Why do people keep treating Slow Streets signs like the Kool-Aid Man treats walls?

RoadsBy Libby Solomon (Former Managing Editor) December 9, 2020

A Slow Streets sign in Baltimore lays crumpled on the sidewalk on December 7.  Image by the author.

In Washington DC, Slow Streets barricades have been spotted hauled off to the side or onto the sidewalk. In Baltimore, a Slow Street I frequent near Riverside Park is lined with signs that are knocked over or completely smashed, scattered across the concrete as cars roll by without a care. “Why does everyone treat these closures like the kool aid man?!?!” one Baltimore resident asked on Twitter last week.

Streets around the region have been closing to through traffic this year, in an effort to open up safe outdoor recreation space for pedestrians during the coronavirus pandemic. Total street closures have been especially popular with pedestrians — a count on Rock Creek Park’s Beach Drive, which closed to vehicles in early April, found that more than 28,000 pedestrians and bicyclists used the street during a span of four weeks. In Silver Spring, officials closed a block of Newell Street to create a “playstreet,” drawing activities from soccer to hopscotch to picnics.

But in the District and Baltimore, the type of street closure most people will encounter is a “slow street,” one that allows cars but is limited to local traffic only. These streets have lightweight barricades around which drivers can navigate to park, with signs reducing speed limits and discouraging cars from cutting through the street. The idea is to slow vehicle traffic enough that people can walk and bike in the street safely, allowing for more space for social distancing.

On social media and in conversation, people say they love the idea of Slow Streets, and they want more of them. According to the District Department of Transportation, more than three quarters of survey responses about Slow Streets have been positive.

But people report seeing Slow Streets barricades being ignored, dragged out of the way or left broken on the side of the road (it’s not clear how the barricades are breaking, but they’re a common sight in both Baltimore and DC). With no enforcement mechanisms in place, many say drivers treat Slow Streets like they would any other, making it risky to venture off the sidewalks.

“It’s a great idea,” said Dupont Circle resident Matthew Gardner, who lives near the slow street closure on S Street. “But it seems to me, based on what I see, I see cars skating through there a fair amount, cars moving fast.”

“I’m seeing just complete disregard for the fact that it’s a Slow Street,” said Rachel Kaufman, who lives in Brookland and uses the slow street on 10th Street NE on her daily walk (Kaufman volunteers as a member of the GGWash editorial board).

In Baltimore, Canton resident Abigail Burman said she drags Slow Streets barricades out of the sidewalk along Fleet Street weekly, where they often block wheelchair access. “I’ve literally never seen a barrier in the actual street,” she said.

It’s hard to tell whether pedestrians are safer on Slow Streets than they would be otherwise, but data shows that the streets are not a panacea.DC crash data shows that even on Slow Streets, pedestrians and bicyclists have been injured in crashes with cars — the streets Kaufman and Gardner frequent each have seen crashes involving bicycles since being designated as Slow Streets. Streets including 19th Street NW, 36th Street NW, 3rd Street SE and Davenport Street NW have all seen drivers strike pedestrians (with minor injuries) since being designated as Slow Streets.

District workers painted guidance to put a Slow Street barricade on the far edge of the road, but pedestrians dragged it further out.  Image by Kate Jentoff-Herr.

Why are cars driving fast on Slow Streets?

There are two main reasons drivers may not be following Slow Streets regulations. The first is education: drivers may not understand what they are supposed to do.

Slow Streets are a relatively new concept, having come to the region for the first time in the spring. Online, the rules are clear: drivers in DC should only use Slow Streets if their destination is within two blocks. In Baltimore, roads are restricted “unless they are necessary to reach your final destination.” Street parking is not impacted in either city.

Originally, the signs on DC’s barricades visible to drivers said “road closed to thru traffic” and posted the 15 mph speed limit, but had nothing on the Slow Streets initiative. The District later added some new signage indicating barriers were part of the Slow Streets pilot program, but details of the program are on small signs only visible to pedestrians. Similarly, Baltimore’s street closures have large signs reading “Road closed, local traffic only,” but the sign explaining the Slow Streets program is too small to read from a vehicle.

“I don’t blame the drivers,” Kaufman said. “It’s just a small sign, of course people are going to disregard it.”

Gardner said while he sees the program as a huge step forward, he would like to see more public education for drivers about how they are supposed to behave on Slow Streets. “It’s part of a longer term trend of visionary thinking from city leaders, coupled with not really following through on public education about these things,” he said.

A Slow Street in DC with updated signage  Image by Kate Jentoff-Herr.

DDOT spokesperson Mariam Nabizad wrote in a November 13 email that the agency has been working on signage issues, describing the Slow Streets program as “fast and iterative, rather than slow and capital-intensive.”

In November, Nabizad said, DDOT replaced some of the first barricades with more durable ones less likely to be damaged, and added signage easier to read from the streets. “Our agility and immediate attention to areas of concern are part of the reason why the program is such a success,” she said.

The second reason people have been noticing sparse enforcement of Slow Streets regulations is that enforcement is not actually a part of either city’s program.

According to DDOT FAQs, Slow Streets are “designed to be self-enforcing,” meaning that police and District officials “will not be consistently enforcing them.” Residents are discouraged from questioning people using streets, but can report violations to DDOT community engagement specialists. Baltimore’s Slow Streets website doesn’t mention enforcement; the program is only meant to “discourage” cut-through traffic, and doesn’t include reduced speed limits.

Kaufman said she wishes DC would implement more full play streets that are entirely closed to traffic — she pointed to a colorful photo of a play street in Philadelphia with children playing on see-saws, sidewalk chalk, and umbrellas. “I just look at that and I think: that’s what we needed to have,” Kaufman said.