A controversial road diet has faced disapproval from local business owners, but data shows a significant reduction in crashes and a minimal increase in congestion.
After implementing a controversial road diet, the city of Lakeland, Florida has seen a 12% drop in crashes in the area, reports Staci DaSilva for WFLA. Last September, the city reduced one mile of South Florida Avenue to three lanes (down from four) and widened the remaining lanes to the industry-standard 11 feet, placing temporary concrete buffers between the sidewalk and traffic lanes.
Some local business owners have expressed disapproval for the redesigned street, claiming that they are losing customers frustrated by increased congestion and expressing concern about access for emergency vehicles. City officials say that, according to the data, the road diet has only added an average of 60 seconds to the time it takes to traverse the affected stretch of road, and the number of vehicles passing through the area on a daily basis hasn't changed. Other locals support the project, arguing that "the new setup is not only safer, but actually good for business." In a phenomenon dubbed "good congestion," a mild slowdown "allows drivers to pay attention to local storefronts."
The city will accept public suggestions for how to utilize the buffer space and make the changes permanent.
FULL STORY: Lakeland ‘road diet’ leads to fewer crashes, more congestion, city officials say
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Princeton Planning
City of College Park
Houston-Galveston Area Council
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Spearfish
City of Lomita
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
