While some open streets experiments have met with backlash from community members, others were so successful they led to permanent changes.

An article by Maylin Tu in Next City expounds on the benefits of car-free streets, which got a shot in the arm during the Covid-19 pandemic and, in some cities, are having lasting impact.
Tu lists the common arguments against open streets and the evidence debunking them, going on to describe four cities where open streets experiments are still going strong. “Car-free advocates would say that as greenhouse gas emissions and traffic violence go down, happiness and connection go up — it’s hard to connect with your neighbors while ensconced in two tons of steel.”
The four featured projects: San Francisco’s John F. Kennedy Drive, which winds through Golden Gate Park and has been closed to cars on Sundays since 1967; Griffith Park Drive in Los Angeles, which was closed to cars after the death of a cyclist in April; 34th Avenue in New York City, which, although not permanently closed to vehicle traffic, hosts a vibrant community of events and classes during daytime hours; and Dublin’s Capel Street, now the longest car-free street in Ireland.
Tu points out that well before the pandemic, cities like Paris, Bogotá, and São Paulo were experimenting with projects like car-light or car-free streets, open streets events, and parklets, but the success of pandemic-era programs has, in some cases, accelerated efforts to reclaim public right-of-way from cars.
FULL STORY: In These Cities, Car-Free Streets Are Here To Stay

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series
The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

Driving Equity and Clean Air: California Invests in Greener School Transportation
California has awarded $500 million to fund 1,000 zero-emission school buses and chargers for educational agencies as part of its effort to reduce pollution, improve student health, and accelerate the transition to clean transportation.

Congress Moves to End Reconnecting Communities and Related Grants
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee moved to rescind funding for the Neighborhood Equity and Access program, which funds highway removals, freeway caps, transit projects, pedestrian infrastructure, and more.

From Throughway to Public Space: Taking Back the American Street
How the Covid-19 pandemic taught us new ways to reclaim city streets from cars.
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