People (not cars) on streets

The blogworld is ablaze with discussion about New York City's taking back from cars part of Broadway, from 42nd Street to Herald Square. See "Closing on Broadway: Two Traffic Lanes," from the New York Times. Streetsblog criticizes the car-centric viewpoint in "Times Shows Little Love for Livable Streets," asking why wasn't a different headline, such as "Opening on Broadway: More Sidewalk Space" employed?

The Commuter Blog has a nice photo of a bicycle boulevard on Street in NYC via BeyondDC. See the blog entry, "NYC - Biking Mecca of the East?"

Separated bicycle lane in New York City (Manhattan), southbound 9th Avenue from 23rd Street to 16th Street. Photo from BeyondDC.

DC is a place that has a hard time with change. Seeing is believing here. To start re-balancing modes away from the over-focus on and fealty to the automobile, more than putting in brick sidewalks and more sidewalk lighting is necessary. Taking back the street, in places, is in order. Up to 25% of trips are induced--people make them because they think they can. Making driving more difficult reduces driving. Just like making walking or bicycling more difficult reduces walking or bicycling.

Something like this is in order, more than merely changing some streets back to two-way--which is a huge change. Graphic by the New York Times.

The Pedestrian and Bicycle master plans discuss street bulb outs, as do most of the newer streetscape plans. Thus far the only place I have seen bulb outs constructed in DC is on the reconstruction of 2nd Street NE, between K and M Streets. Unfortunately, I haven't uploaded images yet, although I do have images from Takoma Park and Mount Rainier.

Bulb outs in Takoma Park.