FAQ Topic: Rainier Avenue Paving and Traffic Calming

DRIVING LANES According to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), converting four traffic lanes to three lanes – one travel lane in each direction with a center left-turn lane – can improve safety and traffic flow while adding benefits for pedestrians and cyclists.¹  Converting four traffic lanes to three makes the street safer by reducing vehicle … Continued

WIDE STREET  Wide streets and traffic lanes can encourage vehicles to speed, especially when the streets are greatly over-sized, i.e., road capacity is not used. While Rainier Avenue serves about 6,200 vehicles per day, the street is designed for over six times that amount!. Because speeding is commonplace on Rainier, there have been many avoidable … Continued