Cherry Road gets a road diet!
First off….what the heck is a road diet?
A “road diet” is when a street is changed to use the existing space more efficiently and safely — usually by reducing the number of travel lanes, or “drive lanes” dedicated to vehicles and reallocating that extra space. You may also hear a “road diet” referred to as a lane reconfiguration or reduction, or a road “right-sizing”.
The most common example of a road diet is when a four-lane road (two lanes each direction) is converted into:
One lane in each direction
A center turn lane
Bike lanes, wider sidewalks, or safer crossing area for people walking
The total width of the road often stays the same — it’s just reorganized.
Why would you take away space from cars? Doesn’t everyone in Memphis drive?
Road diets are typically used to:
Reduce speeding
Cut down on serious crashes
Make it easier and safer to turn left
Improve conditions for walking and biking
Maintain similar traffic flow when the road wasn’t operating at full capacity to begin with
It’s less about taking something away from drivers and more about balancing the street so it serves more people safely. Road diets are a “Proven Safety Countermeasure” according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, which cites data that 4-lane to 3-lane conversion projects reduce crashes by 19-47%.
Cherry Road
This brings us to the City’s most recent road diet project on Cherry Road.
1.5 miles long
Between Park Avenue and Willow Road
Improves access and safety for residents, schools, churches, assisted living facilities, and more!
There are a variety of land uses along this street which attract different users throughout the day. Check out the major destinations and points of interest on this map.
Cherry Road was previously a four lane road with travel lanes varying from 12 feet across all the way to 17 feet across.
Cherry Road now looks like either the image above or below. With the addition of a new turn lane, bike lanes, and drive lanes that are more narrow, this street is now safer for all road users.
Things we love about this new design!
Slower vehicle speeds!
Center turn lane!
Bike lanes (some parts even have a nice buffer and armadillos to add some protection)!
New bike lanes that connect to existing bike lanes (on Park Ave & Willow Rd)!
Refreshed crosswalks!
Crossbikes! (see picture below)
Bright green paint to make crosswalk-like stripes at intersections for people riding bikes
How do I get a road diet in my neighborhood?
One of the most frequent ways that road diets are implemented is when the City of Memphis resurfaces or repaves a street. When this happens, the street has to be restriped anyway, so this creates an opportunity to change the design of the street without any additional costs.
The City’s Street Paving Schedule shows which streets will be addressed in the next three years. If you see a street on this schedule that you think might be a good candidate for a road diet, you can contact us at contact@streetfairmemphis.org or contact City Engineering at engineering@memphistn.gov.