Interchange: Pro-pedestrian policies can be pro-driver too

Pro-pedestrian transportation policies and those that are pro-driver are not necessarily polar opposites.

In Planetizen's Interchange blog, Michael Lewyn describes a situation in which reducing the width of a street not only makes it safer for pedestrians, but aids drivers as well.

In Lewyn's hypothetical example, an eight-lane street through the middle of a business district might make it quicker for those passing through, but a nightmare for drivers trying to locate a destination.

"What lane do I need to be in? I can't get over three lanes - there's too much traffic! I'm going so fast that I can't see the street numbers on the buildings! The buildings are set so far back from the street that I can't read the address!"

These types of scenarios need to be in the minds of urban planners because, as Lewyn says, "The interests of a driver searching for a neighborhood destination, or of the shopkeeper who wants to attract drivers to that destination, are not always the interests of a driver who wants a speedy commute to exurbia."