Proven Safety Countermeasures

Road Diets
(Roadway Reconfiguration)

U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration

FHWA-SA-17-066

Road Diets
(Roadway Reconfiguration)

A "Road Diet," or roadway reconfiguration, can improve safety, calm traffic, provide better mobility and access for all road users, and enhance overall quality of life.

SAFETY BENEFIT:

4-Lane → 3-Lane
Road Diet Conversions
19-47%
Reduction in total crashes

Source: Evaluation of Lane Reduction "Road Diet" Measures on Crashes, FHWA-HRT-10-053.

Source: City of Orlando, Florida

A Road Diet typically involves converting an existing four-lane undivided roadway to a three-lane roadway consisting of two through lanes and a center two-way left-turn lane (TWLTL).

Source: Leidos

Benefits of Road Diet installations may include:

• An overall crash reduction of 19 to 47 percent.
• Reduction of rear-end and left-turn crashes due to the dedicated left-turn lane.
• Reduced right-angle crashes as side street motorists cross three versus four travel lanes.
• Fewer lanes for pedestrians to cross.
• Opportunity to install pedestrian refuge islands, bicycle lanes, on-street parking, or transit stops.
• Traffic calming and more consistent speeds.
• A more community-focused, "Complete Streets" environment that better accommodates the needs of all road users.

A Road Diet can be a low-cost safety solution when planned in conjunction with a simple pavement overlay, and the reconfiguration can be accomplished at no additional cost.

For more information on this and other FHWA Proven Safety Countermeasures, please visit
https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/provencountermeasures.