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Hello Friends of Traffic Gardens!
It’s installation season, so several new traffic gardens have sprung up since our last newsletter and more are on the horizon. I've been traveling too, connecting in person with colleagues and pals in Baltimore, MD; Portland, OR; Richmond, VA; Seattle, WA; Vancouver, WA; Waynesboro, VA; Washington, DC; and York, PA. I've even gotten my hands dirty with some honest-to-goodness painting and spraying paint on asphalt - it's tough, hot work! I had the pleasure of talking publicly about my favorite topic too, most notably at the Maryland Highway Safety Summit, the Rotary Club of Kent, Ohio and on public radio in Oregon. All in all, it's been a bustling period in the ever-expanding universe of traffic gardens! |
|  | Transforming the Desolate to Delightful |
| | | What's a quick way to rejuvenate unused space? My recent visit to the Heights Bike Garden in Vancouver, WA may offer an excellent approach. This derelict parking lot, fenced off and awaiting development, was transformed in less than three months from a simple idea into a grand ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Mayor and lots of media.
The Heights Bike Garden is located on the site of a demolished shopping center. The City of Vancouver, WA is developing a detailed plan to convert this area into a mixed-use neighborhood, a process that will take several years. In the meantime, this interim use means that the space remains lively and engaging instead of an empty unattractive lot. Just last week, Will Grimm of First Forty Feet reported seeing 40 kids riding bikes and scooters, playing games, and filling the new installation with joy.
For this project, Discover Traffic Gardens collaborated with the amazing First Forty Feet team, known for their storytelling and mural work. They led the project and are responsible for its beautiful appearance and creative elements. If you look closely at the photo on the top left, you’ll see kids biking through the remnants of a bank drive-thru - I take some personal joy from this reuse. The storytelling pathway, embedded in the layout and tied to the mural structures, may need it’s own dedicated story in a later newsletter. The traffic garden served as a blank slate for larger creative ideas, demonstrating the power of incorporating artists into community projects.
This short video perfectly captures the installation process, the story behind the art, and kids biking throughout the garden at the grand opening. While the old mall awaits redevelopment, this traffic garden means that the space remains vibrant and alive for at the interim three years. The instant success of The Heights Bike Garden suggests a big potential in quick builds for kids.
Thanks to A.J. Zelada for great photos and more stories to come. |
| DC's Big Bike Giveaway: Free Bikes for 2nd Graders! |
| | | To mark the end of school, DC Bike Ride provided free bikes, helmets, and locks to District of Columbia Public School 2nd graders who live in Wards 7 and 8. I participated by setting up a pop-up traffic garden where the 200 kids could test out their brand-new bikes. It was incredibly exciting to see their skills: most of the kids biked the mini-streets confidently, while a handful glided skillfully. Now that they have their own personal bikes, the gliders should be riding independently by this summer.
The backstory to this event is that since 2015, DC public schools have provided all 2nd graders with 7 or 8 learn-to-ride lessons through PE, culminating in a 5-to-7 mile ride to and from a community destination. They start early with balance bikes in pre-K to prepare kids for the 2nd grade program. This initiative is especially interesting as it counters the national decline in kids learning to bike and owning bicycles. Back when I wrote the report about the DC program's first year, most students began at the lowest skill levels, but over 80% reached the highest skill levels by the program's end. Since then, the program has expanded, and I expect skill success rates are even higher now. Additionally, the school system is steadily adding traffic gardens, to support the PE biking program with around 12 installations currently in place.
