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Council hears results of Gussnix Boulevard lane-reconfiguration pilot; staff to keep collecting data
Summary
City staff summarized a two-week lane-reconfiguration demonstration on Gussnix Boulevard, reporting small drops in cut-through traffic, minor peak travel-time increases and plans for continued monitoring before recommending next steps to the city manager.
City transportation staff told Roanoke City Council on March 17 that a two‑week lane‑reconfiguration demonstration on Gussnix Boulevard produced modest reductions in cut‑through traffic and will be followed by additional data collection and recommendations to the city manager.
The study tested lane reconfiguration using barrels and cones to simulate a center turn lane. "Traffic volumes during peak hours remained pretty consistent with pre‑demonstration traffic volumes," said Campbell, a city transportation staff member. He said three of four locations showed decreases in traffic volume of about 10 percent or less, and peak travel times increased on average by 49 seconds. Off‑peak travel times improved, he said, because vehicles moved at more consistent speeds.
The demonstration responded to resident concerns about increased traffic and pedestrian safety on nearby residential streets. David Gardner, who lives on King Street, told council the redesign had led to more vehicles using side streets, greater noise, and safety concerns for pedestrians and children. "This has affected not only our quality of life, but also the overall appeal of our community," Gardner said during public comment.
Campbell said engineers used a "safe systems" approach—engineering, education and enforcement—to evaluate the corridor because Gussnix is part of the city's high‑injury network. He said the demonstration showed a way to reduce crashes by mimicking a center turn lane where right‑of‑way limits make adding a permanent turn lane costly. "We were able to platoon, marshal and platoon vehicles in two patterns that were able to move consistently through the corridor," Campbell said.
City Manager Miss Turner confirmed staff will continue collecting post‑demonstration data and prepare messaging and recommendations. "We'll continue to collect some data post demonstration this week, and we'll have some messaging to put out ... and we'll be able to make some recommendations to the manager on next steps," Campbell said.
Council members noted the test period finished and thanked staff for the update. The council did not take a formal vote; staff will return with recommendations after additional monitoring.
If and when staff proposes permanent design changes, council members signaled they expect more community outreach and follow‑up data on safety, traffic volume and pedestrian access.
