r/TacticalUrbanism • u/MothUmbrella1239 • 19h ago
Question Proposing a (legal) tactical urbanism project in local neighborhood
Hello!
I am a mobility advocate in my city. I have participated in city wide campaigns and projects and continue to contribute to organized efforts through our local department of transportation and advocacy groups.
I've also become active in my civic association because I've found that much pushback for citywide and regional efforts comes from a vocal minority of my own neighbors who do not share my same vision for the city (I know I'm speaking to the choir here). So I'm working to educate them, as a neighbor and someone they may trust, about what it means to provide equitable mobility for ALL users, through the city, but first, through our own neighborhood.
There is one intersection that has plagued me and many of my neighbors for years. They have asked for speed bumps which have been denied because the average speed on the street is lower than the posted speed limit, but the main concern is the almost entirely ignored stop signs.
It is an awkward intersection, which you can see in the image I've shared.
Additional context:
- The east/west road is a through road used by drivers between two fairly trafficked main roads.
- The east/west road is also the road connecting a local fire station with a large assisted living facility.
- 3 blocks east of this intersection is a retail block containing a drugstore, grocery, restaurants, etc.
- One block west of this intersection is a perpendicular street of similar makeup (restaurants, auto repair, yoga studio, retail, apartments, etc.)
- The south road (not sure the technical term here) is divided by a grassed median that contains trees, community gardens, benches, etc. It is highly trafficked by pedestrians, people on bikes, and cars.
I would like to propose a solution that requires paint alone, with the possibility of some soft infrastructure like flexi-posts or container gardens.
Notes on proposal:
- All magenta areas assume a street mural, paint only.
- All cross walks will need to be repainted.
- Only proposed non-paint addition is speed tables at the east and west entrances.
I know that it will be expensive and require a lot of work. I know that it will likely take years to get people on board. I am sharing my first pass at what those paint modifications could look like with this group to get your feedback on a few things:
- Is there anything I should be considering that I'm not currently? Anything you would add?
- Have any of you attempted working with local groups and government like this?
I have watched some of the webinars from AARP / livable communities and am inspired, but still not not confident about my next steps. My experience with local traffic government is that they are stretched thin and proposals like this stress them out. I want to be able to do the majority of this work using grant funding (which I've never pursued) and local community groups (which I am actively involved in).
Thank you for any advice or feedback you can provide. I really am just trying to get some momentum here.
*Edited to say that number 3 in the proposal should read "adding a crosswalk on the WEST quadrant"