Comments on: Removing Lines as a Traffic Calming Measure: Data, anyone?

By: Tom Bertulis

Tom Bertulis — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 02:33:40 +0000

Great question - thanks for posting Tom!

I’m currently doing research on the topic, and I can let you know how that turns out.

It’s nice to hear everybody’s comments - I just wanted to put in my two cents …

I can refer folks to before/after studies that point to the benefits (such as reduced speed and reduced crash rate, etc, etc) of removing centerlines. In the UK, there is the study done in Wiltshire County. Just go to this website and do a search for Wiltshire (about half way down.)

http://www.bikewalk.org/2006conference/vconference/schedulefull.html

There is also a centerline removal case studies report, focusing on Germany, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. The study is called “Core Traffic Lanes” and can be found here:

http://www.lulu.com/product/file-download/best-practice-5-002-europe-core-traffic-lanes/963983

Also information on the Dutch equivalent can be found here, under the section marked Shared Bicycle Lanes:

http://wiki.coe.neu.edu/groups/nl2011transpo/wiki/e2b66/6_Shared_Bicycle_Lanes.html

Moreover, in August of this year, Minneapolis became the first city in the nation (to my knowledge) to remove centerlines and install “advisory bike lanes.” The bike lanes are six feet wide and the space left over in the middle of the road for two-way traffic is only 14 feet wide. Impressive. I believe this will catch on around the country. Information can be found here:

http://bikewalktwincities.org/projects/minneapolis-downtown/14th/15th/16th-street-s

By the way, John’s comment above regarding the MUTCD is right on. The MUTCD states that if a road does not have 6,000 vehicles per day then it does not need a centerline. That street in Wilmette most likely does not need a centerline. At the very least, it should be removed to test what the effect is with the option to reinstall it if the community so desires.

To see the details from the MUTCD, download it and go to Section 3B.01, which clearly spells out current centerline requirements. It can be downloaded from here:

http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/kno_2009.htm

By: Sam

Sam — Fri, 27 May 2011 01:32:37 +0000

I live in Covington, KY on a wide street without any lines; I have been convinced since we moved here that the lack of lines is the primary reason that most drivers obey the speed limit. It is a busy street with pedestrian traffic that almost equals the automobile traffic. Lines only add to the idea that the road is for cars — only cars.
IMO one-way streets should be eliminated. They destroy neighborhoods and raise speeds.
Why not create angled parking on one side of the road - this would add space for cars and narrow the road. Most automobiles have a turning radius that would permit entry into the spaces from either side of the road. I suppose that cars backing out into traffic could be a bad.

By: Martin

Martin — Thu, 19 May 2011 13:54:34 +0000

A low-ish cost solution that they use here in Switzerland is to have periodic constrictions in the road for crosswalks. Because your road is so wide, it would need both inlets from the sidewalk, and a center island. Both of those features could have flowers or shrubbery to look nice. Drivers have to slow down to keep their cars from bashing into the curbs jutting into the road, and they stay slow because the next crosswalk is too close for them to bother speeding up. They often do this trick as you enter a village (sometimes with raised crosswalks that function as speed bumps).

By: Jim

Jim — Thu, 19 May 2011 12:24:23 +0000

@aaron, that’s what a traffic study will determine. Efforts such as chicanes, curb extensions/bulb outs, and speed humps are relatively inexpensive, especially compared to complete repaving projects. Ultimately, the most immediate and cost effective measure might be an increased police presence to enfore speeds, especially during peak traffic periods (rush hours).

By: aaron

aaron — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 22:59:18 +0000

Before engaging in “traffic calming”, it would probably be a good idea to determine if its a good idea in the first place.

By: Big Wayne

Big Wayne — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 20:13:52 +0000

———- my observation is that the Botts’ dots (on my local freeways ) has decreased lane changes, resulting in slow-moving (relatively…) cars occupying the “fast” lanes . nobody moves to the right - allowing faster cars to pass . . .

Big

By: Bob Widlansky

Bob Widlansky — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 08:06:16 +0000

The street in question (Greenleaf) was a brick street at one time.
And Wilmette has a program to restore brick streets.
The street one block south was just restored recently.
The problem is (1) the Village idiots removed the bricks for some unknown reason when they did sewer work about 10 years ago, and (2) the Village has no money to fund brick restoration right now.
Bummer.

By: John

John — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 22:06:56 +0000

Lee,
Wilmette has lots of narrow brick, tree-lined streets. They do work great for traffic calming, for everyone except the bicycles with skinny tires like me

By: Bob Widlansky

Bob Widlansky — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 20:25:18 +0000

Thank you for all the great answers!

In particular, John from Evanston.. can you please email me at RestoreGreenleaf@Gmail.com ? I could use your advice.

You are spot on - there is no reason whatsoever for Greenleaf to have a centerline. To be Village Engineering department is not exactly the most enlightened.

Thanks,
Bob

By: Lee Watkins

Lee Watkins — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 17:22:17 +0000

This won’t help Bob since they have no operating budget,
but brick streets with no lines make cars drive as slow as you will ever see, because of the noise and vibrations they produce for the driver. As a result there’s never any accidents here, except on some of the main roads which are paved. They also last at least 50-100 years, compared to about asphalt which needs to be paved frequently at much greater long-term expense. Actually brick streets would be best for a town that has no budget, because they cost less to maintain. You only have to replace the bricks that are cracked every once in a while, and if there’s road work you can reuse the same bricks again.

This is a street near my house, here in the Greektown/Highlandtown area of Baltimore. http://www.monumentalcity.net/streets/paving/fleetbrick.jpg

People rarely get above 15/20MPH. I find that it’s perfectly fine for bicycles if you have an upright sprung saddle, like an old 3-speed Scwinn/Raleigh. These bricks are texturized paving bricks, so people don’t slip on them like you’d see on some newer brick projects.