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Eventually, pedestrian malls had demonstrated their value to such an extent that many storekeepers stopped opposing pedestrian zones along their storefronts. In Minneapolis, retailers were all for the idea of a pedestrian mall. In fact they supported the idea so much that they picked up most construction and maintenance costs. Increased sales, however wonderful for retailers, are not the only goal many city planners have in creating pedestrian zones. City planners in Germany stated that one objective of closing off a street to traffic was to improve traffic flow. This may not seem logical at first. Intuitively, most people assume that the traffic from the closed street will automatically move to the side streets. Interestingly enough, evidence from numerous street closures shows that 100% of the traffic does not go to the adjoining streets. In Copenhagen only 72% of vehicles formerly on Stroget, now a pedestrian mall, reappeared on parallel streets. During peak hours the percentage of cars displaced to parallel streets dropped to 38 %. Another example can be found in Norwich, where only 40% of the traffic from London Street was found in surrounding areas after its closure. Other objectives given by German city planners are more easily imagined in conjunction with closing a street to automobiles:
Another advantage to this is a nicer, cleaner, and quieter central area results. The addition of channels for water, flower boxes, showcases, water sculpture, mushroom-shaped shelters, seats and special street lighting, greenery, trees, and outdoor cafes all give character to the city. In Norwich, restaurant owners along a pedestrian street spoke positively of the change. They noticed that people left less food on their plates, claiming that less exhaust fumes led to no more loss of appetite. They also enjoyed the quieter atmosphere, and the lessening of dust made it easier to keep things clean. Twenty-eight out of thirty businesses along this same street in Norwich did more trade than before-one shopkeeper claiming to have experienced an increase of 20%. A poll in Germany found that in sixteen cities, foot streets are used for art exhibitions, concerts, parades, processions, and political campaigns. Open markets serve not only as a cultural centers, but as political ones as well. Although there are many advantages to removing automobile traffic from a street, there can be disadvantages as well. Some may find it difficult to walk long distances with parcels. Personal safety becomes a concern for many when the sun goes down, especially if the pedestrian mall is in an area of high crime. These concerns are being addressed in various ways in different cities. In Munich, lockers were placed in the subways for people to store their purchases. In some places, car-free streets make space for public transportation to operate. On Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis, city buses were permitted along the street. (See related story, page 31. -ed) German city planners found that aesthetically pleasing street lamps that give off adequate low-glare light are important to success of traffic-free streets. A Standard Protocol
Out of thirty-two German cities with pedestrian zones, none accomplished their vision in one step. They implemented their respective plans step-by-step. The common pattern was to shut down a congested area, then as public support grew and financial resources became available, individual foot-streets were connected to form a traffic-free zone. City planners learned a great deal from these initial street closures. Planning the experimental closure is of utmost importance for a successful attempt. It is important to link public and private transport with pedestrian precincts. Streets cannot be too long nor too far from tram stops, railway halts or car parks. They also should not be so wide that meandering is not possible. These streets should not just be mere roads closed to traffic, but creatively transformed-paved with colorful bricks, lacking curbs and filled with greenery. Basic tools in the initial decision making process are traffic data and zoning plans. The cost can differ widely depending on size, location, need for new street equipment or additional transport facilities (i.e. improved public transport, ring roads, fringe car parks). (For arguments against alternate paving facilities, see our "Traffic Calming: Taming The Beast Or Feeding It?" as published in the journal Population and the Environment, Spring 1992. -ed.) If you think that some type of pedestrian-only area would be an asset to your community, find like minded people and research these many success stories. Educate the community and build relationships among storefront managers/owners and pedestrian advocates. There is low risk to a business's profit with experimental closures although they allow the community to experience what it might be like to close a street to automobiles. Such experiments give everyone a more practical idea of what would and would not work with such a closure and also allow people to feel more comfortable with the potential change. Many street closures have been highly successful in the past, and perhaps your community will be the next success story. |
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