Must-read: Peter Swift's engrossing study (via the Sierra Club) entitled Residential Street Typology and Injury Accident Frequency that makes its point loud and clear: narrow streets = slower traffic = safer neighborhoods. Even a 4-foot width reduction can make a big difference against sprawl creep. A particularly juicy quote about contingency paranoia:
This brings up a larger question of public safety issues concerning fire apparatus and emergency vehicle access with narrow streets...It is suggested that the municipal or county government look at the larger picture of public safety issues and ask if it is better to reduce dozens of potential vehicular accidents, injuries and deaths or provide wide streets for no apparent benefit to fire related injuries or deaths.
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