Dutch-style intersection design being adopted in U.S. to improve bike safety

To improve safety for bicyclists and pedestrians, a growing number of U.S. cities are constructing street crossing features modeled after ones widely used in the Netherlands.

The key features are football-shaped corner islands installed at intersections. These islands create a forward queuing area for cyclists and pedestrians that make them more visible to drivers. 

They also force drivers to make sharper turns at a slower pace. Since 2015, protected crossings have been installed in Boston, Austin, and several other US cities, according to a Bloomberg report. The concept has been tried at more than 100 intersections across 18 states and Washington, DC, plus three dozen in Canada.

The National Association of City Transport Officials guide for bikeway design 
and the comparable guide from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials have added protected intersections to their updated bike design guide. The new NACTO document even put a protected intersection on its cover.