A stylist had just started her shift at a salon in Kansas City, Missouri, when a car crashed through a storefront window, landing just a few feet away in the waiting area.
Incidents like this have become so frequent along 31st Avenue that local business owners often text each other about Vehicle damage. The thoroughfare, favored by drivers as a shortcut between major highways, sees them speeding along a four-lane road flanked by shops, bars, and restaurants.
“The wide road gives a false sense of security, leading people to think, ‘We can drive as fast as we want,'” remarked Ryan Ferrell, who owns the building that houses the aforementioned bookstore and apartments.
When it comes to Concrete sidewalk barriers, Ferrell and other local business leaders have faced challenges.
Eliminating a lane is a strategy many cities have adopted over the years to mitigate traffic issues, despite pushback from some Republican governors. The Trump administration has also been critical of this approach.
Federal transportation officials previously indicated that road diets could lead to crash reductions ranging from 19% to 47%, but upcoming standards for Traffic Safety Subsidies imply that projects aimed at “reducing lane capacity” should now be viewed as “less desirable,” according to administration guidelines.
The U.S. Department of Transport warns that forcing travelers into narrower spaces might exacerbate crashes and create instability, potentially leading to a false sense of safety that endangers everyone. “This update reflects the department’s concerns regarding safety hazards stemming from overcrowded roadways,” they stated.
Adding gas lines while reducing traffic lanes
A Kansas City, Missouri woman and her dog were part of the “road diet” on April 17, 2025, where the city transitioned 31st Avenue from four lanes to two to reduce speeding and accidents.
Kansas City saved funds when it transformed 31st Avenue in 2022, as the gas line replacement was already scheduled. Shared turn lanes were created near signalized intersections, limiting traffic to one lane in each direction, thus improving pedestrian intersections and protecting street parking spaces.
The road diet has now become a routine part of the Kansas City infrastructure process during street renovations. For years, Federal Guidelines have stated that lane reductions are generally suitable for roads with fewer than 25,000 vehicles per day. Most of the city’s four-lane roads do not meet this criterion.
Bobby Evans, an urban planner at the Central American Regional Council, who has worked on the Kansas City road diet, deems the strategy “a significant success” and considers it one of the most effective tools to reduce speed, crashes, and injuries.
“In the field of architecture, this is what we refer to as environmental determinism,” Evans explains. “The goal is to create conditions where drivers cannot comfortably exceed the speed limit. It’s not about slowing them down; it’s about returning them to the speed limit.”
Rethinking the need for speed
Many cities attribute the success of road diets to improved safety statistics.
Philadelphia reported a 19% decrease in injury crashes. In Portland, Oregon, over 70% of vehicles exceeding speed limits by at least 10 mph (16 kph) have decreased. In Fort Lauderdale, Florida, average speeds on certain roads fell by 5 mph (8 kph) shortly after similar measures were implemented.
However, Jay Beaver, executive director for policy at the National Driver Association, a driver advocacy group, mentioned that many road diets result from inappropriate decisions aimed at reducing vehicle access. While road diets can lower vehicle counts, the traffic must be redirected elsewhere, he warned.
“Those cars have to end up somewhere,” he noted. “Vehicles behave like water; they seek their level.”
Leah Shahum, the head of Vision Zero Network, a nonprofit advocating for street safety, emphasized that road diets are cost-effective and have been backed by extensive research. Despite the setbacks from some states led by Republican governors, she expressed uncertainty about how the new Trump administration guidelines might affect the implementation of these proven safety measures.
“We genuinely hope that this doesn’t overshadow the use of this effective safety strategy,” Shahum remarked. “That would be a significant setback.”
No adverse effects on emergency vehicles
The Trump administration’s Department of Transportation has expressed concerns regarding the impact on delivery and emergency vehicles.
Research from the University of Iowa, examining first responder response times in Cedar Rapids, found no significant changes due to the implementation of road diets. However, it was noted that education is needed for drivers on yielding to ambulances using center turn lanes to navigate around traffic.
Carla Haman, co-author of the study and associate professor of epidemiology, mentioned she did not recall significant reports of EMS or fire trucks being impeded in their responses.
“The road diet did not lead to any traffic jams severe enough to delay those services,” she stated.
Resistance to road diets during the Trump administration
Skepticism around road diets was already rising in some red states prior to the Trump administration.
San Antonio spent years crafting plans to rehabilitate the state-owned portion of Broadway Street by removing lanes and enhancing spaces for cyclists and pedestrians. However, in 2022, the state reclaimed control of the road, stalling the project amid GOP Governor Greg Abbott’s reelection campaign, which criticized the anti-car initiative.
“They effectively turned Broadway into a political football,” remarked Brian Martin, owner of Bronco Bike, an electric bike repair shop.
Florida’s Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, enacted a law last year that demands a 180-day review period and other stipulations before local governments can eliminate lanes. He argues this measure deters activists from intentionally obstructing roads and hindering vehicles.
Not all opposition stems from GOP-led states. During the pandemic, Culver City, California, tried implementing a road diet focusing on walkability, cycling, and public transport but reversed its course when traffic rebounded.
Additionally, residents in Vancouver, Washington, filed a suit claiming the road diet should have been subjected to a public vote.
“I’ve observed instances where cars are passing by on the shoulders and bike lanes,” remarked one opponent, Justin Wood. “This creates more opportunities for conflict.”
Evans, a planner in Kansas City, acknowledges that while road diets aim to curb reckless driving, they cannot eliminate all hazardous behavior.
“If someone is determined to drive 12 miles over the speed limit, they will find a way, regardless of road design,” he noted.
Source: apnews.com