State Rep. Reuven Carlyle (D-36, Queen Anne) graciously admits he was wrong about the Nickerson road diet, which he opposed. (As we reported yesterday , preliminary data from the city's department of transportation show that the road diet has calmed traffic and hasn't had any impact on the number of cars using the street.)

In his latest Facebook status update, he writes :

I was a skeptic of Nickerson's Road Diet but agree that it generally feels more pleasant and safe since McGinn pushed the change through. (My concern caused the Cascade Bike Club to refuse to endorse me in 2010 even though I was unopposed and pushed their bills in Olympia--slap down!) I look forward to reviewing the full SDOT data at the end of the year--and speaking with more neighbors, bike riders, [and] pedestrians.

Carlyle's status was immediately "liked" by a bunch of folks, including state Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon and city council member Mike O'Brien, who wrote in a followup:

Thanks for commenting on this. As you know, making policy is tricky, but it is especially difficult when the data tells you one thing and public perception tells you another. I'd love to hear if after living through this from a rather unique perspective if you have suggestions on how to tackle such challenges in the future.

I know this isn't the most important thing you are working on right now, but I really appreciate you taking the time to comment. You add a credible voice to our impending efforts to improve our transportation system for all users.

It's tough for anyone to admit they were wrong. For an elected official to do so publicly is even rarer, making Carlyle's post especially classy.