Are there any plans for pedestrian only streets in Ohioan cities? Columbus is going to have one on Mound street, but we shouldn't stop there. If anyone has traveled outside of the country you have probably come across a section(s) of a city where cars are forbidden. If we want our largest cities to be "bustling" I think this would help out a great deal, since in these areas you could walk around without needing to watch out for traffic. With the focus Columbus is giving Gay St it would be nice if they could do this for certain side streets.

I'm not aware of any, although some streets in lifestyle centers like Crocker Park and Easton might qualify. But they're all rip-offs of the real deals in Europe, like these wonderful streets in Dublin....

 

 

Nice photos, I have one of a pedestrian street in Barcelona. (You have to click for a larger version for some reason)

 

I would like to see (in Cleveland)W6Th in the warehouse district, E4Th in Gateway district, and Market Street in Ohio city go pedestrian only...if not all the time, at least on weekends.  During the Cleveland Grand Prix this past summer, the city closed W6Th for a street festival.  The atmosphere was absolutely incredible compared to having it a thru street.  There were people all over, vendors in the streets, and being able to have a beer while walking within the area was nice too!!!

It would be interesting to list the streets that would make good pedestrian-only streets.  I can't think of any particular good ones in Dayton, although I'm sure there are some...

isnt Case planning to make Bellflower a pedestrian only area?? 

 

i definately think E4th already looks like it shouldnt have cars, it should just go pedestrian only especially as more places start to fill up.  its already mostly a valet/pick-up/drop-off area

One I have in mind is Pearl St, especially south of Gay. The only thing is, the sides of the buildings would need to be revamped so that there would be businesses that would face the alley and not just walls to look at. There's a couple of businesses on the outer corners and a restaurant on one side, but it'd much better if the sides were better utilized. Other similar alleys could easily branch off of a larger street and possibly serve to better connect some streets. I'm not sure which major street would be the best to be converted to pedestrian only. I think we'll have to wait for more people downtown for more businesses to pop up so that there would be a street that could be a viable option. But then again, it could be best to set aside a street to be pedestrian and focus on it.

I can't think of any particular good ones in Dayton, although I'm sure there are some...

 

There is a Louisville-style "court" in Dayton View.  I recenlty found it by accident, but dont have pix yet.

 

 

They tried pedestrian only streets in America in the 70's.  They were a disaster.  I prefer the notion of "complete streets"- streets where all modes of transportation are allowed, but dominance isn't given over to the car as much as on a standard American road.  If Americans knew how to f_cking drive, I'd suggest woonerfs, like they have in The Netherlands.  On a woonerf, both cars and pedestrians use the same ROW, but cars don't have any preference, so they have to go at pedestrian speed.  Actually, most local streets in Rome's Centro Storico are this way.

Yeah, I'm having a hard time thinking about even one street where this would work, but what about pedestrian only side streets/alleys?

Madison has a quasi-pedestrian street that seems to work pretty well... although the foot traffic generated by the university is pretty much what fuels it.  State Street is basically an ordinary street with "Do Not Enter" signs posted.  The street portion is used by buses and bicycles, as well as the occasional police car or delivery vehicle.  I imagine it must have seen a lot of traffic before they made it this way in the 70s (or whenever it was), since it connects the two major parts of central Madison, the University of Wisconsin and the state capitol.  Anyway, I guess the arrangement doesn't really do a whole lot for pedestrians other than reduce the noise and general nuisance of traffic.  Since it still has some vehicular traffic, you can't exactly walk down the middle of the street, but it's generally clear so you can at least cross the street at will.

 

It's an interesting solution, but it's probably not something that can work in every place.

University of Akron has psudo pedestrian streets. I cant think of their names off hand, but they used to have normal streets that went through campus. They basicaly just blocked them off and made them normal concrete paths. If you google earth above the campus you can see the orginal road routes.

The success of pedestrian-only streets usually depends on the land uses which surround them. In the 1970s, they tried them in districts that often had one or two land uses (usually retail and office) and made the pedestrian-only section way too long. I'd take a Cleveland street like Frankfort, from Public Square to West 9th, and make it pedestrian-only. But I'd also surround it with lots of small first-floor shops, bistros and sidewalk cafes topped by offices, housing and even hotels or hostels to ensure a mix of ped traffic at all hours. I'd make it bright and intimate, with lots of balconies overhanging the narrow street to ensure the community can police itself. I think that would offer a wonderful urban setting!

 

Hey Stark, you reading this?

University of Akron has psudo pedestrian streets. I cant think of their names off hand, but they used to have normal streets that went through campus. They basicaly just blocked them off and made them normal concrete paths. If you google earth above the campus you can see the orginal road routes.

University Ave. was once the main street running through the middle of campus; it was closed to traffic in the early 90's.  Recently, they closed off parts of Union St. and Carroll Ave. 

 

In Cuyahoga Falls, a portion of Front St. was closed to vehicular traffic.  The city's new skating rink is now located nearby. 

isnt Case planning to make Bellflower a pedestrian only area?? 

 

i'm fairly sure thats in the master plan.......paging wimwar, paging wimwar

 

Didn't youngstown used to have downtown that was recently reopened to traffic?

