The drawing on the right shows how the intersection of Quinpool and Robie would look as a roundabout. (Halifax Regional Municipality)

Halifax regional council has agreed to turn some of its busiest intersections into roundabouts.

In a vote Tuesday, all councillors were in favour of developing more of these circular intersections.

Municipal traffic officials say roundabouts are safer and more efficient, though also more expensive than upgrading the existing traffic lights.

There are four potential roundabout sites in the city:

• Quinpool, Robie, Cogswell, Bell
• Cunard, North Park, Agricola
• North Park, Cogswell, Rainnie, Trollope, Ahern
• Duffus, Devonshire, Novalea

Municipal staff say there are about 70 per cent fewer accidents for both cars and pedestrians in roundabouts compared to traditional intersections with traffic lights.

The Nova Scotia government plans to build six roundabouts in the Halifax Regional Municipality this year: three along Larry Uteck Boulevard and Highway 102 and three along Margeson Drive and Highway 101.

HRM transporation manager Ken Reashor said municipally owned roundabouts won't be built overnight.

"The earliest that could happen, if everyone was in agreement, would be next year or the year after," he said Tuesday.

Coun. Debbie Hum is counting the days until the roundabouts in her district are built.

"I'm getting excited about the Larry Uteck roundabouts because I see the potential for a lot of traffic to move through there," she said.

Those roundabouts could be ready by the end of July.

On Monday, Coun. Jerry Blumenthal said he wasn't convinced.

"I'm not for cars, I'm for pedestrians," said Blumenthal, who represents the north-end Halifax district where the Duffus roundabout could go.

"What are we doing? We're $30 million in the hole and now we're talking about roundabouts, especially this one, for $1 milllion."