Commission hears two restriping options for Grand Boulevard; several commissioners favor a 3‑lane 'road diet' for safety

City traffic engineers presented two options to reconfigure Grand Boulevard during the Oct. 15 Transportation Commission meeting: a reduction from four to three travel lanes with an 11‑foot lane and a 12‑foot center turn lane, or keeping four lanes but reallocating one as a center turn lane and preserving two uphill lanes for truck passing.

Brian (project lead) said truck traffic makes up about 12% of corridor volumes, including STA buses and heavy commercial vehicles, and noted tradeoffs for transit dwell times. Engineers modeled PM‑peak travel times and found the three‑lane option produced increased stop-and-go time at bus stops because buses would block travel in both directions, while the four‑lane-with-center-turn option would allow passing in one direction and keep corridor travel times closer to existing conditions.

Commissioner comments favored safety. "I have a very strong preference for the 3‑lane layout," one commissioner said. "If safety is genuinely not our number one priority, I don't know what we're doing here." Another commissioner asked whether a 3‑lane configuration could accommodate bike lanes; staff said protected bike lanes would require curb changes beyond a restriping-only project and are not feasible within the current curb configuration.

Staff also recommended crosswalk improvements at 27th and Grama, and noted that a rectangular rapid flashing beacon (RRFB) would generally be recommended for a narrower, three‑lane crosswalk while a pedestrian hybrid beacon (PHB) could be warranted for wider, higher‑volume crossings depending on the final lane configuration.

What’s next: Staff will return with refined design choices and the commission can choose whether to bring the project back for a formal hearing and vote.