Nantes unveils first Dutch-style roundabout enhancing cyclist and pedestrian safety
New roundabout is part of a €500,000 urban renovation project
Cyclists have priority in the roundabout 'à la hollandaise'
Nantes has inaugurated its first roundabout à la hollandaise, a Dutch-style roundabout that is gaining popularity across French towns and cities because of its safety benefits for cyclists and pedestrians.
The new roundabout is located at Place du Commandant-Cousteau, in the north-east of the city, on a major road used more than 15,000 times a day by cars, buses and trucks.
It was inaugurated on December 1 and forms part of a programme to renovate several roundabouts along a 3.5-kilometre axis, at a total cost of €500,000.
The project responds to repeated demands from local residents, Simon Citeau, head of bicycle and pedestrian transport development at Nantes city hall, told The Connexion.
Nantes is often nicknamed ‘France’s roundabout capital’ because it has around 3,000 of them. Most were built between the 1980s and the 2000s, when cars dominated urban planning.
Over the decades, two major problems emerged, Mr Citeau said, based on complaints sent by residents and feedback collected through a twice-yearly survey.
Pedestrians tended to avoid the roundabouts, increasing their journey times, while cyclists considered them dangerous because they were required to mix with motor traffic.
The new roundabout includes cycle lanes running in both directions. Cyclists have priority when entering and exiting the roundabout over cars. Priority sections are marked in green, with signs stating Quand c’est vert, c’est prioritaire (when it’s green, give priority).
“The two main ideas behind the roundabout à la hollandaise are to keep cyclists further away from cars and to discourage drivers from accelerating while using it,” said Aymeric Cotard, director of the cycling advocacy group Mieux se déplacer à bicyclette.
“The aim is to make cyclists more visible to drivers, reducing the risk of collisions,” he added.
Roundabouts à la hollandaise have grown rapidly in popularity since around 2020, with installations in Clermont-Ferrand, Rennes, Caen, Vannes, Le Havre and Créteil.
