The Midland City Council voted 3-2 to permanently reduce Buttles Street from three lanes to two from Jerome Street to State Street. 

MDOT closed one lane beginning in May of 2018, scheduled to run through 2021 as part of a 3 year study to determine if a reduction to two lanes was possible.  This became known as the "Road Diet"

The road diet received such a level of criticism from the community that it was ended in December of 2019 - a year and a half earlier than originally planned. 

According to statistics provided by the City of Midland, there was an increase in traffic crashes following the implementation of the road diet. From May 2018 to May 2019 there had been 37 crashes, compared to 26 from the same period the previous year. 

The local community does not support reducing traffic lanes on Buttles Street and we request that MDOT will consider the local community's position to keep Buttles Street three lanes.