Lawrence Avenue in Chicago's Lincoln Square ballooned over the years to 4 lanes. Putting the street on a "road diet" will make it friendlier to pedestrians.
Jon Hilketvich reports that the extra lanes, which transportation engineers thought would speed things up, "...have produced, at best, only short-term improvements in traffic flow due to the ever-increasing number of vehicles."
One lane will be removed on each side of the street, and will be replaced with wider sidewalks and a bike lane on both sides. Trees, benches and better street lighting will also be added.
"It creates a picture of a place where people would want to shop and enjoy a good meal, instead of dart through as fast as possible, and a possible template for similar projects elsewhere in the city, officials said."
FULL STORY: City exploring slimmer, trimmer roads
Op-Ed: Put Chicago on a Road Diet
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Texas Moves to Curb Orphan Wells, But Critics Say Loopholes Remain
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