It has been reported that Buttles Street has seen an increase in crashes because of the road diet. What is happening there?

In the first year of the road diet trial (from May 2018 to May 2019), 37 accidents were reported in the trial area, compared to 26 crashes for the same timeframe in the previous year. While traffic accidents are never an ideal situation, it’s not uncommon for areas to experience an increase in traffic crashes for a brief time period after experiencing a change in traffic patterns. In fact, the 42% increase in year-over-year traffic accidents (26 versus 37) is not the largest percentage increase in accidents this corridor has seen in the past 5 years. 

In 17 of the 37 crashes reported in the trial area since data collection began, a motorist disregarded a traffic control signal (ran a red light or stop sign) on Buttles or a cross street and experienced a collision. These types of crashes are almost exclusively attributable to driver error and are not likely to have been caused by the lane reduction on Buttles Street.

Show All Answers

1. Who was responsible for initiating the US 10 Corridor Study in 2015?
2. Who are the stakeholders that asked for this?
3. Why were earlier trials conducted before the current trial was started?
4. Why are there three lanes now? If they were needed before, why aren’t they needed now?
5. What is the purpose of the road diet trial now taking place?
6. What is the long term goal?
7. How does a lane reduction better connect downtown to the surrounding community?
8. Are corridor improvements only being considered to benefit the immediately surrounding properties?
9. What data is being collected during the current trial period?
10. What is the plan for evaluating the lane reduction?
11. Why are we considering closing a lane of traffic to accommodate bicyclists?
12. I don’t see pedestrians or bicyclists using the closed lane on Buttles Street. Doesn’t this show that the trial isn’t working and the lane closure is not needed?
13. Wouldn’t it be better to stop the trial until all construction downtown is finished?
14. It has been reported that Buttles Street has seen an increase in crashes because of the road diet. What is happening there?
15. How will this impact emergency vehicles traveling through the corridor?
16. Has future development, growth, and increased pedestrian usage been considered?
17. What has already been decided by City Council?
18. The decision on this trial has already been made. Why should I participate in any future meetings?
19. How can I share my experiences in the corridor with the City?
20. What happens to my comments after I submit them in writing to the City?
21. Does the City compile other communications about the road diet, such as letters to the editor in the Midland Daily News or posts on social media outlets?
22. How will City Council address the public feedback it receives?
23. The plastic bollards in place are ugly and make the area unattractive. Can’t we do something that looks better?
24. Why is the trial taking so long to complete? When will it end?
25. What happens at the end of the trial period?
26. Are there plans to do the same on Indian Street?
27. Who will be paying for any future changes to the road and what would the timeframe be to start construction?
28. How have road diets benefited other communities?