Finding Space

There is often enough room for physical distancing on streets, but much of this space is currently assigned to motor vehicles by default. Most cities can find space for safe mobility and physical distancing through one or more of the following space reassignments:
• Remove individual parking space(s) or a curbside parking lane.
• Narrow motor vehicle lanes.
• Shift parking or loading away from the curb, even where it requires closing a vehicle lane.
• Designate a street as local access only to reduce vehicle volumes and speed to levels where street space can be shared.
• Close motor vehicle lane(s), or the entire street, to enable adequate physical distancing or improve accessibility and safety for other road users.

Planning & Evaluation

• Use an on-call or general contractor, in-house staff, and supplies on hand. City leaders can support this work by approving the use of operational funds or staff in other divisions.
• Establish clear project goals and metrics, and ensure that agency partners understand project, evaluation, and enforcement objectives.
• Monitor projects every day or twice daily at first, then weekly, to ensure that barriers remain in place and signs are understood.
• Align projects with ongoing plans for sustainability, accessibility, or public health to facilitate next steps or scaling up projects and programs.

Engagement

• Engage with stakeholders through community groups, social service providers, business associations, local shops; reach workers through employers and advocates.
• Ask stakeholders and advocates to place flyers, circulate notices to local/hyper-local online networks, or safely contact local residents.
• Work with community groups to identify key obstacles or issues affecting design.
• Encourage feedback from neighbors and stakeholders to inform adjustments, modifications, and future phases.
• Convey clear goals; periodically solicit feedback via brief survey(s) to users, businesses and residents, to ensure input in refinements or any future phases of work.
• Use the street at the location of the project to support communication of project goals or public health updates, with posters, banners, and boards. Consider offering wifi access for communities without access.