Safety comes first with traffic lanes

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Apr 16, 2012

~~<p>The solution to the rush-hour bottleneck along the three lanes in each direction of the H-1 freeway in Makiki seems temptingly simple: Grab the paint brush and turn the freeway into four lanes each way. That may seem to be the logical solution, but it also may come with increased danger of vehicles coming too close to each other.</p>
<p>The recommended national standard for the width of traffic lanes is 12 feet, but numerous freeways across the country have gone through an "exception process" to achieve a more slender dimension. The lanes of the H-1 between Punahou and Middle streets are 11.5 feet wide. The state Department of Transportation is considering a proposal to reduce that width to 10 feet and all but eliminate the shoulders, now measured from 3 to 4 feet wide near the center divider and 4 to 6 feet wide on the outside lanes, according to department spokesman Dan Meisenzahl.</p>
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The solution to the rush-hour bottleneck along the three lanes in each direction of the H-1 freeway in Makiki seems temptingly simple: Grab the paint brush and turn the freeway into four lanes each way. That may seem to be the logical solution, but it also may come with increased danger of vehicles coming too close to each other.

The recommended national standard for the width of traffic lanes is 12 feet, but numerous freeways across the country have gone through an "exception process" to achieve a more slender dimension. The lanes of the H-1 between Punahou and Middle streets are 11.5 feet wide. The state Department of Transportation is considering a proposal to reduce that width to 10 feet and all but eliminate the shoulders, now measured from 3 to 4 feet wide near the center divider and 4 to 6 feet wide on the outside lanes, according to department spokesman Dan Meisenzahl. Login for more...