Trump’s transportation officials buck future ‘road diets’ 

Despite resistance from some Republican governors, removing lanes as a “road diet” has been a tool numerous cities—including Baton Rouge—have used for years to calm traffic. President Donald Trump’s administration doesn’t like it either.

Federal transportation officials once heralded road diets for cutting crashes by 19% to 47%, but criteria for an upcoming round of road safety grants say projects aimed at “reducing lane capacity” should be considered “less favorably,” the administration says.

Forcing travelers into more constrained spaces “can lead to crashes, erratic maneuvers, and a false sense of security that puts everyone at risk,” the U.S. Department of Transportation said in an email statement to The Associated Press. “The update reflects the Department’s concerns about the safety hazards associated with congestion.”

In 2018, state and local officials put most of Baton Rouge’s Government Street on a “road diet,” turning four lanes into three (including a turning lane) while adding bike lanes and medians and improving sidewalks. The work to make Government a “complete” street suitable for everyone, not just drivers, was finished in 2021. 

Read more from the AP.