The Benton County Health Department conducted a health impact assessment (HIA) to assess the potential impacts of installing a roundabout instead of a traditional traffic signal at the intersection of 53rd Street and West Hills Road outside of Corvallis, Oregon. There is an assisted living and retirement facility at the intersection, as well as a school located one mile away. There are also visually-impaired individuals in the community who utilize the intersection. The intersection is located near new residential areas on the border of the City of Corvallis, and is expected to have increased traffic volume in the coming years. The HIA recommended a single-lane roundabout, with no right-turn bypass lanes for the intersection. This type of design is shown to be the safest at-grade intersection and should provide a decrease in overall crashes. The HIA also recommended a 15-20 mph speed limit through the roundabout, as well as a decreased speed limit on roadways prior to the roundabout entrances.
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This Health Impact Assessment Report first appeared in The Cross-Sector Toolkit for Health. The Cross-Sector Toolkit for Health was originally developed by the Health Impact Project, formerly a collaboration of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts. The creation of this resource was supported by a grant from the Health Impact Project. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Pew Charitable Trusts, or the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
