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Politics & Government

Public Gathers in Droves for Second Community Meeting on Road Diet

Traffic and transportation officials answer questions and note concerns residents have regarding the road diet on Honolulu Avenue.

On Thursday, April 26, a second community meeting regarding the bike diet was held at the in Glendale.

The room was filled to capacity with residents, members of the business community, and government officials. Many came to address issues and voice concerns they had regarding the road diet, while others attended the meeting to learn more about the test project.

A case study of road diets was first brought up at a . The road diet test was then approved at the following . The first meeting for was held in March. The Honolulu Road Diet project will be conducted on Honolulu Avenue, approximately between Whiting Woods Road and Orangedale Avenue, depending on the funds available. Two travel lanes will be replaced with a left-turn-center-lane and buffered bike lanes in each direction. Goals of the road diet include decreasing the number of accidents and reducing vehicular speed.

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Many of the meeting attendees had questions regarding safety of the streets, particularly speed limits and difficulties in evacuating during emergencies with the road diet. Issues related to funding, particularly where the funds for the project came from, were also addressed.

“It’s Glendale’s funds and it will stay in Glendale,” Jano Baghdanian, Traffic and Transportation Administrator for the City of Glendale.

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Besides funding, locals who lived on or near where the road diet would be expressed their approval and disapproval.

 “I think it will be calming, slower, much better to share the road,” said 20-year Montrose resident Bob Thompson who lives on Honolulu Avenue and who has observed the city’s transportation team collect data. “It’s really a safety thing for bikers… and about educating more sides about how to safely share the road.”

Others disagreed, stating that the project would be more of a nuisance for commuters and those who frequented the nearby shopping center.

“I like Honolulu, I like the way it is. I don’t want any more stop signs. If we’re speeding, it’s a way for you to make revenue,” commented Michael Baudanza, who also lives and bikes on Honolulu Avenue. “It will increase congestion, increase pollution–in the long term, less people will want to come here to do business.”

Local businesses on Honolulu Avenue also showed some concern.

“I’m concerned about the congestion. Two lanes is already difficult enough,” explained Tawnya Rittenhouse, a teacher at in Montrose who expressed the problems parents of the school have with Honolulu Avenue’s traffic.

Following the meeting, the bicycle transportation plan is tentatively scheduled for city council adoption next month. The road diet will take place over a year. During that time, transportation officials will collect data and decide if they want to make the road diet permanent or revert back to the existing street design. To learn more about the Honolulu Avenue Road Diet website, visit honoluluroaddiet.com

Note: A previous version of this article referred to the road diet as a bike diet. That is incorrect and Patch regrets this error.  

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