A temporary restriping of Eighth Street from four lanes to three lanes has reduced speeds in the corridor but generated “problematic” backups during rush hour, according to a consultant who presented traffic data from the experiment at last night's city commission meeting.

URS Corporation Principal Traffic Engineer Michael DeVries says Eighth Street has improved from “a safety perspective” due to the restriping, noting motorists are now traveling more slowly along the corridor during non-peak periods. A report from the city engineering department showed a 21 percent decrease in enforceable speed violations observed on the road since the configuration change. DeVries also told commissioners that peak-hour traffic volumes on the road have largely been unaffected by the restriping.
However, DeVries said he was concerned about long queues developing between Boardman and Woodmere Avenues during peak times, in particular 5-5:30pm. Some traffic to neighboring streets has also increased, with a 50 percent increase in daily traffic observed on Railroad Avenue (1,099 to 1,619 cars per day, all northbound).

DeVries provided several suggested tweaks to the experiment during the planned one-year study period to improve conditions on Eighth Street under the new lane configuration. Recommendations included increasing the storage of the eastbound right-turn from Eighth Street onto Woodmere Avenue, increasing the density of bicycle markings, providing consistent five-foot bike lanes in each direction, implementing a “right-in, right-out” policy at Railroad Avenue, and prohibiting westbound left turns at Depot View Drive.

Commissioners could consider implementing some or all of those changes this spring, according to DeVries, to give the city time to observe their impact before peak vehicle loads hit next summer.