Example 2: 16 m

This one-way residential street has unregulated curbside parking and wide travel lanes that encourage speeding and render the  street unsafe for vulnerable users.

Sidewalks are discontinuous or non-existent, resulting in a lack of accessibility for pedestrians. Driveway ramps, stoops, light poles, and other utilities create frequent obstructions.

Drainage channels run on both sides of the street, either under or next to the sidewalks. In some places, these channels might be uncovered.

Lack of shade and uneven lighting make the street unappealing during hot weather and at night.

Before: Sao Paulo, Brazil.

After: Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Transform the street by removing one travel lane, improving sidewalks, and adding a contraflow cycle lane.

Avoid perpendicular parking. Provide parallel parking with narrower width to use space efficiently. Alternate parking spaces with dedicated areas for utilities, street furniture, and landscaping to help maintain a clear pedestrian path on the sidewalk.

Since the buildings on this street have minimal setbacks and stoops that extend into the sidewalk, the reconstruction accommodates widened and accessible sidewalks on both sides.

Allow cycles in both directions to facilitate a permeable and connected cycle network. In this example, cycle-priority ground markings are added in the travel lane, and a dedicated cycle track runs in the opposite direction.

Traffic calming strategies slow vehicular speeds to 20 km/h, ensuring a safe environment for pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists. Add speed tables at the intersections to facilitate raised crossings and prioritize pedestrians.

Use different paving materials and color markings to distinguish cycle lanes from the travel lane. Road markings may be added.

Incorporate green infrastructure strategies by using permeable pavers, rain gardens, and street trees. See: Green Infrastructure.

This street transformation is recommended when there is a need to upgrade existing utilities and underground services or lay new ones. See: Coordination and Project Management.

Copenhagen, Denmark. Contraflow cycle lanes on a one-way street.