First STROADs, now SNECKDOWNs. Two weeks of new traffic terminology

Last week I linked to an article about STROADs – the street/road hybrid that moves traffic at speeds too fast to support adjacent economic investment, but too slow for efficient transportation. This week finds me reading about SNECKDOWNs – piles of plowed snow found at street intersections that act as de facto curb extensions (a.k.a. “neckdowns,” making snow neckdowns into…SNECKDOWNs!). The article is here. In it Clarence Erickson, a documentarian who focuses on pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly streets, says

When that snow piles up at a lot of intersections in neighbourhoods, you see that space where they could put a kerb extension,” says Eckerson. “The cars still can make the turn, including trash trucks and school buses, but you see the slow, more deliberate turn around the corner instead of cutting it….It’s free. You don’t have to do a crazy expensive traffic calming study. It provides a visual cue into how people behave in transportation.

(If the spellings didn’t give it away, the article is from the BBC News Magazine.)

One thought on “First STROADs, now SNECKDOWNs. Two weeks of new traffic terminology

  1. I totally agree with this. I bet you that there are more accidents in the spring, summer and fall time because there isn’t that much snow. Snow clams down the craziness in drivers and makes them more calmer. That is why this is a cheap targeted traffic objective. Less traffic because there are less people doing crazy things on the road. I definitely think more people should look into this.

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