Coalition for a New Dallas
Announcing Dallas’ Slow Street Pilot Program
In response to COVID-19, Better Block Foundation, Coalition for a New Dallas, BikeDFW, Amanda Popken Development, and the City of Dallas have partnered together for Dallas’ Slow Street Pilot Project as a way to allow neighbors to get outside but also practice safe social distancing.
"During times of transition and crisis, we also are presented with opportunities to try new things, to innovate and change. Right now is one of those times,” says District 1 councilman Chad West. “If we want more walkable neighborhoods and safer streets for pedestrians and children, what better time to test strategies to achieve those goals than when so many of us are more limited in our mobility and need to be in our neighborhoods to keep us safe and healthy?”
Cities around the world have launched similar initiatives, but few have opened it up to the community to nominate their own streets. Through this pilot program, neighbors can apply to have their street designated a “Slow Street.” If approved, their street would be closed to thru traffic, but must remain open to local traffic (residents, deliveries, emergency vehicles, and city services).
“Through this initiative, we are able to open our streets to more pedestrian use while they’re closed to thru traffic,” says Krista Nightengale, managing director of the Better Block Foundation. “While many are rethinking the way we move people, Dallas is taking a step forward to allow neighbors to have a say in the design of their communities.”
Dallas’ Slow Street pilot program is open to 10 neighborhoods, and the Better Block Foundation in partnership with BikeDFW, Amanda Popken Development, and the Coalition for a New Dallas, will supply those neighborhoods with the barriers, cones, signage, and other supplies needed for a successful Slow Street.
“This pilot program has the potential to redefine the Dallas planning paradigm,” says Miguel Solis, Executive Director of the Coalition for a New Dallas. “It is a strong first-step toward revitalizing neighborhoods with policies that improve mobility, increase opportunity, and enhance the quality of life across Dallas.”
To learn more about the requirements and the initiative as a whole, visit the official City website here or find the How-To Guide at betterblock.org/dallasslowstreets.
For more information, contact Krista Nightengale at 405-615-2623 or krista@betterblock.org.
About the Partners
Better Block Foundation is an urban design nonprofit that educates, equips, and empowers communities and their leaders to reshape and reactivate built environments to promote the growth of healthy and vibrant neighborhoods.
The Coalition for a New Dallas is an organization working to remove the physical and economic barriers that have divided our neighborhoods, reinforced segregation, and stifled economic opportunity.
BikeDFW is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to educate, support, and promote the safe use of bicycles as an affordable, viable, and sustainable means of active transportation and personal enjoyment, within the Dallas - Fort Worth community.
Amanda Popken Development is an economic development firm specializing in placemaking and community engagement. We build resilient neighborhoods and cities.