Glendale City Council to consider ‘road diet’ plan

Plans to reduce a one-mile section of Honolulu Avenue in Montrose by one lane to make dedicated room for bicyclists head to the City Council on Tuesday.

Proponents say the so-called “road diet” will make it safer for cyclists, but the plan to temporarily cut one lane in each direction to vehicle traffic has angered some residents.

The road diet, which would be between Ramsdell and Sunset avenues to make way for the designated bike paths, was set to begin this summer, but a routine status meeting last month put the project on hold.

In January, the City Council approved the $125,000 project with little opposition. But since then, some North Glendale residents complained about possible traffic impacts at outreach meetings.

The U.S. Department of Transportation has said that streets with daily traffic flow under 20,000 vehicles — the Honolulu Avenue stretch sees about 13,000 vehicles a day — are good candidates for road diets. But a Michigan State University study found cutting lanes on roads with daily traffic of more than 10,000 caused significant delays.

The road diet may last for six to nine months with the city evaluating its effects before considering making the change permanent.

The City Council meets at 6 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall.

-- Brittany Levine, Times Community News

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