Broadway Street- between Toole Ave. and Orange Ave.- was converted from a 4-lane roadway to a 3-lane roadway in the fall of 2005.  The City of Missoula initiated this project in response to five pedestrians being killed by motor vehicles over a seven year period.  The change has resulted in a much safer roadway- injury crashes have dropped significantly, and pedestrians, drivers and cyclists on the most part report that the road feels safer.

This is a 3-lane section of Broadway- one lane of travel for motor vehicles in each direction, with a center turn lane.  A huge benefit of converting a road from four lanes to three lanes is the ability to add in bike lanes.  Pedestrians greatly benefit also, by having to only cross one lane at a time.  Traffic still flows freely, yet the transitions from four lanes to three- on each end of the converted roadway section- have been the subject of much community debate..

Here is a 4-lane section of Broadway that still exists near the Courthouse downtown.  At a similar 4-lane section near the Missoula Children's Theater, a pedestrian was hit by a car and killed in November of 2005.  Extending the Broadway 3-lane the entire length of Broadway would likely improve safety for all modes of transportation while keeping good traffic flow.

This is the 'Burton Crossing.'  A pedestrian, or cyclist, only crosses one lane at a time, which tends to be much safer than crossing four lanes at once.  This section was converted from 4 lanes to 3 lanes in November, 2005.

What are the advantages of a 3-lane compared to a 4-lane?  Read this letter from Missoula's Public Works Director

Here are some pictures of Broadway as the old 4-lane, before conversion to a 3-lane:

The most critical safety issue of an undivided 4-lane urban arterial:  a pedestrian has to find a gap across four lanes of traffic at once.  The biggest risk is that one, two, or three lanes of motorized traffic stops, but one lane does not, causing injury or death.  Conversion to a 3-lane allows a center refuge and landscaping to be integrated into the road.  This way, a pedestrian only has to negotiate one lane at a time.

The old 4-lane- looking west near McCormick Street

Links:

More Broadway Pictures and Diagrams

A Billings, Montana 4 to 3 Lane Conversion in 1979

Frequently Asked Questions about Broadway, and 4 Lane to 3 Lane Conversions