I feel like pedestrian streets should really be instituted very rarely, and only if the circumstances are perfect. I don't think pedestrian streets become destinations due to the fact that they are closed off from cars, and draw pedestrians simply for the fact they have been designated specifically for them. Pedestrian streets only make sense when 1. There is already a heavy pedestrian base, and 2. the street wasn't really designed well to accomodate the automobile in the first place, 3. there is a lack of indoor structures that serve as pedestrian zones.

 

I recently spent more than five months in Europe, and this is what I'm basing my feelings on. I saw some pedestrian zones that weren't so great, and others that were wonderful and full of street life. They really only work when the street's economy is soley based on tourism. When over a thousand tourists at any given time are out on a street to see the historic sights, eat, drink, shop, and the street wasn't designed for the automobile in the first place, then you see the sense in making these pedestrian zones.

 

If a street could be complete (with automobiles) then this should be the ideal. Barcelona's Las Ramblas is the nices example of a complete street that I have ever seen. Check out more about that street if you are interested on good "complete" streets. It has everything, from trees, wide sidewalks, a metro line running underneath, car lanes, and bike lanes. It is great, and connects the central square of the city with the harbor. It is kind of overly touristic, but full of life, and a good combination of non-touristic purposes as well.

 

On most college campus' this model works well, but it still fits what I see as the necessary criteria.

Cleveland we can see how most of the streets are designed for automobiles, and some of the sidewalks have good distance between the street and the building that allow plenty of room for pedestrians (like in the Warehouse District). I don't think it would be necessary to close W.6th off from automobile traffic. We could also consider Tower City, the Old Arcade, and Colonial Marketplace as pedestrian zones. In fact I use these structures most of the time as a pedestrian route when walking through the city. Are they necessarily doing very well in terms of attracting tenants and things? I think we should be looking at what already have in terms of pedestrian zones in the city, before we talk about creating a lot of new ones. It would simply create an overabundance of pedestrian spaces, and we might loose something from the automobile traffic in the process.

^Las Ramblas has an excellent atmosphere, but you'd need a rather wide space so that you have the sidewalk in the middle with cars on the sides and I don't know if we have anything that could be turned into something similar.

I could see closing down W. 6th on Friday or Saturday nights in the summer and allowing open containers with the bars selling take out beers.  That could work, but of course it is much more limited than making a true pedestrian street.

There is talk about creating a couple of 'pedestrian only' streets here in Cincy.  The largest would be Main St. (entertainment district).  There is an effort to make Main St. pedestrian only from central parkway for a couple of blocks north.  They are striving for a Beale St. type atmosphere where patrons can mingle freely and enjoy themselves without worrying about passing traffic.

 

The new developments along Calhoun St. and McMillian St. (southern side of UC's campus) are also planning two small pedestrian only streets.  These streets would run N & S connecting Calhoun and McMillian.  Their purpose would be for outdoor cafes/shopping, and also an 'open air' market.

^A couple is all you'd really need if you need them at all. They should also do the same to the connecting side-streets if possible, since it would make the area a good deal larger.

There is talk about creating a couple of 'pedestrian only' streets here in Cincy.  The largest would be Main St. (entertainment district).  There is an effort to make Main St. pedestrian only from central parkway for a couple of blocks north.  They are striving for a Beale St. type atmosphere where patrons can mingle freely and enjoy themselves without worrying about passing traffic.

LOL those streets are pedestrian streets already. People walk in front of my car all the time whenever they feel like it.

The success of pedestrian-only streets usually depends on the land uses which surround them. In the 1970s, they tried them in districts that often had one or two land uses (usually retail and office) and made the pedestrian-only section way too long. I'd take a Cleveland street like Frankfort, from Public Square to West 9th, and make it pedestrian-only. But I'd also surround it with lots of small first-floor shops, bistros and sidewalk cafes topped by offices, housing and even hotels or hostels to ensure a mix of ped traffic at all hours. I'd make it bright and intimate, with lots of balconies overhanging the narrow street to ensure the community can police itself. I think that would offer a wonderful urban setting!

 

Hey Stark, you reading this?

 

I think this is a great idea. This would be a welcome intimate alternative to the typical wide and windswept downtown cleveland street- all the other narrow streets (except E. 4th) seem to be lined with parking garages now.

“In Bogotá, our goal was to make a city for all the children. The measure of a good city is one where a child on a tricycle or bicycle can safely go anywhere. If a city is good for children, it will be good for everybody else. Over the last 80 years we have been making cities much more for cars mobility than for children’s happiness.” 

-Enrique Peñalosa (former Mayor of Bogota)

 

IMO, some darn fine words with which to consider the purpose of a city.  thoughts?

 

more in this good read from the excellent international  magazine, Ode.

http://www.odemagazine.com/article.php?aID=3977

 

^Isn't Bogata paved with cocaine?  :|

PigBoy do you have any pictures of State street in Madison?  I didn't go to it while I was there :[  In any normal city, it seems like a pedestrian-only street would only create a traffic nightmare for the streets next to it where everyone is looking for a parking spot, or needing to drive through the area. I'm sure it works great in Europe where people are likely to use public transportation.

PigBoy do you have any pictures of State street in Madison?  I didn't go to it while I was there :[

Sure, here's a little gallery of my pictures.  Looks pretty much like a normal street, just without traffic.  http://www.pbase.com/piggiston/state_street

thanks :]