Ok, have to admit something I think I've been wrong about (a mini-thread).

Though in normal times I am a big proponent of allocating more street space for bikes/peds, I thought it was a bad idea during COVID because it would induce demand & crowding. 1/x

But I'm realizing now that's not consistent with my core beliefs. One of my guiding principles as a planner/designer is that people are going to engage in dumb/risky behaviour no matter what, and the onus is on cities to account for that with design. 2/x

In normal times, for e.g., drivers are going to speed. So we need traffic calming like narrower roads, speed bumps, and chicanes to fight high speed driving rather than toothless signage or overly aggressive enforcement. During COVID, bikes/peds are going out regardless. 3/x

So rather than hoping people simply choose to play it safe/cautious, or sic police on them for not distancing, we should account for the likely behaviour by allowing more space. And as an added bonus, hopefully some of that alloted space remains after COVID. 4/4