Biking is the great gift to children - the skill that they never forget and that serves them through most stages of life. Over the past nine years, I’ve witnessed this program grow without a big budget, leveraging opportunities to integrate biking into school life. Every year, 7- and 8-year-olds bike through DC streets and trails bringing joy to the city. Are kids the key to driving systemic change for safer streets? |
| | | Several years ago, I had an exciting moment during a kids' design charrette when we displayed a picture of the Mt. Jefferson Park Traffic Garden as an example. One student exclaimed "That's where I had my birthday party!" I was delighted to realize that the traffic garden was being used in such a fun and active way. Since then, I've heard of other families choosing traffic gardens as a low-cost option for active birthday parties so I’ve added a new resource on my website to help plan more of this type of outdoor fun. |
|  | We are steadily expanding our collection of quick downloadable resources on the website. Visit our resource page to explore the latest additions. |
| Catching up with Seattle & the PNW |
| | I recently visited Seattle to check in on some of the nine traffic gardens that I’ve been working on there. During my trip, I got to visit new installations (4 are in so far) and meet with PE and facilities staff at several schools. At Viewlands Elementary School, I observed a 5th-grade PE class using the Let's Go biking curriculum in their new traffic garden. Similarly, at Kimball Elementary, I toured the installation with PE and Safe Routes to School (SRTS) staff. Lots of interesting conversations and learning!
If you are interested in a model of how comprehensive biking and mobility education can scale to reach really large numbers of riders, it’s worth paying attention to the exciting initiatives underway in Seattle Public Schools. Programs like Let’s Go, funded by SDOT, are reaching students across 3rd, 4th and 5th grade. Cascade Bicycle Club provides curriculum, teaching materials, training, bicycles, helmets, and logistical support. Additionally, the All Kids Bike program, supported by a grant from the Washington State DOT, introduces balance bikes and a Learn-to-Ride PE Program to kindergarten students. Let’s Go Further is extending these efforts to middle school students as a pilot program. To ensure the programs serve all the students, Outdoors for All provides adaptive devices tailored to students' mobility and vision needs, such as three-wheel, four-wheel, and hand-crank cycles.
During my time in the Pacific Northwest, I also enjoyed reconnecting with biking friends and had a fantastic ride on the Columbia River Gorge Trail - an unforgettable day out! |
| Don’t Skip on Community Engagement |
|  | A friend of Discover Traffic Gardens recently shared a photo of a sign they spotted next to a neighborhood on-street traffic garden. Although we don’t know anything about the backstory, the sign struck us as simultaneously rude, unnecessary, and indicative of an unhappy community situation. Something had clearly gone horribly wrong here! This one photo may single-handedly illustrate the importance of community engagement in planning projects, even the small temporary examples like this spray chalk installation.
By contrast, when Rick Holt of the ECMC decided to install a temporary traffic garden in his neighborhood "I had a great time talking with my neighbors about the possibility of installing a temporary traffic garden in our cul-de-sac in 2020. I listened to their questions, and at first, they were very confused about what a traffic garden was. But after I explained that it was just duct tape and temporary, and talked about kids having fun and being active, they were interested." Rick continued, "I told them if they did not like it we could take it out after a month. After the month was up, I canvassed my neighbors again, and they told me not to remove it as they liked seeing the kids have fun, and they were enjoying meeting the parents and grandparents that came along with them." This particular temporary traffic garden ended up lasting about nine months, and Rick reports that he actually got to know his neighbors a better as a consequence.
When making changes in public or shared spaces, it’s crucial to communicate the project's details, purpose, and benefits. Traffic gardens lend themselves to community involvement due to their straightforward nature and flexibility in implementation. In every instance, outreach and community involvement have enhanced the project and led to great support. However, achieving these successes requires intentional effort. |
| | Meet the Author, Act Out the Book |
| | I was thrilled to hear Anna Zivarts keynote the Pennsylvania Active Transportation Summit. If you don’t know Anna already, she is a low-vision parent, nondriver, and disability mobility advocate in Washington State who has been making waves nationwide with her recent book, When Driving is Not an Option. I’m currently reading this exploration of the often-overlooked 30% of people in the U.S. who can’t or don’t drive. Plus Anna is a powerful voice, reminding us that children count too!
Later that morning, Anna joined us for a walkshop that highlighted the lived experiences and challenges faced by people walking, rolling, and taking transit to reach everyday destinations. We walked along roads that lack adequate provisions and experienced waiting and riding on a public bus on the hottest day of the summer. It was a great way to deeply engage with the issues Anna highlights in her excellent book. |
| | Have a question? Submit it to Finn@TrafficGardens.com |
| Thank you for joining us in our 2024 newsletters. We appreciate the support from all of our pals and colleagues! |
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