Streetfilms has a new video out exploring the rising demand for urban streets to be reset at 20 mile per hour speed limits.
Earlier this month, the New York City Department of Transportation announced plans to experiment with 20 mph zones — replacing the city’s default 30 mph speed limit in one pilot neighborhood. Whoever gets the first 20 mph treatment will see benefits that residents of British cities and towns have become increasingly familiar with in recent years.
In the UK, some 3 million people live in areas with 20 mph speed limits. The experience there shows that not only do slower speeds save lives, but lowering the limit to 20 mph improves the way local streets function in more ways than one. According to the 20′s Plenty for Us campaign, the change has produced wide-ranging benefits, including less traffic, increased walking and biking, greater independence for children, the elderly and infirm, better health, and calmer driving conditions for motorists.
The mission of 20′s Plenty For Us is to establish 20 mph as the default speed limit on all residential roads in the UK. I recently met up with the campaign’s founder, Rod King, as well as other advocates in the towns of Warrington and York, to understand how the idea of slowing down traffic has spread so fast throughout the country.
I’d add that besides changing the limit via signage and such, street designs themselves should reinforce the slower speeds through traffic calming, narrowing, and other design methods (as seen in several examples in the video).
Legendary musician and artist David Byrne has been spending a lot of time the last few years talking up bicycles and advocating for better bike infrastructure, both in his home of New York City and across the country. He has a book, Bicycle Diaries, where he collects thoughts and musings on bikes, and what he’s thinking while riding them through cities across the world – topics from bike infrastructure to music to art.
In this video from the New York Times, Byrne shares some of his thoughts on bicycling.
American Makeover is a new web video series dedicated to showcasing examples of classic walkable neighborhood design as an alternative to American sprawl development. They’ve released their first episode, looking at Atlanta, GA and a new urban development in one of America’s sprawl-iest cities.
We just have to spread the word a little more about this cool project that fellow Complete Streets/traditional urbanism advocates in Oak Cliff put on a couple of weeks ago. Go Oak Cliff did “The Better Block,” their own “guerilla” Complete Streets makeover of Tyler Street in X+, on their own using neighborhood supporters. Armed with about a thousand dollars and some ingenuity, they significantly narrowed the street to slow car traffic speeds, created a protected bike lane buffered from traffic by parking and striping, opened some temporary shops in vacant storefronts, set up sidewalk cafes, and more.
The end result was a street that was massively more pleasant to be on – people walked and dined in what is usually car space, bikes easily rolled past, traffic speeds were dramatically slower creating a much safer place to be, and benefits to local businesses from creating a street as calm, inviting “place” for everybody rather than a car sewer were noticeable – for example, local book store Cliff Notes had their best sales day ever on the first day of the event.
The project showed the benefits to the neighborhood from taming traffic speeds and expanding the amount of space for pedestrians, sidewalk diners, cyclists, and more, and it’s getting much local and national coverage. The video above comes from Go Oak Cliff themselves. Here’s a few links to other stories about the event:
Via our friends at TownSite Co. comes a link to this lovely video of Barcelona, circa 1908. In it, we ride a streetcar through the city, first along the Paseo de Gracia, then the Calle Salmeron, the Plaza de Lesseps, Avenida Republica Argentina, and Calle Graywinckel. A beautiful ride through a living example of classic urbanism.
This has been making the rounds, and it seemed wrong to not spread it a little more. Let it be known that we have come to respect our neighbors to the east a great deal. That being said, we are moderately fascinated by this slice of pure Grade-A cheese.
Our favorite bit: over a soundtrack that sounds like some sort of late-’90s DuPont corporate retreat theme song, the ambassador chosen to speak up for Dallas’s “great, cool” music scene is Robert “Vanilla Ice” Van Winkle.
It’s a really odd video – even we know Dallas is cooler than this. Then again, are there ever any city promotion videos that don’t come across like this?
In this Streetfilms presentation, Clarence Eckerson, Jr. gives us a look at Phoenix, AZ’s new METRO light rail line. It is interesting to see rail transit catching on in another southern-US city.
Everyone knows that Phoenix has a huge sprawl problem. But now transit-oriented development is on the upswing in this Sun Belt metropolis. In December, the Phoenix region opened one of the most ambitious transit projects in recent U.S. history: a 20-mile light rail line with 28 stops serving three cities (Phoenix, Tempe, and Mesa). Future plans include an extension within three years, with several new corridors being studied.
