Slow Streets Movement Looks to Reimagine Urban Spaces Amid Coronavirus Pandemic | Article

While the coronavirus outbreak has posed profound challenges to communities across the United States, some cities have seized the opportunity to transform their public spaces by restricting auto traffic. Called “Slow Streets” and sometimes “Open Streets,” these initiatives emerged from a desire to give pedestrians and cyclists more space to practice social distancing while outdoors. Since April, cities from coast to coast have instituted “Slow Streets,” including Oakland, Minneapolis, Washington, D.C., and New York City.

NYC slow streets

Credit: New York City Department of Transportation

Slow Streets programs place barriers on streets, closing one or more lanes to car traffic, which opens up new space for pedestrians and cyclists. Delivery vehicles, city service vehicles, emergency vehicles, and some local traffic are still permitted to pass through with caution and at lower speeds—usually only 5 to 15 miles per hour. Some cities have met ambitious street coverage goals: Slow Streets Oakland now covers 74 miles, or nearly 10 percent of all streets in the city.

The benefits of these programs are not limited to mitigating health risks from the coronavirus. Vehicular air pollution contributes to increased rates of asthma, respiratory inflammation, heart attack, and stroke. Vehicular accidents also cause about 19,000 deaths a year in urban settings.

According to Kyle Gorman, the senior program manager of the Public Space Unit of the New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT), decreasing urban vehicular traffic also has environmental benefits, in addition to the health and safety benefits.

“There’s a huge environmental benefit to closing streets to cars and making them pedestrian only, whether that’s through an emissions lens or a heat lens, or even just how best we use our space. We shouldn’t dedicate so much of it to cars,” Gorman said.

Light-duty vehicles account for about 1,100 million metric tons of CO2 in national greenhouse gas emissions per year. Vehicle exhaust also contributes to higher air temperatures, which damages infrastructure, urban flora, and human health.

New York City is seeking to close 100 of its 6,000 miles of streets in response to the coronavirus pandemic, and has closed 70 so far. NYC DOT also expanded the program through Open Streets Restaurants, which has helped restaurants offer outdoor dining options, aiding the city’s economic recovery while complying with COVID-19 guidance. The speed and scope of this transformation is remarkable.

“We at DOT were tasked with a sort of unprecedented ask,” Gorman said. “I’ve never worked on something on as expedited a timeline on such a huge scale.”

Creating and expanding pedestrian-friendly streets is, according to Gorman, one of “the things people have always been talking about.” New York City transit officials have extensive experience in temporary street closures thanks to the many festivals, parades, and other events that are held throughout the year. Officials and planners used this interest and experience to rapidly increase the scope and scale of these programs in response to coronavirus concerns.

Credit: New York City Department of Transportation

The success of these programs has also depended on the input and advocacy of local groups. In New York City, Open Streets has relied on collaboration with development corporations, mission-driven organizations, and business improvement districts—private-sector initiatives that aim to enhance city services in their jurisdictions. CalBike, a group that advocates for bicyclists in California, credits the success of Slow Streets Oakland to local activists such as Walk Oakland Bike Oakland (WOBO) and Transport Oakland. Overall, Gorman says, the rapid spread of the Slow Streets initiative is the result of planners and advocates alike moving to “seize the moment.”

Many environmentalists and planners see this moment as an opportunity to reimagine and transform urban space, permanently increasing walkability and reducing car dependence. According to Gorman, whether the transformation of city streets becomes permanent will depend on many factors, including continued community support and financing from city budgets squeezed by lower tax revenue during the pandemic. New York City will continue to implement temporary street closures and plans to work toward transitioning some of its flagship Open Streets into street improvement projects such as pedestrian plazas, bike lanes, and curb extensions that will better accommodate pedestrians and cyclists.

Author: Joseph Glandorf