From FHWA Center for Accelerating Innovation

Road diets have been used to enhance safety and mobility in the United States for more than three decades. They’re becoming more popular as highway agencies and communities recognize their benefits:

• Safety—Studies show a 19 to 47 percent decline in crashes when a road diet is installed on a four-lane undivided road. They also make room for pedestrian refuge islands in the midblock crossing area, where 70 percent of pedestrian fatalities occur.
• Low cost—The majority of road diets are installed on existing pavement within the right-of-way, essentially for the cost of restriping pavement lanes.
• Quality of life—Road diets can make shared spaces more livable and contribute to a community-focused environment.

See the FHWA Road Diets webpage for roadway reconfiguration resources, including the Building Safer Routes to School brochure on how road diets can enhance safety near schools and the Road Diet Myth Busters flyer debunking the myth that road diets reduce traffic capacity.Read Road Diet Informational Guide for details on a decision-making process to determine if road diets are a good fit for a corridor.