For much of the 20th century, transportation engineers believed that wider streets were safer streets. The conventional wisdom was that larger roadways provided greater visibility and more space for vehicles to avoid collisions. This roadway design principle quickly became engrained in transportation departments across the country and the academic institutions that trained their employees. But, this conventional wisdom proved to be a false assumption — one that came with deadly consequences.

When wider streets were put to the test using hard data, it became clear that the opposite of what was assumed was actually true. We now know that wider roadways generally encourage faster and more careless driving that increases danger for everyone. Meanwhile, narrower streets cause drivers to slow down and be more attentive to their surroundings. If you have ever driven down a narrow side street and an interstate highway, you know exactly what I mean.

The ideal width of streets is one of many examples when transportation planners got it wrong when they were guided by assumptions instead of data. That is why I am gravely concerned about Intro 1138, legislation........

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