Narrow Lanes

The key to safer roads? Narrow the lanes. COMMENTARY | A study late last year found that the approach significantly enhanced safety for all road users. By narrowing lanes, cities can also reallocate that found space to sidewalks and bike lane...

Making lanes narrow will save lives every time. I'm here because I want more mobility options and I want them to be safer.

Plan to beautify and narrow H Street to 3 lanes moving closer to reality From State Route 58 north to Golden State Avenue-Highway 204, the road would narrow to accommodate bike lanes and calm the flow of traffic.

This is often called a Road Diet and I'm in favor of these everywhere.

Congestion Relief Pricing can allow for awesome benefits like these Accessory Dining Units in Manhattan. Spread the relief pricing to all cities, and watch business grow.

Happy congestion relief zone day! Let's do this in every city!

'Road diet' project's future uncertain as frustration grows among drivers in Lakeland More years of planning are ahead for a road diet project along South Florida Avenue in Lakeland that many have dubbed "frustrating and messy."

This article said taking a five lane road down to three lanes to improve safety was causing drivers to hit the concrete barriers, frustrating them.

If a driver would hit a stationary barrier and express frustration, they would plow through a family crossing the street and blame the victims.

Town plans to narrow lanes on Lee and Clyde Streets to slow traffic, protect bicyclists - Brookline.News The town plans to narrow all four lanes of Lee and Clyde Streets in South Brookline, aiming to slow down traffic and make the road safer for bicyclists. Drivers routinely travel 10 or more miles per h...

The headline says they're narrowing the lanes to protect cyclists, but in reality narrow lanes protect all people traveling on that road.

What's Up With That: Building Bigger Roads Actually Makes Traffic Worse The concept is called induced demand, which is economist-speak for when increasing the supply of something (like roads) makes people want that thing even more. Though some traffic engineers made note ...

Bigger roads and wider lanes make traffic worse.

Want To Make Money? Build A Business On A Bike Lane Research from New York City notes that newly installed protected bike lanes do more than keep bikers safe--they raise the income of the stores they are in front of.

Bike lanes are a great way to narrow lanes on overly wide streets! And they're an enormous boon to the local shops.

“Local stores next to the protected bike-lane have seen a 49% increase in sales, compared to an average of 3% for Manhattan as a whole.”

The key to safer roads? Narrow the lanes. COMMENTARY | A study late last year found that the approach significantly enhanced safety for all road users. By narrowing lanes, cities can also reallocate that found space to sidewalks and bike lane...

When drivers perceive the road to be more constricted, they tend to be more cautious. This heightened awareness leads to slower speeds and more attentive driving. In short, the psychological impact of a narrower space creates a sense of constraint that naturally encourages safer driving habits.

5. Optimize the use of extra space. Compliment lane width reduction with a lane repurposing program to get the best use out of extra space, such as adding a buffered bike lane or wider sidewalk.

4. Consider road use. For streets with heavy freight delivery, transit traffic, and snowfall, we recommend lane widths of at least 11 ft.

3. Set a narrower standard. In urban areas, set a standard lane width of 10 ft and have engineers justify why it needs to be wider. Currently, in most states the standard starts at 11 or 12 ft.

2. Being inclusive. To achieve truly multimodal and safe roadways, we urge city leaders to start with an inclusive and comprehensive street design factoring in pedestrians, cyclists, and the area's needs rather than prioritizing speed and traffic efficiency for vehicles when determining lane width.

Recommendations for Public Officials:

1. Pay attention to speed. When establishing lane width standards, setting a context appropriate driving speed is the best place to start before determining the appropriate lane width.

"The best form of traffic calming on a street that cannot accommodate speed control devices (and even those that can), may be lane narrowing."

Jonathan Larson
Transportation Division Director, Salt Lake City Corporation