New 'Peanutabout' Reinvents the Roundabout for Diagonal Streets

Complicated crossings where many roads meet make for tricky for driving and can be deadly. One such crossing may be getting a "Peanutabout." This island in the middle of the intersection is "…a new concept for the long, complex seven-way intersection created by the acute crossing of Cambridge and Hampshire streets," writes Michael Andersen in a piece for Streetsblog. The island is shaped like an hour glass with a cross walk belt in the middle. The street would also include protected bike lanes on its outside edge.

The plan is currently in its early phases and has not yet been approved. But Andersen is hopeful about the prospects of the project. "Whether or not the "peanutabout" turns out to be right for this particular intersection, diagonal streets are common in U.S. cities. This looks like a tool that deserves to be on the country’s belt," he argues.