There’s something different about New York City streets these days. As the Department of Transportation expands the scope of its Open Streets program (with mixed results), more than 7,500 restaurants have been spilling out onto sidewalks and parking spots across the city. Many New Yorkers continue to spurn the subway, driving a surge in ridership on the city’s bus system, while those avoiding public transit altogether flock to the city’s bicycle shops (and Citi Bike docking stations) in record numbers. The reconfiguration of both streetscapes and transportation habits, for the time being at least, has opened up new possibilities for how people move through the city. Amanda Schachter and Alexander Levi of SLO Architecture are hoping that moment lasts. The guest editors of our City of Cycling series, they have been working to reimagine the landscape of micro-mobility for years. While recent, large-scale proposals such as the Queens Ribbon attempt to galvanize bold visions of a car-free future, SLO argues that the infrastructure for more just and accessible modes of motion already lies beneath our feet. https://urbanomnibus.net/2020/07/theres-a-difference-between-tactical-and-shortsighted/
