Lismore has long been known as a city of roundabouts. So it probably comes as no surprise to hear that we have another new roundabout.

Lismore City Council has just completed works on the new roundabout at the corner of Diadem and Orion streets in Lismore.

The newest of roundabouts has been constructed a single-lane mountable roundabout, with concrete medians and new pedestrian facilities including 'Type 1' pedestrian protection fences.

Council stated that "this will improve safety by slowing traffic and creating a smoother vehicle interchange".

"The installation of relocated pedestrian crossings, refuges and associated pedestrian fencing also makes it safer for pedestrians," the statement said.

The works were funded under the Government's Blackspot Program.

Traffic lights, history and the future

Once, Lismore did have a set of traffic lights installed near Lismore Shopping Square, on the corner of Ballina Road and Diadem Street - but our default way of navigating intersections seems to be the good old roundabout.

Interestingly, in 2011, the Road Traffic Authority (RTA) recommended that two major roundabouts in Lismore be ripped up and replaced with traffic lights.

At the time, the roundabouts on the corner of Ballina Road, Dawson and Molesworth Streets were identified as unsafe for pedestrian access during a safety audit by the RTA.

The RTA consulted with Lismore Council at the time, and online feedback mainly supported retaining the roundabouts.

Some comments at the time focused on the lack of view caused by foliage and other installations on the roundabouts; the lack of driver awareness of how to negotiate them correctly; and the fact the Ballina Road roundabouts were too tight for two-lane roundabouts.

There are are 40 or so roundabouts still here to this day - if anyone wants to count them.

Traffic light and roundabouts - what do you think?

What do you think? Do we need to keep our roundabouts or change to traffic lights?

Read more road news: Georgica gets a new, more flood-resilient bridge