NACTO Releases Pandemic Streets Design Guide

The National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) released a new guide to street design for the ongoing pandemic and the future recovery.

The "Streets for Pandemic Response and Recovery" report showcases specific design and management tools "to keep essential workers and goods moving, provide safe access to grocery stores and other essential businesses, and ensure that people have safe space for social/physical distancing while getting outside," according to NACTO.

The report includes descriptions of emerging practices from around the world as well as implementation resources for communities. The following street features are addressed specifically in the report:

• Lanes for Biking & Rolling
• Sidewalk Extensions
• Transit Lanes
• Slow Streets
• Pick-Up & Delivery Zones
• Outdoor Dining
• Markets

An article by Kea Wilson provides additional background on how NACTO created the report, and shares insights into a few of the larger themes present in the report, liking designing for equity, the need for flexibility in design response, the post-pandemic sidewalk, and the need to balance outdoor restaurant space with space for pedestrians. Wilson wrote a separate article to address that last point more specifically, and in greater detail.