21st South

As a traffic engineer, I have mixed feelings about this road. It has so many things wrong with it from a traffic engineering standpoint: the lanes are too narrow, there's no shoulder, no right turn lanes, crosswalks without traffic signals, and sections where there's no center left turn lane (known by most people as the chicken or suicide lane, and know to traffic engineers as a two-way left turn lane (TWLTL- pronounced "twittle"). This photo is looking west, standing just west of 11th East:

Considering that this road carries in the ballpark of 25,000 vehicles per day, the auto-mover in me argues that we need to widen the lanes and add shoulders to make it more comfortable for people to drive fast and add turn right turn pockets to help traffic flow better and to cut down on the rear-end crashes. I've personally witnessed three accidents near Millie's Burgers at about 10th East.

However, when I step back and look at this roadway from the perspective of someone who lives nearby, and loves to visit Sugarhouse, I think that for the most part, we should leave it alone. People slow down because they know that at any minute, the person in front of them might stop and turn. As a result, most crashes are just fender benders. The narrow street gives a more intimate feel, and makes it easier and more pleasant for pedestrians to cross. The businesses are more willing to invest in interesting storefronts, because they're nestled right up against the street. I get a little grumpy when I drive on 2100 South, but every time I walk down the sidewalk, I have a smile on my face. It's a fun place to be, especially if you've got a shake from Millie's in your hand (more on that in another post).

Besides, if you're in a hurry, UDOT just finished work on widening and renovating I-80, located less than 1/2 mile to the south. I smile every time I drive on it.