Street Survey Results: Support for Slow Streets
Image: Burlingame's Carolan Avenue
This blog post was written by SVBC intern, Emily Olson, a high school student in Menlo Park.
This March, the COVID-19 pandemic pushed us into uncertain and challenging times, and the government mandated shelter-in-place order has been nothing short of stressful and uncomfortable. However, people are taking advantage of these circumstances to spend more time walking, biking, and running, and SVBC hopes that people will continue to choose biking or walking after the shelter-in-place lifts. We have been working hard alongside elected city officials to put out better programs for safer streets (“Slow/Safe Streets” initiative). These programs limit outside car traffic on certain streets to give more space to people walking and biking. They are also designed to allow people to safely socially distance without having to worry about oncoming cars. With that in mind, we put out a Street Survey to better understand the problems people are facing on the roads and your feelings about these new programs.Here’s what we learned:
During shelter in place: a lot more people are walking and biking, and fewer people are driving
88% drive less
61% walk more
42% bike more
Most people find it easy to socially distance while walking/biking and 70% of people feel safer on the streets right now because there is less traffic on major roads and there are "fewer cars, and the people who are in cars are way more polite and willing to stop for pedestrians and bikes.”
Of the 30% who don't feel safer on the streets:
57% report seeing an increase in speeding cars (many also think “Slow Streets” is a good solution for this!)
More violent and reckless driving on residential streets
Some walkers/bikers don’t maintain 6 feet distance or respect the rules of the road
This is how you feel about “Slow Streets”...
91% of respondents would like to see Slow Streets in their city
87% of respondents support Slow Streets already in their city
Because…
“Slow streets programs increase safety, improve health, reduce pollution and connect neighbors, all by promoting biking and walking.” -Menlo Park resident
Supports social distancing
Allows people to freely walk and bike
Prevents “car-dominated” neighborhoods
Much safer for families and children
Some concerns about Slow Streets include:
More streets should be closed off
Bigger, busier streets should be closed off
Closing streets creates confusion for regular commuters/delivery services
We hear you and are working to address these concerns and make Slow Streets more sustainable for all. Please visit your city’s website for more specific information concerning Slow Streets in your city.
These are the changes you’ve noticed, and you want to keep them too!
93% have observed more people walking and biking
90% have observed fewer cars
87% have observed less noise and air pollution
Much less traffic and congestion
Everything is quieter and more peaceful
These are some of the changes you would still like to see:
Slow Streets on main streets such as Castro (Mountain View), Santa Cruz (Menlo Park and Los Gatos), or Broadway (Redwood City)
Slower speed limits on residential streets
More dedicated bike paths on busy streets
Finally, 40% of respondents would like to get more involved in promoting bicycle riding in their town! We are so excited by this, and thank you for your support! Please look out for an email with more details coming soon. For those of you who can’t wait… here's how to get involved today!Thank you to everyone who took time to fill out this survey. It is evident to us that many of you would like to see safer streets continue and are in favor of new programs to support that. It has provided us with valuable feedback, which we are busy using to learn how to create safer roads for all. Stay safe and healthy!
Please note: Some of you raised concerns about safe streets while under a shelter in place order. While we understand your concern, being outside at a safe social distance from other people is permitted under county orders. We will always prioritize the health and safety of our communities. Please remember to uphold all social distancing practices to limit the spread of COVID-19. Thank you!