Because of a Van

During our recent snowstorm we faced lots of challenges – where to put snow, how to keep ice from forming on our newly cleaned sidewalks, what to do with the piles of snow that sat on our decks…one thing we didn’t need to worry about was traffic. Why not you may ask – after all we are right in center City on a major ambulance and bus route – why no traffic? Because, early on Saturday morning, while I was shoveling our 16’, a white NYT delivery van got stuck in the middle of the street. Apparently exhausted by its struggle to extricate itself from the snow, the van gave up and died. It sat akimbo in the street for three days gathering PPA tickets, much neighborhood conversation, and the attentions of a Channel 10 news film crew until someone came and towed it away.

That meant for three days there were no plows, ambulances, buses, cars, or movement on the street except people, sleds, dogs, and the occasional cat. There was also an odd feeling of serenity. The difference in the neighborhood ambiance prompted me to start daydreaming. What if the van never moved? What if our block of S. 9^th Street never reopened to traffic? It could be transformative.

Yes, there would be the initial uproar and upset about changed traffic patterns and moved bus routes but since we weren’t dubbed an emergency route for the snowstorm my guess is that the emergencies and traffic could easily be rerouted. Eventually calm would return and our little block would be a calm center in the hustle and bustle that is Center City Philadelphia.

With the van blocking thru traffic the street would essentially become a dead end so street parking could be limited to residents. Spaces could be assigned – no more late night searching for a spot. Maybe because it would be a bit more difficult to get out, neighbors would be less inclined to use their cars and opt to walk, take the bus, or bike to work, do errands and explore. One of the parking spaces could become a permanent bike rack for residents and visitors.

With no bus and truck traffic I can imagine the west side of the street would plant street trees to clean the air, provide shade, enliven the block and enhance the beauty of the streetscape.

Under those trees I imagine the street becoming a movable park filled with chairs, tables, planters and maybe even swing sets that could be rolled aside to allow the random neighbor to access his or her car. Closing off one or two spots would allow our local coffee house to have a permanent outdoor space for lattes and lounging. I imagine long tables set up in the street for neighborhood pot-luck dinners.

With less in and out parking and less people getting in and out of cars, I imagine that the dirt around the street trees would become less compacted and that gardens would be planted and thrive. Eventually I imagine that the Streets Department would rip up the pavement and install porous pavement and rain gardens to demonstrate innovative stormwater management techniques.

And then I imagine that the city would look around and identify other neighborhood streets that could follow the same path pushing the traffic to bigger roads and major arteries. By limiting car access the city would provide incentive for people to think first of alternate means of transportation including their feet, their bikes, the local bus route, the train, and car share programs and second about jumping in the car for a quick trip.

The van is gone (hopefully it is repaired and happily delivering newspapers again) and the street is reopened. Everyone – the buses, the taxis, the commuters, and the neighbors seem happy that life is restored into balance – I hear them out there honking with joy – but the daydream persists.

Tagged as: noise abatement, OpenStreets, PPA, stormwater management, street trees