Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Around the Block

Wide Residential Streets Are Dangerous. Why Are They So Common?

Seattle’s 2nd Avenue NW is just 16 feet across, much narrower — and safer — than the typical residential street. Photo: Dave Amos.

Ever wonder why so many residential streets are so wide even though they only see a trickle of car traffic?

Dave Amos, a doctoral student at the U.C. Berkeley College of Environmental Design, has been looking into it. The reason, as with so many things, goes back to car-centric engineering standards. Residential streets have highway-like dimensions because engineers thought wide, straight streets were safer. But in a neighborhood context, streets like that just encourage speeding and increase the risk of serious traffic injuries.

Narrower streets lead to safer, more cautious driving behavior. The trouble is that in many cities, the excess street width is now used for parking. So Amos went out and counted the number of cars parked on residential streets in Eugene, Oregon. He found that even in the more compact neighborhoods, the cars parked on the street could be accommodated in garages and driveways.

Those results won't apply in every neighborhood, but in many places it could be a useful exercise to help make the case for narrower, safer residential streets, like Amos does in this video:

More recommended reading today: Systemic Failure considers the problems with evacuation plans that rely completely on cars and highways. And Austin on Your Feet looks at why Austin's West Campus succeeds as an urban neighborhood.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Friday Video: The Horrors of the Modern High-Tech Car

As more technology wheedles its way into our cars, they get scarier and scarier.

October 31, 2025

Friday’s Headlines Are Not Ready for Prime Time

Tech companies and automakers keep pushing autonomous vehicles and don't seem to care whether they're safe or not.

October 31, 2025

Pedaling Toward Progress: San Antonio’s Bold Bike Plan in a Car-Centric State

If we can do this in Texas, we can do it anywhere.

October 31, 2025

Talking Headways Podcast: Getting California High Speed Rail Done

It took a while, but California is figuring out the best, most-cost-effective way to do fast trains.

October 30, 2025

Spooky Stuff: On Halloween, Some States Will Have Deadlier Roads Than Others

Find out how yours ranks — and what policymakers can do to make streets less scary.

October 30, 2025
See all posts