Closing roads to traffic for a few hours so children can play

[Glow worm]

It works in Paris where they close a road each summer and turn it into a beach. Sounds great. Paris Beach
As for inconveniencing motorists well so be it. They're always whingeing about one thing or another anyway! Roads are just like any other public spaces and for all, not just those in a tin can driving 300 yards for their fags and chips.

 

[Arch]

The intention is pure but the logic is flawed.

Better to invest in long term space that kids can use every day, than cause misery to motorists in the persuit of short term alternative.

Misery? That's a bit melodramatic.

I heard the piece on radio yesterday and seem to remember the road was only closed to through traffic, not for access. So some drivers have to find another street to get through on. Boo hoo. It's not a permanent feature, it's an occasional event, like a street party. Bring it on.

Of course, if there's a park right by the street, that's a better place to play, most of the time. But it's unlikely that all the families will go to the park at the same time, get to know each other. If everyone is out on the street for an afternoon, people will mingle more I think, and build better community.

Brilliant quote I heard on the radio.

Small boy "It's nice to play out, but sometimes cars come down really fast!"
Small boy's small mate "Yeah, Conor's right, sometimes, they are faster than a cheetah!"

We played in the road when I was a kid - that was a cul de sac, which helped. And all the residents' cars fitted on the driveways. Now, there are frequently several cars parked on the road, due to second cars etc. The park was nearby, but across the main road. We all knew to get on the pavement when a car did come down, and it was fine.

 

[Night Train]

I'm not keen on the idea, it can cause confusion for all the road users over when it was active and when not. People in the past generally had common sense where as now they seem to have 'compensation culture' and less interest in personal responsibility.

It would make more sense to convert residential areas to Home Zones where the road stays open but the priority is given over to the pedestrians as a public space.
I worked on the initial development of a Home Zone in Rochdale just before I left my public sector career. Not sure how it panned out in the end but the residents were quite keen. I still have the tee shirt from the public consultation and events day.

 

[moralcrusader]

Kids can use the roads to play in just as soon as they're taxed, insured and have an annaul safety inspection. Sorry, different argument...

 

[lulubel]

As a dad this makes no sense. I teach my child to respect the roads and to be careful. This would undo that.

Exactly this.

I think it's a very silly idea to teach children it's OK to play in the road.

 

[Arch]

I'm not keen on the idea, it can cause confusion for all the road users over when it was active and when not. People in the past generally had common sense where as now they seem to have 'compensation culture' and less interest in personal responsibility.

It would make more sense to convert residential areas to Home Zones where the road stays open but the priority is given over to the pedestrians as a public space.
I worked on the initial development of a Home Zone in Rochdale just before I left my public sector career. Not sure how it panned out in the end but the residents were quite keen. I still have the tee shirt from the public consultation and events day.

Looking at the website, I think this is intended to be a very definite event, rather than just something that happens sometimes to cause confusion. I agree, it would be better if residential streets were homezoned, but that takes time and planning (as you're well placed to know!) Perhaps the Out to Play events ought to be thought of as a precursor. Once people get a feel for what it's like to have a road closed for an hour or so, they might be even more receptive to the idea of a permanent change. From small acorns, and all that.

 

[tongskie01]

lets do it first and see what happens. all of the things that we enjoy today are products of trial and error.

 

[Arch]

Exactly this.

I think it's a very silly idea to teach children it's OK to play in the road.

But it doesn't teach them this. It teaches them that it's ok to play in the road when this event is on, and there are adults supervising.

We either credit kids with the ability to learn quite complex ideas (like assessing danger), or we treat them like blancmanges. No one is suggesting letting a three year old play in the middle of the road unsupervised. It's about the whole community looking out for each other, and realising that it's nicer that way than being shut behind doors and afraid of traffic all the time.

Back in the days we I played in our street (and in neighbouring streets), we also had a thing called the Green Cross Code - children were expected to be able to learn to make safe decisions about when to cross the road, and most did.

Here in York last year, we had a street party on Bishopthorpe Road - a busy shopping street. It was closed for three or four hours, and there were games, and music, and food. Lots and lots of families, with kids. Once it was all over, it was back to normal. I'm not aware of a single child thinking it was ok to play in the same road the next day.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

But it doesn't teach them this. It teaches them that it's ok to play in the road when this event is on, and there are adults supervising.

We either credit kids with the ability to learn quite complex ideas (like assessing danger), or we treat them like blancmanges. No one is suggesting letting a three year old play in the middle of the road unsupervised. It's about the whole community looking out for each other, and realising that it's nicer that way than being shut behind doors and afraid of traffic all the time.

Back in the days we I played in our street (and in neighbouring streets), we also had a thing called the Green Cross Code - children were expected to be able to learn to make safe decisions about when to cross the road, and most did.

Here in York last year, we had a street party on Bishopthorpe Road - a busy shopping street. It was closed for three or four hours, and there were games, and music, and food. Lots and lots of families, with kids. Once it was all over, it was back to normal. I'm not aware of a single child thinking it was ok to play in the same road the next day.

