Columnist Reacts as Complete Streets Come to Lawrence, Kansas

Chad Lawhorn reports, and comments, on changes to 31st Street between Louisiana and Haskell in Lawrence, Kansas. Lawhorn breaks down the $4 million investment in street that will add a singular presence to Lawrence's transportation infrastructure:

"For starters, it is a street that is one lane in each direction, but those single lanes are separated by a median…. In addition, the street continues a new trend of narrow lanes for traffic. The street features 11-foot wide lanes, rather than what used to be the standard 12-foot lanes. The street also has no curb and gutters. Stormwater is meant to soak into the ground surrounding the project, or runoff through natural means. And if you have ever questioned Lawrence’s commitment to being pedestrian or bicycle friendly, drive this street. There is a 10-foot wide multi-use path on the south side of the street and a 6-foot wide sidewalk on the north side of the street. In addition, the street has two four-foot lanes that aren’t technically wide enough to be labeled bike lanes, but they’re certainly wide enough for bikers to use."

Lawhorn's column includes more than one moment of editorializing that walks a very fine line between bewildered and perturbed, but it also reads as a kind of litmus for how many people (i.e., not regular readers of sites like Streetsblog, Curbed, or Planetizen) react when local roadways get the complete streets treatment.