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U.S. Department of Transportation U.S. Department of Transportation Icon United States Department of Transportation United States Department of Transportation
FHWA Highway Safety Programs

Reno, Nevada – Wells Avenue

ROAD DIET IMPROVES SAFETY FOR MOTORIZED AND NON-MOTORIZED USERS

Objective Features Results
  • Reduce crashes along the corridor
  • Improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety
  • Bicycle lanes
  • Curb extensions
  • Medians
  • Crosswalks
  • Pedestrian refuge areas
  • More than 30% decrease in overall crashes
  • Reduced pedestrian crashes by 54%
  • Reduced speeds 5-9 mph

 

Illustrative map of the 1 mile segment of Wells Avenue treated with road diets. Wells Avenue after the completion of the Road Diet. Photo: Washoe County RTC.
Wells Avenue after the completion of the Road Diet.

In the before configuration, the allocation of space on Wells Ave. is described on a cross section. From left to right, it contained an eight foot wide sidewalk, an eight foot wide dedicated parking lane, four through lanes, another eight foot wide dedicated parking lane, and an eight foot wide sidewalk. Post implementation, the cross section, from left to right, includes a ten foot sidewalk, an eight-foot wide parallel parking lane, a five foot wide bike lane, an eleven foot wide travel lane, a twelve foot wide median, an eleven foot wide travel lane, a five foot wide bike lane, an eight foot wide parallel parking lane, and a ten foot wide sidewalk.

In 2003, the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) of Washoe County installed a Road Diet on Wells Avenue between Stewart Street and South Virginia Street in Reno, Nevada. This section of Wells Avenue spans mostly commercial property. The original 4-lane cross section of Wells Avenue was converted to one vehicle lane in each direction, a center turn lane, a dedicated bicycle lane on each side, and wider sidewalks. The modification maintained the existing on-street parking on the corridor.

IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

The Road Diet on Wells Avenue was completed as a part of the RTC's Complete Streets initiative. The reconfiguration allowed for the addition of bicycle lanes and designated parking lanes, and the design integrated safety features such as curb extensions, frequent crossing opportunities, medians, pedestrian refuge islands, and lighting. To improve the aesthetics and livability of the corridor, the RTC also incorporated landscaping, benches, and public art into the project.

RESULTS

Two years after the completion of the Road Diet along Wells Avenue, the RTC reported the reductions in crashes were most evident in rear-end, angle, and overtaking sideswipe crashes, which were the most common crash types prior to the modifications. The Road Diet is also credited with reducing the number of pedestrian crashes by 54 percent.

Crash Type Before After
Angle 33 19
Pedestrian 13 6
Rear End 52 43
Sideswipe, Overtaking 13 4
Head On 0 2
Sideswipe, Meeting 0 3
Rear-to-rear 0 1
Backing 0 2
Unknown 12 5
TOTAL 123 85

 

After the Road Diet, average traffic speeds had decreased between 5 and 9 miles per hour (14-24 percent reduction).

Pedestrian crashes have been reduced by 54%

The roadway segment also experienced an approximate 10 percent drop in traffic volume (from 15,854 to 14,244 vehicles/day). Although RTC has not confirmed that the traffic has shifted to parallel streets, this sometimes occurs when a road undergoes a Road Diet.

The RTC reported no change to the road's level of service after the Road Diet implementation. The RTC speculates that this is likely due to the existence of exclusive left-turn lanes at signalized intersections. At unsignalized intersections, the exclusive two-lane left-turn lane provides improved service to main street left-turn and side street left-turn traffic.

Source: The Regional Transportation Commission of Washoe County, "Wells Avenue Traffic Study, Four-to-Three Lane Conversion, Final Report," June 1, 2008. Accessed March 23, 2015. Available at: http://www.westofwells.com/PDImages/docs2/WellsStudy%20Final.pdf