.bend.or.us/roundabouts/docs/8607_bike_specific_brochure.pdf

Roundabouts – Another Safe Intersection General 

http://www.ci.bend.or.us/roundabouts/docs/8607_general_brochure.pdf