Roundabouts have been appearing across Santa Ana for several years—first as temporary installations, then as permanent fixtures. The downtown area saw its first roundabout at Third and Bush Streets, and in recent years, they’ve expanded into residential neighborhoods as part of the city’s broader traffic-calming strategy.

City officials tout roundabouts as a proven safety measure, citing studies showing they reduce the likelihood of fatal and serious injury crashes compared to conventional intersections. By design, roundabouts slow vehicle speeds and eliminate high-risk conflict points—like left-turn and head-on collisions—common at signalized or stop-controlled intersections. Drivers are expected to yield to circulating traffic, reduce speed on approach, and signal before exiting.

But some residents now argue that these very features are creating new dangers.  

On November 19, 2025, 69-year-old Maria Rubalcava de Ruesga was struck and killed by a trash truck while crossing at a crosswalk near the intersection of Bishop and Shelton Streets—a location where a roundabout was installed about a year ago. The Santa Ana Police Department is investigating the crash, and neighbors have voiced concerns that the roundabout’s layout may be contributing to hazardous conditions for pedestrians and drivers alike.

Less than two weeks later, another serious crash occurred nearby. According to an OCFA dispatch log from November 28, 2025, at 11:56 p.m., multiple vehicles collided at the intersection of North Bush Street and East 8th Street—the same corridor as the downtown roundabout. Units from Division 6, including Battalion 9, Engine 75, and Truck 75, responded to the scene.

Residents in the area report increased speeding and confusion around right-of-way rules, particularly at a roundabout that replaced a former four-way stop. Some say the change has made the intersection more chaotic, not safer—though the city has not released official crash data comparing conditions before and after installation.

As Santa Ana continues to retrofit intersections with roundabouts in an effort to improve neighborhood safety, community members are calling for a closer review of their design, placement, and impact—especially in areas with high pedestrian activity.