Four Lanes of Trouble

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Unfriendly and Unsafe

Island Crest Way has real potential. But it doesn't live up to that potential today. The four lane configuration promotes collisions and creates a hazardous environment for homeowners, pedestrians and other users of the corridor.

As a four-lane highway, Island Crest Way sets adjacent opposing traffic lanes with a narrow one-foot buffer.  Motorists turning left to leave the highway must cross two lanes; motorists entering the highway with a left turn must also cross two lanes.   This opens the possibility of vehicles in the near lane occluding view of a vehicle in the far lane, resulting in a broadside collision.  In the five years from 2004-2008 there were three accidents of this type in the corridor from NE 42nd to NE 48th, according to data supplied by the MIPD.

Four lanes packed tightly, as they are on Island Crest Way, leaves no buffer for an emergency maneuver to avoid an unexpectedly stopped vehicle, resulting in a rear-end collision.  There were twenty-three accidents of this type in the corridor from 2004-2008.

A lane change into an occupied lane to avoid stopped or turning traffic results in a side-swipe collision.   There were eleven accidents of this type in the 2004-2008 period.  

All told, 37 out of 73 accidents that occurred 2004-2008 in the corridor from SE 42nd to SE 48th were rear-end, sideswipe or broadside collisions--the collision types promoted by the four lane configuration.

Homeowners on Island Crest Way face a daunting, unfriendly entry to a four-lane highway.  Road noise is heightened by speeding vehicles and passing.  Pedestrians must walk directly adjacent to traffic lanes and cross four lanes at one go.  With no pullouts, buses must stop in traffic lanes to pick up and disgorge riders.   

As a community, we can do much better.