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The Seattle Pedestrian Advisory Board (SPAB) is excited to see @seattledot and @MayorJenny Durkan following the lead of other cities in creating more open space for people to walk and roll safely outdoors during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="👇" title="Down pointing backhand index" aria-label="Emoji: Down pointing backhand index">Thread based on SPAB letter sent today]
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Many neighborhoods have sidewalks that are too narrow, aren& #39;t accessible, or are missing altogether, creating challenges that have only been exacerbated by the need for people to stay 6 feet apart.
We hope to see the Stay Healthy Streets program expand to more neighborhoods soon to provide a safe and connected network between people& #39;s homes, our neighborhood parks, and essential services like grocery stores, pharmacies, and medical centers.
SPAB recognizes the critical importance of following the recommendations and orders of local @KCPubHealth officials, and with those in mind we discussed ways that the @CityofSeattle can help promote safe travel options for pedestrians.
Our suggestions are based partly on the “Safe Streets in the Time of Social Distancing” proposal from @SNGreenways, which we support.
In the short term, SPAB suggests:
In the short term, SPAB suggests:
1) Expanding the Stay Healthy Streets program citywide to connect people& #39;s homes, our neighborhood parks, and essential services like grocery stores, pharmacies, and medical centers.
2) Increasing space inside of parks by closing the internal roads and parking lots, which also helps to limit the number of people visiting the park.
3) Creating more open space in neighborhoods by closing streets that are sometimes used for events, such as Farmers Markets or Bicycle Sundays, on an ongoing basis (without planned events).
4) Decriminalizing walking in the street on non-arterial streets so that people walking and rolling don’t need to risk a jaywalking ticket to maintain proper physical distancing while traveling on streets that aren’t part of the Stay Healthy Streets program.
5) Public outreach and messaging for both pedestrians and drivers to make sure that everyone has the same expectations for these new uses of our shared public space.
As we turn the corner on the pandemic response and begin to relax the restrictions on work and social opportunities, more people will begin travelling around the city again.
Given the reductions in @kcmetrobus and @SoundTransit transit service and the summer weather it’s likely that people will choose to walk and bike to their destinations, leading to more crowding on narrow sidewalks in our dense neighborhoods. To address this, SPAB suggests:
1) Expanding arterial sidewalks using cones or barricades to close parking or travel lanes so that people can travel to neighborhood business districts. Bus stops can be accommodated using modular plastic bus islands as seen in recent years in Oakland and New York.
2) Give pedestrians the green by setting traffic signals to automatically give a walk signal, without required people to wait in a group for the signal. Crosswalk buttons should be re-labeled to indicate that pressing the button is required only to activate accessibility features
3) Create car-free recreational routes connecting parks and essential services across the city, giving people places to socialize while maintaining proper distance from each other.
4) Continue efforts to reduce speeding by moving ahead with plans to reduce speed limits and make changes to the design of streets to encourage drivers to behave more safely.
SPAB looks forward to working with City staff and leadership to further develop these suggestions into plans that can be put into practice in the coming weeks and months.
