CAMINO DE LOS MARQUEZ
TRAFFIC CALMING PILOT PROJECT
25 July 99 - Hubert van Hecke
Traffic Calming: (re-)design streets such that the layout naturally
promotes
lower car speeds, and encourages pedestrian use.
- make streets narrower, sidewalks wider
- make streets zigzag
- landscaping
- raised intersections, crosswalks
- ...many more tricks
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[picture of the neighborhood; Cerillos / St Francis / Cordova / Galisteo]
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Prehistory:
- In 1995, I had written a proposal for Traffic Calming on Don Diego,
the biggest traffic concern in our neighborhood.
- City had no experience with Traffic Calming measures, but
- General Plan placed emphasis on pedestrian development and TC
measures
In 1997, Planning asked us to develop a TC proposal for Camino de
los Marquez. A group of about 5 worked on this regularly:
- surveyed the street
- made a detailed redesign for the street and each intersection
- put together a proposal
- knocked on all doors with a project description and an
(dis-)approval/comment form
(got majority approval)
- documented all our work on a website
- go to the city (Public Works, Fire, Police, Parks and Rec,...)
- got conceptual approval from City Council for the project in May 98
- project is now stalled for lack of funding (few-several hundred K$)
Conclusions:
- citizens can develop expertise in the field of traffic, traffic
calming, design etc.
- has been applied since then to other projects in the neighborhood
with traffic and pedestrian impacts
- The project revitalized the neighborhood association; it caused
a core group to form and remain active.
picture of Marquez-Don Diego intersection
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