Taking back the Streets: Its Called Roadwitching

Um, streets are generally designed for cars, making them not-so-useful for other things. Saying streets are for everyone, not just cars, is kind of like saying an oven isn't just designed to make things warm. You can put ice in it, but it's still an oven.

I'm not sure how piling snow and putting cones around it is repurposing our streets for some higher good. Looks like a traffic hazard to me.

Generally I love the commentary on TH but I don't understand the point of this item - aren't there better things to do than to block roads?

What? I'm pretty streets are for vehicles (bikes,cars,horses,whatever).


This just seems a little silly.

As a long time cyclist, the assumption that roads were build for people driving cars and not for other people has bothered me for a long time. It simply doesn't make sense.

I like the instant park idea, it would be funny to see a parking cop trying to issue a ticket if the meter ran out.

Don: I like these because I ride a bike downtown and drivers just don't get that they have to share the road. When I walk, they just don't get that they have to stop at pedestrian crosswalks or even red lights any more. They have become so crazed and oblivious to anything but jumping the next light that I am becoming afraid of riding my bike and never used to be. Its frustration- I want my share of the road back. I support others who want it too.

As a biker I also agree that cars have completely lost it. Living in an urban area I get frustrated with other drivers while biking or driving. And if someone wants to put in some change to have a laugh, then so be it, but I doubt it will have any effect.

One thing I'd like to see is that the street lights be changed a bit so that the walk signs have a three or four second lead time before the regular lights. Hopefully, that would give the pedestrians an advantage. Or at least this could be the option if the walk button had been pressed.

I think the first two comments here are an excellent example of why we need creative statements such as these "roadwitching" installations. People (in the USA anyway) really have come to believe that streets are only for motor vehicles, maybe with the occasional non-motorized vehicle for the "poor" folks who have to ride bikes. How sad, and unsustainable to boot. Streets, in more civilized cities, have traditionally been places for commerce, places to meet people, do business, and even play, as well as places for "serious" travel. When we start thinking that streets as places for cars and speedy travel only, we lose so much, including safety, social interaction, business opportunities, neighborhood unity, and fun! And when we reclaim the streets in the name of the people who live, work, and visit the neighborhoods where these streets are, we regain safety, social interaction, business opportunities, neighborhood unity, and fun!

David Engwicht is my hero when it comes to reclaiming the streets for the humans. He advocates being creative in making use of our communities' public spaces. Parking a bench or sofa in the street makes your community more livable and fun. You can even do something as simple and cheap as painting on the road. I once had some extra house paint left over from a project and thought it might be fun to add some flowers to the street in front of my house. It was fun, and hopefully brightened people's day when they passed by.

I agree that it would be great if we could better share the roads for different means of travel - if you read my post again you'll see that my point is that most streets are designed for cars, and only for cars. (I don't like the idea of introducing road hazards or distractions as a way of making a philosphical point, but reasonable people can disagree about this, so I won't elaborate on that. That said, I think the park thing is sort of funny.)

Cars certainly should share the road but the design of roads in general works against bike riders, which I'm sure most of you will agree with. Design of roads and sidewalks, etc. make assumptions about who and what will use those roads and sidewalks, and working against those assumptions will cause confusion and frustration, as some of you have commented, as well as occasional injury.

There is a group in my area (Ann Arbor, MI) who is lobbying for bike sidewalks along some of the back streets I take to work. I am all for this initiative, and I hope to see more bike-friendly design for our roads in the near future. Does anyone belong to similar groups in Treehugger land? What kind of progress is being made?

Sorry, I have to agree with the first two. What if (hybrid or electric) cars started parking in open spaces?

Fill up the last available parking spot on the street and someone is going to park their SUV on top of a green space. Removing parking for cars/trucks doesn't remove the cars and trucks, it only ends up damaging areas not meant for parking.