Evaluating urban intersections: a comparative study of roundabouts versus protected U-turns—which is better?

Effective urban traffic management is a significant challenge in rapidly urbanizing areas with increased vehicular usage, impacting both congestion and safety. Busy cities, like many urban centers, face these issues. Roundabouts, known for their ability to reduce severe crashes, represent a traditional approach to intersection design. However, in high-traffic conditions, roundabouts can become less efficient, leading to increased congestion. Alternatively, protected U-turns, which are a relatively modern approach, are designed to handle high traffic volumes more effectively. They potentially reduce waiting times and improve overall traffic flow but may pose different safety and longitudinal challenges. This study aims to explore these complexities by analyzing the effectiveness of roundabouts and protected U-turns in the context of the unique urban landscape of the Hail City in Saudi Arabia. PTV VISSIM was used for dynamic traffic simulation, providing a realistic representation of traffic patterns in Hail City. Parameters such as vehicle queuing lengths, wait times, and overall intersection capacity are comprehensively evaluated. The simulation settings are adjusted to reflect different traffic densities and patterns, thus ensuring a thorough understanding of the performance of each intersection type under varied conditions. Additionally, various statistical analysis techniques were used to better understand the relationship between the independent and dependent variables. Results showed scenarios of high traffic volume, roundabouts led to longer vehicle queues and increased wait times. On the other hand, protected U-turns exhibited a notable capability to manage high-volume traffic, effectively reducing congestion and improving intersection throughput. This research may contribute to urban traffic management literature, offering insightful guidelines for future intersection design and traffic flow optimization in rapidly urbanizing cities.