Why add shoulders to the road? Won’t they just encourage faster driving and increase pedestrian traffic?
The 4-foot shoulders address the run off the road crashes occurring along the corridor. Shoulders are proven method of reducing run-off-the road crashes. When drivers mistakenly drift out of the lane, a paved shoulder increases the chance for the drivers to safely right themselves. When run-off-the road crashes do occur, paved shoulders reduce the severity of these accidents. See Oregon Department of Transportation handout on roadway shoulders (pdf).
