San Francisco is the latest city to declare cars off-limits on a major city street, following the lead of New York.
The city by the bay will soon close Market Street to cars, giving streetcars, buses, bicycles/electric scooters, and pedestrians free reign. This action follows New York City’s closing of 14th Street to cars and converting it to a dedicated bus way. This move decreased average bus trips by 30%.
San Francisco will reduce the size of bustling Market Street, widen sidewalks, and add an eight-foot-wide bike lane for bikes and e-scooters. Several cities in Europe and in others in the U.S. including Denver, Santa Monica, Madison, Charlottesville, and Chicago, have established pedestrian-only zones.
With the use of shared bikes and scooters more than doubling between 2017 and 2018, such initiatives may blossom over the next several years.
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | Mar 25, 2016
ASHRAE grants fund human thermal comfort database project
Aim is to help better understand thermal comfort in residential and commercial buildings.
Codes and Standards | Mar 25, 2016
OSHA finalizes new silica dust regulations
Construction industry has until June 2017 to comply.
Wood | Mar 23, 2016
APA updates Engineered Wood Construction Guide
Provides recommendations on engineered wood construction systems.
Codes and Standards | Mar 23, 2016
Affordable housing advocates differ on micro-apartment policy
New York’s luxury micro units could be first step to developing affordable units.
Codes and Standards | Mar 21, 2016
GRESB launches Health and Well-being Module for real estate industry
Optional supplement to environmental, social, and governance assessment.
Codes and Standards | Mar 4, 2016
U.S. Supreme Court lets San Jose affordable housing law stand
Law attempts to alleviate Silicon Valley’s high housing costs.
Codes and Standards | Mar 2, 2016
WELL standard offers multiple benefits for owners, says real estate executive
Could be a recruiting tool for occupant companies.
Cultural Facilities | Mar 1, 2016
China bans ‘weird’ public architecture, gated communities
Directs designers of public buildings to focus on functionality.
Energy Efficiency | Feb 23, 2016
Economists, energy efficiency practitioners need to work together for better cost/benefit studies
Flawed energy efficiency research yields misleading, confusing results.
Codes and Standards | Feb 16, 2016
New York City implements new crane safety plan following deadly accident
The plan includes restrictions on crawler cranes during windy conditions.