Road Diet for Verdugo Road in Glendale:
A Proven Way to Slow Speeders 2

Reducing the number of car lanes, and dedicating that space to bicycle paths, walkways, and street parking has reduced the number and severity of accidents in cities that have implemented and tested such “road diets.” Glendale traffic engineers are considering a “road diet” for Verdugo Road, and the Glendale Safe and Healthy Streets Plan recommends similar engineering solutions throughout the city.

The Wilbur Avenue Road Diet Goes Mainstream on Streetsblog LA, October 13, reports extensively on a road diet controversy in Los Angeles, saying most local residents support the road improvement, while the main arguments against it boil down to two:

1. Lack of notification, and
2. Lack of ability to use Wilbur Ave. as a speedway through the Valley.

Proponents say making a street impossible to use as a speedway gives reckless drivers less opportunities to cause harm. Last week, Glendale city council member Laura Friedman said she was strongly in favor of road diets for Glendale along streets such as Glenoaks, as council members considered a police department Traffic Safety and Speed Enforcement Report and voiced continued frustration at lack of progress in deterring speeding accidents in Glendale.

The road diet for Verdugo Road now being considered is a forward-looking traffic safety and sustainability project for Glendale, for two main reasons:

1. If any street in Glendale should have dedicated bike lanes to make it easier for students to bike safely to school, it is Verdugo Road. Glendale High School, Woodrow Wilson Middle School, Glendale Community College, and Verdugo Woodlands Elementary School all sit in order along a 2.2 mile stretch of this street.
2. The 2 Freeway parallels Verdugo Road at a distance of less than one mile from La Canada down to Eagle Rock. Commuters who want a fast route through Glendale (or any city!) should be educated, trained, and conditioned to use freeways or highways instead of residential streets, leaving those streets for local, unhurried traffic.

The Glendale Safe and Healthy Streets Program is holding the first of two community meetings tonight to discuss its draft plan and receive community input. Tonight’s meeting is at the Glendale Central Library. A second meeting will be held October 27 at Sparr Heights Community Center. Details in the Sunroom Desk Calendar at right or at the Glendale Safe and Healthy Streets webpage. Show up and speak up to make your voice count as Glendale tries to improve bicycling and pedestrian safety and create more sustainable transportation options in the city.