The Valley Metro vehicles are handsome and comfortable, and thus far ridership has far exceeded initial projections — with as many as 40,000 riders per day, compared to the expected 25,000. Each station features amenities and art installations. In addition, with many folks using the light rail as an intermodal step in their commutes, bicycles are welcome aboard.
Conscientious Projector will be screening the film “Escape from Suburbia: Beyond the American Dream” tonight at 7:30 PM at 1919 Hemphill. The film is described thusly:
In ESCAPE From SUBURBIA director Greg Greene once again takes us “through the looking glass” on a journey of discovery – a sobering yet vital and ultimately positive exploration of what the second half of the Oil Age has in store for us.
Through personal stories and interviews we examine how declining world oil production has already begun to affect modern life in North America.
The screening is free – just show up at 1919 Hemphill at 7:30 PM.
The official lighting ceremony for the “Avenue of Light” sculptures by Cliff Garten Studio on Lancaster Avenue in Downtown was finally held last night. We shot some video (with a humble Flip Mino HD) and took some photos of the festivities. Lancaster was partially blocked to car traffic, and a large crowd assembled around food, water, and live music in the twilight.
Once it got dark enough, Mayor Mike Moncrief, Mayor Pro Tem Kathleen Hicks, District 9 City Council representative Joel Burns, and artist Cliff Garten all gave speeches about the sculptures and the revitalization of the south end of Downtown Fort Worth (Councilmember Burns remarked that the Lancaster Avenue area will become as active and beloved as Sundance Square as new infill occurs around the remade street). The mayor announced that Cliff is participating in the design of the new 7th Street bridge linking Downtown and the Cultural District (which will be a part of the Fort Worth Streetcar network). Finally, Mayor Moncrief and Cliff Garten led the crowd in a countdown to illumination, which kicked off an extended light show by the six sculptures along Lancaster accompanied by the band.
Above is the video we shot, and below are our photos. Enjoy! Anybody else attend? What were your thoughts on the sculptures, the lighting, and the ceremony?
Firefighters on hand to watch the ceremony.
Artist Cliff Garten talks with attendees.
Crowds gather around the music stage at Lancaster & Throckmorton.
Visitors enjoy observing the sculptures from the temporarily-closed-to-traffic Lancaster Avenue.
The crowd in front of the new Omni Hotel & Condos, one of the most noticeable signs of the beginning revitalization of Downtown Fort Worth’s south end.
More visitors arrive as the sun goes down.
Crowds gather around one of the Avenue of Light sculptures in front of the Texas & Pacific Lofts/train station.
More visitors arrive, with the Omni Hotel & Condos in the background.
Looking at one of the sculptures in front of the Omni Hotel & Condos.
Crowds in the median of Lancaster Avenue as the lighting approaches.
Gathering around one of the sculptures, with the Post Office in the background.
Silhouettes of two of the sculptures along with the Post Office, Texas & Pacific Warehouse, and visitors on Lancaster Avenue.
Crowds gathering on Lancaster. The Fort Worth Water Department brought out fresh drinking water for the attendees.
Gathering in front of the Texas & Pacific Lofts/train station, one of the first revitalization efforts on Lancaster Avenue.
The crowd gathers to hear speeches by Fort Worth city officials and the artist.
Mayor Mike Moncrief expresses the importance of the Avenue of Light sculptures and the revitalization of Downtown’s south end.
Crowds listening to Mayor Pro Tem Kathleen Hicks.
District 9 City Council representative Joel Burns talks about bringing life and activity back to the south end of Downtown Fort Worth, undoing the mistakes of the I-30 overpass and the decimation of South Downtown by parking lots and historic demolitions.
Artist Cliff Garten discusses the meaning and significance of his Avenue of Light sculptures in creating a meaningful sense of place for the south end of Downtown Fort Worth.
Crowds gather and take photos of the sculptures after the lighting was switched on.
Visitors watch as the color combinations change and cycle.
People walking around Lancaster, getting views of the Avenue of Light sculptures from different angles and distances.
Colors change as the crowd enjoys the show.
Visitors watch the lights of the Avenue of Light.
Still more people watch the shifting color schemes.
Attendees getting up close & personal with the Avenue of Light sculptures.
More variety in the lights as visitors enjoy the evening.
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