In 2019, Dallas was listed as second among a ranking of highest national traffic fatality rates, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data. Fort Worth ranked fourth, while Houston and San Antonio trailed closely behind.
To combat the epidemic of traffic fatalities, Dallas city officials engineered a trial period for their newest remedy: shrinking the roads.
West Jefferson Boulevard, for example, was diminished to only two lanes per side with reflective traffic barrels placed on one lane.
The Dallas Morning News reports an 82% decrease in automobile accidents as recorded by the Jefferson Boulevard Traffic-Calming Task Force.
Led by resident Russ Aikman, a 18-year Winnetka Heights resident, the Task Force pressured the city into trying the barrel method for four months, from August to December.
The Task Force closely monitored traffic patterns and proudly reported the positive news at the end of the trial.
According to the study, there was little change in traffic volume, a crucial concern for some community members who, initially, opposed these “road diets.”
Indeed, Dallas City Councilman Chad West, who helped with the trial, shared that he received many calls from people asking to halt the project when it commenced.
Some maintain this position; West mentioned to The DMN that he is seeking an alternative traffic-calming solution for Edgefield Avenue, where he said some residents claim the road shrinkage has increased the amount of reckless or speeding drivers, and of drivers in general, on their street.
“Now, we have almost overwhelming support for reducing traffic,” West beamed. “When they removed unnecessary lanes, things got normal … Fewer crazy speeders, fewer racers.”
West Jefferson Boulevard, designed through school zones, saw one of its worst speed-related accidents in July 2021 when a driver speeding at over 75 mph barreled through a 30-mph zone, veered off the road, and fatally struck a man mowing his lawn.
After the favorable results of the traffic initiative, multiple homeowners associations are adding their support.
Richard Ewers, President of Winnetka Heights Neighborhood Association, has composed letters requesting the permanence of the West Jefferson Boulevard two-lane modification.
Ewers said that the situation before had been a “nightmare,” adding that the safety of students in nearby schools is a priority as well.