Can a Stroad Ever Be a “Complete Street”?
“Complete Streets” is a phrase to conjure with. The idea that streets are places that should serve many users (and not just car and truck traffic level-of-service) is enormously popular. And, indeed, Delaware has an official policy that is called “Complete Streets”. In reality, however, Delaware’s actual policy is more accurately described as a “routine accommodation” policy for pedestrians and bicyclists on roads. But even though it’s only “routine accommodation”, that’s still better than nothing, right?
Yes. It is better than nothing. But it’s also symptomatic of our larger inability in the U.S. to understand the fundamental difference between a road and a street. And it leads to really absurd situations:
RELATED:
• The Important Difference Between a Road and A Street
• Do Conversations Like This Still Happen in 2011?
• Wider. Straighter. Smoother. Faster.
• First, Do No Harm to Pedestrians and Bicyclists
• “Complete Streets” = Routine Accommodation
2 Responses
Sadly enough, if the engineer did his job and designed something truly bike/ped friendly, and thus restrained autos properly, it would result in a public backlash so severe he would probably lose his job.
Thanks for posting this great video, and raising this important issue.
One of our state roads recently had one direction narrowed from 2 lanes to one lane. The shoulder that was painted has done a pretty good job of slowing cars, but it made me wonder: since when was it ok to give bicycles just a painted shoulder? When did we surrender to cars?