‘Road diet’ is worth a spin

The beehive of neighborhood opposition appears to have been poked over a planned one-mile “road diet” on Honolulu Avenue that would provide more space for cyclists.

Despite little more than a peep when the plan was initially approved, opponents have stepped up their efforts recently to have the project killed, arguing it will mangle traffic in an already congested area. But isn’t that the point of the pilot project?

Cities don’t need to make quiet roadways safer for cyclists. Why? It’s unnecessary. It’s the busy, congested streets that need this sort of attention and evaluation.

The City Council is scheduled to reconsider the project July 10 after the recent dust-up.

But let’s not forget that it’s a six-month test — nine months at the most — which means that if it does turn out to be a mess, the lanes can always be reverted to their former form. But if the results are promising, this could go a long way in making the entire city safer for non-vehicle traffic.

Certainly, in a large city like Glendale, motorists can give up one lane in either direction, on one mile of roadway, for six months to find out.