Pedestrian Spaces at Washington Ave. Roundabout
I have driven through roundabouts in England but do not recall how the pedestrian space around them was used. In the case of one of the new roundabouts here in Houston the design provided great garden-like open spaces with benches and large plants. This space is part of the Washington on Westcott Roundabout Initiative, Inc.–a non-profit organization of neighborhood associations and community leaders donating their time.
I was not involved in this improvement so at this time cannot offer any insight into what it took to create this great amenity other than a lot of fund raising. I will surmise that adding the large circular street into something close to a street grid provided the walkway, benches and landscaped spaces in these photos. Click here to see the aerial image.
Be sure to go the Initiative’s web site to see photos of the overall area. There is also a “Before” image and you can truly appreciate the transformation. 
Washington Ave. is fast becoming one of the very popular places in Houston to enjoy locally owned restaurants and a very active night life. If you are not sure how to find it in Houston just take the Washington/Wescott exit from IH10 West (Katy Freeway) and go south. You will know when you have arrived. If you are near Memorial Park then you are also very near this roundabout.
I want to add that from a traffic engineering perspective roundabouts are not as easy to design as one might think. Particularly in this situation where the streets enter it at different angles. If you want to plan one be sure to find a traffic engineer with experience with this unique intersection style and someone who has experience with sand-set paver driving surfaces.
Unfortunately, at the time of this article, the circle’s pavers have become uneven and are becoming unsightly. The Westcott Roundabout Initiative, Inc. is working on a solution and more will be posted about this unique paver problem soon at this blog’s sister site, www.NewUrbanStreets.com.
Tags: Non-Profit, Publicly-Owned
