The biggest city-wide cycling event we’ve had here in Carson City was the Freeway Opener. Before opening the freeway to cars, cyclists and pedestrians were invited to walk and ride the new section of road. About a thousand people of all ages showed up. This is a HUGE number for Carson City. And then a few hours later, of course, the freeway was closed forever to non-motorized traffic.
Another hotly debated issue in Carson City is converting main street back to 2 lanes with parking from the current 4 lanes and no parking(a result of less traffic from the new freeway). Some say it will slow traffic too much for people trying to get through town. Others argue the slower traffic will be good and more parking will make it more convenient to visit local businesses. And then there are the special events that close main street altogether for several blocks… Hundreds show up to socialize, listen to music, shop, display art, and eat.
In both examples, getting rid of the cars seems to create a place that people want to be!
When we close major streets and roads for parades and marathons it’s called civic pride. When we close them simply to allow residents to experience a portion of their city without cars it’s called social engineering. -w
The biggest city-wide cycling event we’ve had here in Carson City was the Freeway Opener. Before opening the freeway to cars, cyclists and pedestrians were invited to walk and ride the new section of road. About a thousand people of all ages showed up. This is a HUGE number for Carson City. And then a few hours later, of course, the freeway was closed forever to non-motorized traffic.
Another hotly debated issue in Carson City is converting main street back to 2 lanes with parking from the current 4 lanes and no parking(a result of less traffic from the new freeway). Some say it will slow traffic too much for people trying to get through town. Others argue the slower traffic will be good and more parking will make it more convenient to visit local businesses. And then there are the special events that close main street altogether for several blocks… Hundreds show up to socialize, listen to music, shop, display art, and eat.
In both examples, getting rid of the cars seems to create a place that people want to be!
When we close major streets and roads for parades and marathons it’s called civic pride. When we close them simply to allow residents to experience a portion of their city without cars it’s called social engineering. -w
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