ROAD DIETS: REDUCING LANE WIDTH/NUMBER OF LANES GOAL

To reduce the lane width and encourage drivers to slow down. To reduce the number of lanes along a stretch of road to allow for multiple transportation opportunities.

WHAT IS IT?

Road diets are something that have been an increasing strategy for towns and cities to adopt. They focus on the idea of removing a lane or lanes and using that space for other purposes. One way of doing this is to reduce lane width. Historically, lane width has been wider to accommodate faster travel speeds as well as to provide a space for loading and unloading. To combat this, research has found that lanes as little as 9-feet wide do not restrict traffic flow and encourage people to drive slower because of the close proximity to other cars. Reducing the number of lanes in general is also part of road dieting where the lane(s) would ideally be used for another use. This could be used for the widening of sidewalks, creation of a dedicated public transit lane, or even putting in protected bike lanes.

The most popular road diet adaption is to reduce four-lane roads down to three-lanes, with a center turn lane and one lane in either direction.