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There was more doubt than optimism, more ridicule than praise when the Minnesota Department of Transportation suggested in 2011 that a roundabout be built at the intersection of Adams Street and Highway 22 and one at Madison Avenue and 22.

There were numerous public events with mock roundabouts spread out on the floor of the mall and other venues so people could walk through them and learn how they would work.

The fear was palpable, with many predicting there would be numerous crashes once the roundabouts opened.

Indeed, there have been accidents at the now numerous roundabouts in Mankato and North Mankato, but they have generally been fender benders, not the kind that cause serious injuries or deaths.

That was and is the main intent of roundabouts.

And while there are still some critics of roundabouts, they are a small minority. Instead, the public now is more likely to call for more roundabouts than oppose them.

In fact, Mankato was late to the game when it came to roundabouts. The first in the state was built in Brooklyn Park in 1995. (The first roundabout in the country was built in 1905 in New York.)

There have been numerous studies across the country showing that roundabouts achieve the goal of saving lives and preventing serious injuries.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation, in a 2017 study, showed Minnesota had over an 80% reduction in fatal and serious injury crashes after roundabouts were installed.

There has been an 86% reduction in the fatal crash rate at intersections where roundabouts have been installed. This includes all roundabout types.

Installing roundabouts shows no signs of letting up locally.

The city is looking at a possible roundabout at the intersection of Stoltzman Road and Riverfront Drive near West High School. There are also other potential roundabout projects in the works in both Mankato and North Mankato.

While they aren’t always a feasible choice, the acceptance of roundabouts has provided a great option that reduces deaths and serious injuries.

— Mankato Free Press, Sept. 10