This is not an American invention, nor is it interchangeable with a roundabout.
The main priority of roundabouts is safe traffic flow for cars, but they can (sometimes) still be very hostile to pedestrians. This type of intersection is meant to prioritize pedestrians as much as possible. The narrow street slows vehicles, and the sidewalk bump outs make people trying to cross the street extra visible and minimize the time they need to be vulnerable in the middle of the road.
Which isn’t to say that roundabouts are necessarily bad, they just serve different purposes
Spoiler: The officer has been investigated at least twice before, once for assault and another for shooting an unarmed black man. In both cases it seems he was likely guilty of breaking the law but faced no consequences. I can’t imagine a more shocking turn of events
Why is this article phrased as if it’s the sex worker’s fault? If you’re worried about sex workers being abducted off the street, perhaps we should be protecting them and offering safer alternatives for them to conduct their business, rather than just having their abducters become state sponsored
Seattle’s first protected intersection, Dexter Ave N @ Thomas St. ( slrpnk.net )
SPD Detective Under Investigation for Pulling Over Metro Bus Driver ( www.thestranger.com )
Another harrowing escape puts attention on open prostitution along Seattle's Aurora Avenue ( apnews.com )