This document discusses how road diets can create more livable communities. Road diets involve converting four-lane roads to three lanes with a center turn lane to reduce speeds and improve safety for all users. Wide roads encourage higher speeds, which increase crash severity. Road diets have been shown to reduce crashes and injuries by lowering speeds through narrower lanes. They also improve safety at intersections and for pedestrians and bicyclists by reducing crossing distances. Studies show road diets do not reduce traffic capacity and can benefit businesses by calming traffic. Examples of successful road diets in San Francisco and Urbana that improved safety are provided.

1. CREATING LIVABLE
COMMUNITIES
THROUGH ROAD DIETS
Cynthia Hoyle, FAICP
Transportation Planning Consultant

2. Wide Roads Increase Vehicle
Speed
 Speed increases crash severity for all users
 Over 35 MPH reduces roadway capacity
2

3. Speed Matters
High speeds lead to
greater chance of
serious injury &
death
3

4. Safety Benefits of Road Diets
Reduced vehicle
speeds
Reduced collisions
& injuries
Reduced conflict
points
Improved sight
distance
Reduced crossing
distance

5. Road Diets
 Lane reduction
 Four–to–two lane conversion
Accommodates existing and
future traffic without widening
 Benefits all modes of travel
 Increases safety

6. FHWA – Road Diets Proven Safety
Countermeasure
 The Federal Highway
Administration (FHWA) Office
of Safety placed Road Diets
on the official list of Proven
Safety Countermeasures.
 States are actively
encouraged to use the listed
safety countermeasures and
FHWA provides guidance on
their application.
 Road Diets slow traffic by
reducing car travel lanes and
replacing them with things
like bike lanes and center turn
lanes.

7.  Which road carries more traffic?
 Which road produces higher speed?
 4-lane: faster driver can pass others
 2-lane: slower driver sets speed
 Which road produces higher crash rate?
 Which is better for bicyclists? Pedestrians? Businesses?

8. Valencia Street, San Francisco
Economic Effects of Traffic Calming on
Small Urban Businesses
Emily Drennen
2003

9. Valencia Street
Before
-62.5 ft wide
street with
metered parking
on street on 21’ 10’3’’ 10’3’’ 21’
both sides, four
lanes with an
average ADT of
22,000 VPD Designing Streets for Pedestrian Safety-Reducing Crossing Crashes

10. Valencia Street, San Francisco
California
After
-Two lanes were
removed, bicycle
lanes installed
and medians
were used for left
turns.
8 5’9’’ 10’6’’ 14’ 10’6’’ 5’9’’ 8’
-Changes were ’
made to signal
Designing Streets for Pedestrian Safety – Reducing Crossing Crashes
timing.

11. Handles 20,000 ADT
25000
20000
15000
10000
5000
0
Dolores Guerrero Valencia Mission S. Van Ness
1998 – before Valencia Road Diet 2000 - after Valencia Road Diet
Mission District, San Francisco
North-South ADT
11

12. Road Diets change intersection
design
Older Americans:
 21% over 65 do
not drive
 Over 50% of non-
drivers stay at
home on a given
day because they
lack travel options
 54% of older
Americans living in
inhospitable
neighborhoods
would walk and
ride more if things
improved
12

13. Road Diets benefit people with
disabilities
 Shorter crossing
distances reduce
time spent in the
street.
 Vehicle speeds
reduced
 Improved mobility
for people with
disabilites and
reduced need for
expensive
paratransit
service

14. Road Diets improve intersection
design & accessibility
14

15. Successful Road Diets in Urbana
Two Lanes w/ center turn lanes,
Four Lanes bike lanes, ped refuge island at
bus stop
15

16. Thank You!
Cynthia Hoyle, FAICP
Orion Planning Group
Urbana, IL 61801
choyle57@comcast.ne