RochesterSubway.com : Put My Road on a Diet

Put My Road on a Diet

April 20th, 2011

Over the past few years Rochester has seen several area roadways slimmed down. East and University Avenues in the City and route 590 and Saint Paul Boulevard heading up to the lake have all been reduced from 4 lanes to 2 (usually with a center turning lane). Dan Burden of the Walkable and Livable Communities Institute coined the phrase “road diet”. Basically, a road diet is when one or more auto lanes are removed and replaced with either a center turning lane, bike lanes, wider shoulders, wider sidewalks or any combination of those things.

Personally, I LOVE this. Not only do less auto lanes make me feel more at ease as a pedestrian or riding my bike… but as a driver, I’ve found that I’m much more relaxed when I’m not thinking about the speedy jackass who’s trying to pass me from the righthand lane. And what’s good for my blood pressure is good for everyone. Believe me.

But before you make up your mind, take a look at this video from Streetfilms…

A while back I contacted the Monroe County Dept. of Transportation and made some suggestions for lane reductions in my own neighborhood. I was told that while there are a few more county roads that are candidates, lane reductions are considered only when the road pavement reaches the end of it’s lifespan and is scheduled for resurfacing. At that point careful consideration must be made based on auto traffic data. I was also told that opponents to these road diets have been vocal. And that opposition can weigh heavily on the decision.

So I’m curious to know what you all think. Do road diets make you angry? If so why? Or, if you’re in favor, what are some streets in Rochester that you’d like to see slimmed down?

Tags: Dan Burden, East Avenue, road diet, Rochester, Rochester NY, University Avenue, video, Walkable and Livable Communities Institute

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 20th, 2011 at 11:38 pm and is filed under Opinion, Transit + Infrastructure. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

5 Responses to “Put My Road on a Diet”

Adrian says:

April 21, 2011 at 11:05 am

Definitely makes some of my co-workers angry, who demand the ability to speed through the city at 50mph on their way to their suburban homes. Personally I am all in favor of it (as I expect anyone who reads this website would be).
Matthew McDermott says:

April 21, 2011 at 3:01 pm

Great post and video on this topic. I find that when East Ave had the extra lane in each direction that it was still a little too close for comfort and you’d end up with a variety of unsafe lane changes as people stopped to turn left in what was a then a traffic lane. With the current configuration, it seems more efficient as well as providing extra space for cars making turns, not to mention an easier/safer environment for people riding bikes. I think we should do more of this where we can.
Jeff says:

April 21, 2011 at 3:28 pm

I think the road diet is a great idea. I used to hate driving down East Ave. before they slimmed it down, but feel much more comfortable.

East Ridge Rd. in Irondequoit could definitely use a road diet. Last year, the stretch in front of Eastridge HS was slimmed down and is now much safer, but the rest of the road from Culver to the West is a mess.
RochesterSubway.com says:

April 22, 2011 at 12:01 am

Man I’d love to forward these comments to the Monroe County DOT and the City. I believe for every person who complains there are at least twice as many out there who like the changes. I’d hate for our planners to reverse the trend because of the angry minority.

Jeff, you’re right on… East Ridge Road is in dire need of a reconfiguration (if nothing else). The sidewalks are far too narrow and nearly impassable in several spots, there are too many driveways everywhere (very dangerous), the telephone poles and electric wires are unsightly, there are zero trees/greenery…

I could go on all day. Instead I think I’ll write some targeted letters/emails. I’d suggest you all do the same.
Michael Brandt says:

January 11, 2013 at 1:01 pm

I am not in favor of the “Road Diet”, especially at intersections when someone needs to make a Left Hand Turn. There is no way to get arround them. Add a few inches of snow, and now a commute down East Avenue or University becomes a 2 hour commute.

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Put My Road on a Diet

5 Responses to “Put My Road on a Diet”

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