Road Diets and Roundabouts Paul Zykofsky, AICP Local Government Commission Sacramento, CA

“Classic Road Diet” 4 to 3 lanes San Antonio TX In most people’s minds, this is what is understood by the term road diet. We’ll discuss it, but show some other options. 4 to 3 lanes San Antonio TX 2

Road diets: reclaim street space for other uses Bike Lanes Median On-street parking A road diet typically reduces the number of travel lanes on a road, and dedicates the space to other uses. Road diets usually result in enough room to provide bike lanes, but that’s not the only benefit. Center Turn-Lane Road diets: reclaim street space for other uses Seattle WA 3

3 crash types can be reduced by going from 4 to 3 lanes: 1 – rear enders X Road Diets and Traffic Operations 4 4

3 crash types can be reduced by going from 4 to 3 lanes: 2 – side swipes X Road Diets and Traffic Operations 5 5

3 crash types can be reduced by going from 4 to 3 lanes: 3 – left turn/broadside X Road Diets and Traffic Operations 6 6

Road Diets in Seattle (4 to 3 lanes)

Benefits of road diets for bicyclists and pedestrians? Provide space to add bicycle lanes Reduce crossing distance Eliminate or reduce “multiple threat” crash types Install crossing island to cross in 2 simple steps Reduce top end travel speeds Buffer sidewalk from travel lanes (parking or bike lane) Reclaim street space for “higher and better use” than moving peak hour traffic Animated – let participants give some answers before clicking. They probably won’t get all of them, that’s okay. 8

Before Charlotte NC

After Before Reclaiming road space creates room for bicycle lanes and pedestrian islands Charlotte NC

Case study: Edgewater Drive Resurfacing Project (Orlando, FL) $589,000 project scheduled in FDOT 5-year work plan FDOT open to 3-lane option if City takes over jurisdiction Changes must be accepted by neighborhood and business associations; before/after studies Before Concept

Reality: Before

Reality: After

Before/after studies: 1. Crash rate 34% Reduction 1 crash every 2.5 days 1 crash every 4.2 days (146 per yr) (87 per yr)

Before/after studies: 2. Injury rate 68% Reduction 1 injury every 9 days (41 per yr) 1 injury every 30 days (12 per yr)

Before/after studies: 3. Speeding analysis

Before/after studies: 4. Traffic volumes Now 21,000+

Before/after studies: 5. On-street parking utilization

Before/after studies: 6. Pedestrian volumes 23% Increase

Before/after studies: 7. Bicyclist volumes 30% Increase

Road Diet — Before Pottstown, PA There are many possibilities; a typical 5-lane can be converted to (next slide) Road Diet — Before Pottstown, PA

Road Diet — After Pottstown, PA 3-lanes with bike lanes. Note on one side parallel parking was changed to back-in diagonal parking, much better for cyclists and drivers. Road Diet — After Pottstown, PA

There’s potential on one-way streets too: One-way streets have high potential, as they tend to be overbuilt. In this example, most of the street is underutilized. This photo was taken off-peak, but it is the way the street looks most of the day. There’s potential on one-way streets too: Is this street operating at capacity? Boise ID 23

One-way streets have high potential, as they tend to be overbuilt One-way streets have high potential, as they tend to be overbuilt. Many 4-lane two-way streets were converted to 4-lane one-way streets with no analysis. In many cases, 3 lanes in one direction carries traffic just as well. In this example, the street life came about after the roadway was narrowed form 4 to 3 lanes, crating space for bike lanes and wider sidewalks. Road Diet on one-way street: This area was recaptured from a 4th travel lane; the street took on a whole new life Portland OR 24

68 Feet La Jolla Boulevard, Bird Rock, San Diego, California Before

La Jolla Boulevard, Bird Rock, San Diego, California After 14 Feet La Jolla Boulevard, Bird Rock, San Diego, California After

La Jolla Boulevard, Bird Rock, San Diego After

La Jolla Boulevard, Bird Rock, San Diego After

Roundabouts Benefits: Injuries and crashes reduced 90% 30% more traffic capacity Gateway entry Pedestrian-friendly Low traffic speeds Reduced noise Reduced emissions Reduced maintenance Business-friendly

Roundabout design characteristics Separated sidewalk to direct peds to crosswalks Slow speed exit Splitter island Truck apron Lots of deflection for slow speeds throughout Crosswalk 1 car length back Animated. The red line indicates the path a vehicle travels through a roundabout. Start at the upper left and read items counterclockwise. Click to animate the red line just before you get to the “Slow speed entry” item. Urban roundabouts are designed for operating speeds of about 20-23 MPH. Slow speed entry with yield Bend OR

Roundabouts are safer 32 vehicle-to- vehicle conflicts 24 vehicle-to- pedestrian conflicts “Results of this study indicate that converting conventional intersections from stop sign or traffic signal control can produce substantial reductions in motor vehicle crashes.” March 2000 Study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Roundabouts improve safety at intersections by slowing the speed of vehicles and reducing the number of conflicts. The Institute of Highway Safety issued a report in 2000 that studied the impact of roundabouts on crashes and analyzed data from 24 intersections that were converted from stop sign or traffic signal control to roundabouts. The “before and after” study found reductions of 39 percent for all crash severities combined and 76 percent for all injury crashes. Reductions in the number of fatal and incapacitating injury crashes were estimated to be about 90 percent. The report concluded that “Results of this study indicate that converting conventional intersections from stop sign or traffic signal control can produce substantial reductions in motor vehicle crashes.” 8 vehicle-to-vehicle conflicts 8 vehicle-to- pedestrian conflicts

Before After One pedestrian fatality per year Bradenton Beach, FL, Intersection of State Routes 684 and 789 After Zero pedestrian fatalities in over 8 years Roundabouts can serve as gateways and can help revitalize a neighborhood as was the case at this intersection on a state highway in Bradenton Beach, Florida which was claiming one pedestrian fatality every year. Since the roundabout was installed over eight years ago there have been no pedestrian fatalities.

Roundabouts and Pedestrians

18 mph 18 mph

14 feet Grand Junction, Colorado

Sacramento, CA West River Drive and Orchard Lane

Sacramento, CA West River Drive and Orchard Lane

Roundabouts and Bicyclists

Montpelier, VT

University Place, WA

Davis, CA

Roundabouts, Trucks and Fire Departments

Petaluma, CA — Roundabout at Corona Road and Sonoma Mountain Parkway

Petaluma, CA — Roundabout at Corona Road and Sonoma Mountain Parkway Fire Station #2, 1001 N. McDowell Blvd. Petaluma, CA — Roundabout at Corona Road and Sonoma Mountain Parkway

Petaluma, CA — Roundabout at Corona Road and Sonoma Mountain Parkway Mountable Curb for large trucks, emergency responders Petaluma, CA — Roundabout at Corona Road and Sonoma Mountain Parkway

Mountable Curb can be used by large trucks, emergency responders Fort Pierce, FL

Roundabout problems for blind pedestrians: This slides explains the problems reported by blind pedestrians, especially at multi-lane roundabouts. Note it has some design flaws: the tangents allow drivers to exit at high speed. Roundabout problems for blind pedestrians: Circulating traffic masks the sound cues the blind use to identify gaps and masks the sound of yielding vehicles Tangential circulating roadway, tangential exit => high speed (worse at 2-lane roundabouts) Towson MD 8-50 50