Opinion: Wider Eureka Road North Leads to Increased Speed & Traffic Control Issues

Note: At the Feb. 12, 2024 Shorewood City Council meeting,  during matters from the floor, Eureka Road North neighbor Jeff Wyatt spoke in support of maintaining the current width of the street and doing only a mill and overlay.  As part of his comments he provided the following informational resources:

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A Wider Eureka Road Leads to Increases in Traffic plus Speed & Traffic Control Issues

Here are six facts supporting this:

1. Wider Roads Increase Traffic Volume: According to 2023 Victoria Transport Policy Institute report, widening roads creates a phenomenon known as induced demand. This occurs when the expansion of road capacity attract more drivers, resulting in an overall increase in traffic volume. Mapping systems and ride-sharing apps will also increase route volumes.

https://vtpi.org/gentraf.pdf

2.  Skinny Roads Save Lives: Wider roads give drivers a false sense of security, leading to an increase in driving speed. Last month, a Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health report recommended street lane widths of 9 feet, citing significant increases in crashes (1.5 times more) when width increases to 12 feet.

https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2023/narrower-traffic-lanes-in-cities-could-help-lower-risk-of-traffic-related-collisions

3. Wide Roads Increase Pedestrian Accidents: Wider roads pose safety challenges for pedestrians. This results in higher rates of pedestrian accidents and fatalities. SRTS Guide indicates narrower lanes can reduce motor vehicle speed and may reduce total pedestrian crashes. Every mile per hour counts. Numerous studies indicate a pedestrian hit by a car traveling 30mph is 7 to 9 times as likely to be killed as one hit by a car traveling 20mph.

http://guide.saferoutesinfo.org/engineering/narrow_lanes.cfm

4. Speed Control Methods Less Effective on Wider Streets: Measures such as reduced speed limits are less effective, due to the tendency of drivers to exceed speed limits on larger roads. According to 2021 traffic-calming report by SMATS, street width reductions narrow the roadway, causing drivers to slow down to maintain safety.

https://www.smatstraffic.com/2021/08/30/traffic-calming/

5. Wider Roads Negative Environmental impact: Wider road infrastructure leads to environmental consequences such as habitat destruction and disruption of natural ecosystems. The Center for Climate-Smart Transportation states narrower lanes ultimately minimize construction and road maintenance and also reduce environmental impacts.

https://publichealth.jhu.edu/center-for-climate-smart-transportation

6. Wider Roads Increase Maintenance Costs: A 2023 article in Strong Towns, declares that every routine project, over the years, will need to crack seal, coat, overlay, sweep and plow more surface at shockingly high costs. Lifetime costs are higher for wider streets. The article highlights a city which moved the curb inward for real financial impact.

https://www.smatstraffic.com/2021/08/30/traffic-calming/