Archive for August, 2011
Crosswalks – Is it time for a Rethink?
Part of what we are trying to accomplish with our visions for communities throughout MoCo is a blend of the best urban, suburban and rural environments. Over the past three years, the County Council has been bold in adopting plans that work toward creating an active, sustainable MoCo.
The key is implementation of those new visions.
Consider our pedestrian environment in places like downtown Silver Spring and Rockville Pike, where redevelopment has and will change the street environment, generating a lot more activity. In downtown Silver Spring, the latest significant change is the pending opening of the Live Nation entertainment venue on Colesville Road.
Fast-forward past the opening and imagine the streetscape after the concert ends. Hundreds of patrons spilling out onto Colesville, making their way to cars, Metro or crossing the street to head into the downtown or hopefully, Fenton Village south of Wayne for an after-concert bite or beverage. (Yes, there is nightlife in Fenton Village – two of my favorites are Jackie’s and the Quarry House.)
The concert-goers have two intersections they might cross: Colesville and Georgia or Colesville and Fenton. Both have recently been redone (one of them twice), and the result is the usual type of crosswalks.
But let’s consider a different type of crosswalk. Something new (but actually old) that engages the pedestrian, giving him or her priority over the cars. Intersections that actually make the pedestrian feel secure and reduce apprehension about crossing a downtown street, where most of the cars are intent on getting through the intersection to get somewhere else.
Should this be our priority? Helping cars move through our downtowns faster so they can get somewhere else? Or should we be focused on the people who want to stop, visit, patronize our businesses or enjoy our markets, events or meet friends? Can we do both?
Believe it or not, the Fenton | Colesville intersection was once just like the intersections that are all the rage in cities like London, where pedestrian traffic and motor car interactions are in constant conflict. This intersection was a “scramble intersection.” When the light went red for cars, it went red in all directions. Then it was the people’s turn to take priority to move through the intersection. You could walk in any direction in crossing. You could walk at 90 degrees, or even 45 degrees, to avoid crossing to the other side, then again to get to the opposite corner.
The Fenton | Colesville scramble intersection circa 1984. A lonely place, but much safer for pedestrians. Today, the intersection is a bustling downtown intersection that could benefit from bringing back a well-designed scramble crossing.
Scramble is about a shift in priority from autocentric to pedestrian- and bike-centric movement. It’s a simple and very efficient way of moving people and cars, and we used to do it.
This video highlights the transformation of Oxford Circle in London, from a very separated functional intersection to one that removes so much clutter and defines the boundaries of pedestrian and auto movement. Watch the video and see how the scramble approach not only increases pedestrian safety, but also results in improved vehicle circulation as well as an improved streetscape. We can do this.
This approach can work in many places here. Think about Rockville Pike a few years from now when the White Flint plan begins to become reality. A pedestrian environment shared equally with cars.
A new scramble intersection debuted in downtown Washington, D.C. last year. There’s no reason why we can’t transform our busy intersections into much better places.
Consider the many intersections in MoCo where this approach could be beneficial for people walking, in wheelchairs, on bikes, as well as in cars.
We are working on some designs in downtown Silver Spring, close to our offices, like Fenton and Colesville, where this approach makes a lot of sense. If we could transform one or two intersections into a great multi-use intersection, maybe we could resurrect the model that MoCo had at one intersection so many years ago.
Imagine that Live Nation event emptying out onto Colesville, where hundreds of patrons will safely move south into the downtown. Beyond the post-event traffic, the hundreds of people who cross this intersection every day could do so safely, without the apprehension of conflicts with turning vehicles, cars running red lights, or crossing the street twice to get to the opposing corner.
This solution doesn’t cost a lot. In fact, it makes the curb design simpler and requires some changes to signals. And it removes street clutter. As we complete these designs, we will try to build a constituency to implement these at strategic intersections around the county.
This intersection in Toronto is at one of the busiest intersections in the downtown. Where not only motor cars, but the subway and street car lines all converge. Count the street cars moving through the intersection. Watch the crowds crossing in all directions then the cars. Unseen is the subway below. At any point in the day there are huge crossings of people and all types of vehicles.
The County is moving forward with some exciting new strategies for infill growth. We can bring our infrastructure along to help us realize the visions expressed in our plans for major intersections in places like Takoma Langley, Long Branch, White Flint and our busy downtown areas. It is time to rethink how we do pedestrian infrastructure to complement our planning visions.
