Does street width affect traffic speeds and safety?
Narrowing street widths is a tool generally considered along with numerous other Traffic Calming measures to allow streets to operate in concert with the surrounding neighborhood. Studies comparing ‘before and after’ speeds and volumes at locations where roadways were narrowed have found that both are typically reduced by 5 – 10 percent. (Source: TRB Circular E-CO19: Urban Street Symposium). International research on narrowing of roadways within certain limits has shown a 74 percent reduction in collision frequency. (Source: E.
