If you’ve lived or worked in Champaign-Urbana for any number of years, you will likely think of a particular stretch of road if asked the question: “What is the most frustrating place to drive in C-U?” There may be several that fit this description, but Prospect Avenue, particularly between Springfield and Bradley, is certainly on your list.
Driving this one-mile stretch of pavement is dicey at any time of day, but if you attempt it during rush hour, it can be downright harrowing. While it doesn’t make logical sense to say it feels claustrophobic, as the space inside your vehicle does not change, that is definitely how we’d describe the experience. The lanes are very narrow — in fact they are two to three feet narrower than federal design guidelines. When a school bus or MTD bus is passing by, you feel that difference. With no designated turn lanes through that portion, it’s annoying to turn left or be stuck behind someone turning left. It is not bicycle friendly, and should emergency vehicles need to come through, there are few options for making space for them to pass safely.
An Illinois Department of Transportation project — as a part of U.S. Route 150, Prospect is under their jurisdiction — that was announced way back in 2019 is finally set to begin next year. When it was first announced as a part of IDOT’s Rebuild Illinois Capital Plan, details were sketchy, but now a clear plan is in place. From a recent News-Gazette article:
The state is looking to reduce the number of lanes on a 1-mile stretch of Prospect — from Springfield to Bradley — while at the same time increasing lane widths and adding buffered bike lanes.
As part of the $15.6 million project, IDOT is proposing to convert that stretch of Prospect — currently at four lanes, each about 9 to 10 feet wide — into two 11-foot-wide lanes, one in each direction, and one 10-foot wide middle turn lane.
We think that creating some breathing room here, without having to take land from people who live along this stretch of road, is a great idea. Of course, the article describing this project brought out all sorts of urban planning and traffic experts:
And sure, at first glance you might think that going from four lanes to three lanes means more congestion, because three is less than four. But a quick internet search on the research behind this sort of transformation reveals that it is a highly effective way to manage traffic patterns. Reducing roads from four to three lanes is a well-established idea that even has a name: a Road Diet. According to the Federal Highway Administration, a Road Diet installation has numerous benefits:
- Reduction of rear-end and left-turn crashes due to the dedicated left-turn lane.
- Reduced right-angle crashes as side street motorists cross three versus four travel lanes.
- Fewer lanes for pedestrians to cross.
- Opportunity to install pedestrian refuge islands, bicycle lanes, on-street parking, or transit stops.
- Traffic calming and more consistent speeds.
- A more community-focused, Complete Streets environment that better accommodates the needs of all road users.
An organization in Salt Lake City called Sweet Streets SLC goes into greater detail about how this arrangement is beneficial for congested traffic areas.
Instead of parallel travel lanes that pull triple duty as passing and turning lanes, you have a single travel lane in each direction for anyone looking to move forward: period. A center turn lane moves the stationary vehicles out of the way and, when turning, a driver need only cross a single lane of oncoming traffic instead of shooting the gaps of twin lanes, meaning the queued cars clear out quicker and with more ease. An individual driver may experience something that feels like congestion—simply because they no longer have the option of a “passing” lane — but in reality it’s a momentary inconvenience that when zoomed out shows a much more free-flowing system for all parties involved.
They go on to describe how these Road Diets actually increase the volume of traffic in a given area while decreasing, dramatically, collisions and fatalities. Bruce Knight, planning director for the City of Champaign, notes that this area is at the top of the list in terms of traffic accidents.
An additional bonus of the Prospect project will be bike lanes added on either side of the road, intersections with improved ADA accommodations, and new traffic signals. These are all good things, but we are particularly happy for any modification that makes Champaign a more bikeable city.
Change is hard, especially knowing that for a period of time (likely a year or so) there will be construction happening on this busy thoroughfare. But the short-term pain seems to be worth the long-term gain here, and we’re looking forward to seeing the results.
The Editorial Board is Jessica Hammie, Julie McClure, Patrick Singer, and Mara Thacker.