T5.11 Car-free zones
Reevaluate long term plans and update to prioritize pedestrians and people riding bikes. Set goals for mode shift and plans on how to achieve those goals like developing car‐free corridors in commercial and mixed use areas to encourage mode shift.
A 2010 conference presentation, “Revisiting Pedestrian Malls”, gives an overview of the mostly unsuccessful history of downtown malls in the United States. (“Between 1959 and the early 1980s, more than 200 American cities closed part of their downtown street networks to vehicles. ….By 2005, fewer than two dozen of the original 200 pedestrian malls remained, and in almost all cases, these malls are in university towns, adjacent to large institutions or near tourist centers. …. Despite its track record, the pedestrian-only trend is seeing a resurgence in American cities, sparked by sustainability goals and the hope to create a downtown destination and foster a sense of community.” (The article discusses best practices and conditions of successful pedestrian malls.) Pojani’s “American downtown pedestrian ‘malls’: rise, fall, and rebirth” gives another overview.
The National Association of City Transportation Officials’ website has a number of case studies and other resources.
“