Funding

Road Diets can be funded from a number of different sources based on the needs of the agency. Road Diets are typically eligible for Surface Transportation Program (STP), Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) or other Federal-aid funds where data support the expenditure. Agencies may also have the opportunity to use funding from Safe Routes to School, pedestrian, bicycle and transit programs. A Road Diet can also be implemented cost-effectively by incorporating it into a planned resurfacing project by simply adjusting the striping plans.

"We planned our Road Diet installation as part of the overlay, so there was no additional cost to the construction budget."

–Robert Rocchio, Rhode Island DOT

Outreach

According to the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission's Regional Road Diet Analysis Feasibility Assessment, "Education and outreach play a critical role in the success of a Road Diet. Many projects have demonstrated that public opposition can be strong in the early stages of a project. However, with committed stakeholders and an organized education and outreach program, the public can be better informed about the advantages and disadvantages of Road Diets."⁷

Agencies can also use the trial basis approach to appeal to communities where Road Diets may be feasible but are not embraced locally. During the trial basis time period, a series of before-and-after operational studies can be completed; some preliminary crash analysis can be performed; and surveys can be conducted among adjacent land owners, first responders, etc. If the trial yields positive results, consider implementing a more permanent Road Diet conversion. The trial basis approach is an effective way to demonstrate the safety countermeasure to a community.

The Genesee County Metropolitan Planning Commission uses an educational outreach approach for Road Diets and involves representatives from all modes of traffic, elected officials, and local agency partners from the beginning of the planning process.

Design

As with any project development process, practitioners designing a Road Diet should take into account the principles and practices that guide design decisions, including geometric design and operational design. Common geometric and operational features or characteristics that should be considered during Road Diet design are:

• Road Function and context – rural, urban, suburban neighborhood, etc.
• Design controls – design vehicles, drivers, non-motorized users, speed
• Elements of design – sight distance, horizontal and vertical alignment, superelevation, access management
• Cross sectional elements and allocation – lane widths, median, pedestrian refuge island, shoulders, bicycle facilities, parking, bus turnouts, drainage, etc.
• Intersection design – alignment and profile of intersection approaches, intersection sight distance, right turn lanes, bicycle and pedestrian design considerations, signal timing changes, adjustment of signal heads, roundabouts, corner radii
• Pavement marking and signing

A Road Diet on Ingersoll Avenue in Des Moines, Iowa, included bus turn outs in the design

On 55th Street in Chicago, the Road Diet design included parking-protected bike lanes and a shared lane at intersections for transit and bicycles

Additional resources to assist designers in the completion of Road Diet plans:

• FHWA's Functional Classification Guidelines and Updated Guidance for the Functional Classification of Highways
• AASHTO's A Guide for Achieving Flexibility in Highway Design
• FHWA's Flexibility in Highway Design
• FHWA's A User's Guide to Positive Guidance
• FHWA Handbook for Designing Roadways for the Aging Population
• AASHTO's Guide for the Planning, Design, and Operation of Pedestrian Facilities
• AASHTO's Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities
• NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide
• ITE Designing Walkable Urban Thoroughfares
• TCRP Report 19 Guidelines for the Location and Design of Bus Stops