A recent incident at a salon on 31st Street in Kansas City, Missouri, has reignited discussions about traffic safety in urban areas. Just as stylist Ryan Ferrell was beginning her shift, a vehicle crashed through the storefront window, landing dangerously close in the waiting area.
Unfortunately, such occurrences have become alarmingly routine along this busy thoroughfare. Business owners frequently share photos documenting the aftermath of crashes caused by speeding vehicles that treat 31st Street as a shortcut between major highways.
Ryan Ferrell, who owns the property housing the salon, a bookstore, and apartments, attributes this dangerous behavior to the road’s wide design. “A wide road makes people think, ‘We’ll just drive as fast as we want on it,'” Ferrell stated.
In response to these persistent dangers, Ferrell and his fellow business leaders advocated for a “road diet,” a strategy that involves reducing the number of lanes on a road to calm traffic. This approach has seen significant success in various other cities, but it has faced scrutiny from political leadership, including the Trump administration, which has raised objections to such measures.
Historically, road diets have been recognized for their potential to reduce traffic crashes significantly—by anywhere from 19% to as much as 47%. This evidence made them a favored tool among urban planners. However, the Department of Transportation’s new guidelines suggest that road projects aimed at reducing lane capacity should be evaluated less favorably.
“Forcing travelers into more constrained spaces can lead to crashes, erratic maneuvers, and a false sense of security that puts everyone at risk,” a spokesperson from the U.S. Department of Transportation explained in an email to The Associated Press.
Kansas City recently converted 31st Street into a narrower layout while replacing a gas line, allowing for cost-effective alterations. This change resulted in one lane for each direction and a shared turn lane at intersections, alongside improved pedestrian crossings and protected parking areas.
Bobby Evans, an urban planner at the Mid-America Regional Council, described the city’s ongoing implementation of road diets during repaving efforts as a “smashing success.” He characterized the strategy as a form of “environmental determinism,” altering how drivers feel about speed limits. “You’re really not slowing them down. You’re bringing them back to the speed limit,” Evans said.
Cities around the country have reported similar positive outcomes from road diets. In Philadelphia, injury crashes dropped by 19%, while travelers in Portland, Oregon, noted a staggering 70% reduction in the number of vehicles exceeding the speed limit by 10 mph. Fort Lauderdale, Florida, also witnessed a 5 mph reduction on some roads shortly after similar adjustments.
Despite this evidence, not everyone is in favor of road diets. Jay Beeber, executive director for policy at the National Motorists Association, criticized the approach as an attempt to push vehicles off city roads. He argued that while traffic may diminish on road diet-implemented streets, the resultant congestion often shifts to surrounding roadways. “Those cars have to go somewhere. Cars are like water. They seek their own level,” Beeber asserted.
On the other hand, Leah Shahum, who leads the Vision Zero Network, emphasized the low cost and extensive research support for road diets, suggesting that they have been embraced even in Republican-led states. She expressed concern that the new guidelines from the Trump administration could deter communities from using this evidence-based safety measure.
“I certainly hope that does not bleed over into indirectly discouraging communities from using this proven safety countermeasure,” Shahum stated. “That would be a real loss.”
The Trump administration also expressed concerns regarding delivery and emergency vehicle access on roads that undergo diets. However, a study from the University of Iowa, which surveyed first responders in Cedar Rapids, found no significant delays caused by road diets.
Cara Hamann, an associate professor of epidemiology who co-authored the study, stated there were no notable examples of emergency vehicles being unable to navigate through areas affected by road diets. She added, “The road diet didn’t cause a level of congestion that slowed them down.”
Even before the Trump administration’s policies, resistance to road diets was emerging in several red states. In San Antonio, a project to repurpose a section of Broadway Street was thwarted when Texas reclaimed control of the roadway, aligning with the political agenda of GOP Governor Greg Abbott during his reelection campaign.
In Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis introduced legislation requiring an extensive review before local governments could eliminate lanes, a move critics claim hinders effective traffic management.
Not all resistance comes solely from conservative states, as demonstrated in Culver City, California. There, a road diet aimed at facilitating walking, biking, and public transportation faced backlash when traffic congestion became untenable, prompting city officials to reverse their decision.
In Vancouver, Washington, residents even filed lawsuits against the city, demanding public votes on road diet implementations. One opponent expressed concerns about increased driving hazards, saying, “I’ve seen people passing in the shoulder or the bike lane. It creates more opportunity for conflict.”
Bobby Evans remains firm in his belief that while road diets have tangible benefits, they are not a panacea. “If you are bound and determined to go 12 miles over the speed limit on a three-lane road, you’re going to have to engage in some stupid, dangerous driving,” Evans acknowledged.
As debates continue around the effectiveness and safety implications of road diets, it’s clear that the future of traffic management remains a contentious topic across the United States.
image source from：https://whyy.org/articles/philadelphia-trump-transportation-road-diets-speeding/
