Easing central-city congestion

May 16th, 2006

The RTA plan will address congestion in the central city in a number of important and reinforcing ways. We get the biggest bang for our buck by concentrating multiple improvements on seven north-south and seven east-west corridors. Projects like Grant Road, Broadway, and 22nd Street are improved in many ways, including lane additions, public transit increases, new bus pullouts, and intersection improvements to eliminate bottlenecks.

$100 million is dedicated to intersection improvements throughout the region–many in the central city. These improvements will add left- and right- turn lanes to move motorists through the intersections more efficiently, avoid backups, and reduce idling–the primary source of automotive pollution in our area.

200 new bus pullouts will get buses out of the way of motorists while increasing safety for bus riders. Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) are funded to synchronize traffic signals so that motorists traveling at a constant speed need to stop less often. The Modern Streetcar will eliminate multiple car trips–relieving congestion in the urban core–by allowing people at the U of A and Downtown to park once and ride everywhere else during their workday, and efficiently distributing parking among the existing parking structures along its corridor.

Easing congestion is Job One, and this RTA plan is a fast-acting long-lasting decongestant.

Entry Filed under: Featured Articles, Road Improvements