Safety is the prime reason. According to the Highway Safety Manual, replacing a four-lane roadway with three lanes results in a 29% reduction in crashes at intersections and driveways. Overall, similar projects see collisions reduced by 10%-60%.

A total of 206 crashes occurred within the project limits between 2016-2021, a much higher rate than on similar roadways statewide. Six crashes involved pedestrians and five involved bicyclists. Many of the vehicle crashes were rear-end collisions and sideswipes, both of which are typically reduced by changing to three lanes.

The recent conversion of Isaacs Avenue from four lanes to three has resulted in a 50% reduction in crashes, a 78% reduction in injury-related crashes and zero reported fatal or serious injury crashes or bicycle or pedestrian crashes.

Yes — now and in the future. Studies show the difference in capacity between three- and four-lane roadways is minimal until traffic volumes approach 18,000 vehicles per day.

Currently, about 8,000 vehicles travel on Rose Street daily. Three-lane roads can handle more than twice that, up to 18,000 to 24,000 vehicles daily. With future growth, traffic volumes could be as high as 9,800 a day by the year 2033 — still well below the capacity of a three-lane roadway.

Eliminating the passing lane may occasionally result in slower travel. However, this will also increase safety for all users. Speeding is currently a major concern in the Rose corridor. With the reduction to two travel lanes, average speeds will be closer to the posted speed limits.

Safety will be improved by allowing pedestrians to focus their attention on fewer lanes when crossing Rose. In addition to the lane reconfigurations, a new flashing pedestrian crossing beacon will be installed at Avery Street to improve safety and access for Valley Transit users. Other traffic signals will be upgraded with audible pedestrian push buttons to improve access for people with visual impairments. 

Not really. While it might seem like the configuration will result in nonstop traffic, gaps will be present, as on Walla Walla’s existing three-lane roadways.

Turning right onto Rose shouldn't be much different than turning onto a four-lane roadway, since most drivers wait for both travel lanes to be open before entering with a right-hand turn. Turning left onto Rose will be easier, as drivers can use the center turn lane to partially enter traffic before merging into the travel lane.

The addition of bike lanes for much of the corridor will help encourage multimodal transportation while increasing safety for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians.

While all users — including vehicles, bikes and pedestrians — share the same facilities on some local roads, establishing separate facilities is best. Just as cars and bikes travel at different speeds, so do bikes and pedestrians. Having separate facilities for separate functions is safest and most efficient.

Rarely. When Valley Transit buses are stopped for passengers, the new configuration will allow drivers to use the center turn lane to pass them. However, most drivers won’t need to drive around a stopped bus. The frequency of the route through this corridor is every half-hour at most, and buses don’t pull over at every stop — only those requested by riders.

Buses are required to stop at the railroad crossings at 13th Avenue, so vehicles behind them will also have to stop. Drivers should expect to wait 10-20 seconds while the bus driver checks for oncoming trains.

Asphalt roadways are designed for a 20-year lifespan. Doing a preservation treatment well in advance of pavement failures helps to prevent potholes from starting and extends the pavement lifespan by 5-15 years. Preservation is also a fraction of the cost and requires much less time to complete than rebuilding a road.

No. The City received these grants specifically for preservation treatments of Rose Street and 2nd Avenue, which are National Highway System (NHS) routes. Other streets and infrastructure in Walla Walla are repaired and replaced each year as part of construction and maintenance projects funded by a variety of sources.