Hennepin County is calling removing driving lanes from busy roads “road diet”. The justification for this unpopular move with drivers is to potentially encourage more people to move on foot or bike.
Star Tribune reports that with the blessing of St. Paul, Ramsey County will be reducing lanes in some of the busiest intersections in Minnesota.
Erin Laberee, a Ramsey County engineer and deputy director of program delivery, makes them “safer for both pedestrians and vehicles. We do see a reduction in severe crashes. There is some increased congestion because of it, but the trade-off is worth it.”
The increased road traffic however can also be dangerous. Minneapolis is already known for frustrating traffic and Metro residents will have to deal with more construction and traffic in the near future.
A report by Center of the American Experiment shows that traffic has quadrupled in the last thirty years and congestion costs Minnesota over $4 billion per year in wasted time and increase business costs.
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