Children have the most amazing ability to assimilate and process complex information. They can learn multiple written and spoken languages in three years. Learn complex motor functions and well you get the idea.......

 

[Arch]

Of course, I do realise that there are some kids who don't think, who act impetuously or dangerously. But I don't think it's usually down to a lack of understanding, more likely momentary distraction. When I was small, we were out walking and as we crossed a road, I dropped Lucy Rabbit, and without thinking, turned back to pick her up, just as a car came. Fortunately, Mum had hold of my hand, and stopped me, and I, and Lucy Rabbit, were unscathed. Also fortunately, the driver was going slowly. And that's another feature of these events, I notice, that any cars accessing the street are escorted at very low speed. It's all part of making people think a little more.

 

[pshore]

As a dad this makes no sense. I teach my child to respect the roads and to be careful. This would undo that. It will also add extra traffic to surrounding roads and have the possibility of people not realising or deliberately ignoring.

There are plenty if open parks around, all this does is stop lazy parents taking their children to the park.

As a Dad it makes complete sense to me! Cars are dangerous, so lets close down the road for a couple of hours and make it safe. Kids need free time to socialise, run around etc, instead of Xboxes and TV.

If I look down my street, the road is out of bounds because of moving cars, the pavements are all parked on by cars. There is little communal space outside your own house to join in with your neighbours. We are talking here about the time between school and "come in your dinner's ready!". For primary school children you can't just send them off to the park any more because of, you guessed it, traffic.

I believe the scheme requires permission from your council (as was used for street parties for the royal wedding) so there are checks and balances. All it really requires is a community.

 

[StuartG]

We all played football in the street. We played marbles in the gutters. In was part of life and we were (sort of) supervised from behind the net curtains. A great life denied to today's kids.

Actually many residential streets are not much busier than 50 years ago. The big difference is the parked cars. They deny the street to people (and cars wanting to get somewhere) are ugly, dangerous (obstructing vision) and largely unnecessary, expensive and a wasted resource. Car clubs are better way to serve ad hoc motoring needs. Round here we see cars that don't move for weeks on end ....

So reclaim our streets for kids and everybody else. The fact that a 15'x10' area of public space can be selfishly grabbed for online garaging is something we need to address. Predatory parking charges (with exceptions for clubs/shares) could bring our streets alive again.

 

[DrSquirrel]

A strange thing that I found was my aunty postin gon facebook some thing about "I remember the time when kids stayed out until it was dark, you called their name not their mobile, blah blah blah - if you remeber this repost".

Strangely, yes she was treated like that by her parents - but surely if kids now are not like that, surely she(and others) are the problem they are describing?

We played in the road when I was a kid - that was a cul de sac, which helped. And all the residents' cars fitted on the driveways. Now, there are frequently several cars parked on the road, due to second cars etc. The park was nearby, but across the main road. We all knew to get on the pavement when a car did come down, and it was fine.

Same here - and there were less cars to start with too.

But as the years went on more and more cars were on the road and pavements - with various owners getting very techy about balls hitting cars, we were careful, no full volleys and crazy shots but yes there were a few mistakes.

One time though, a ball rolled up very slow, touched someones wheel and the owner came out shouting and everything within seconds! We'd had enough of them and I told them - the first time I ever swore at someone else - to F-off, their face had a look of shock and horror, they called the Police who apparently left laughing to themselves.




Teach kids to exercise their rights and play the roads

 

[Arch]

A strange thing that I found was my aunty postin gon facebook some thing about "I remember the time when kids stayed out until it was dark, you called their name not their mobile, blah blah blah - if you remeber this repost".

Strangely, yes she was treated like that by her parents - but surely if kids now are not like that, surely she(and others) are the problem they are describing?

I guess there is an, understandable, element of... not quite hypocrisy, but honestly thinking it was better back then, but still falling prey to the various modern fears and scare stories. I'm well aware that my faith in children is untested by having any of my own, and I'm sure I'd make a fairly neurotic mother, given my capacity for fretting. There's also perhaps a disconnection between seeing the problem (traffic) and being part of it (assuming a car is vital, perhaps not respecting urban speed limits all the time). If more people thought about being car free (or only having one car) there would simply be less of this perilous traffic. But it's big step for most people to consider (and there will always be some for whom a car is essential, of course).

The one thing that might do it is the cost of fuel!

 

[Sheffield_Tiger]

It's great

Nearby we have a farmers market once every couple of months..one street is closed off for the day

A "Street Party" was held about 3 months ago down my street - road closed and tables of food etc set up in the road

I love the small niggling away that these things have against the "ROADS ARE FOR CARS" mentality.

I like the idea of Reclaiming the Streets, but not as a us vs them thing, just as a, "come on, you have carte blanche 99.9% of the time, let us have a go at having the road, and why not come down and see what else roads can offer other than just getting to boring old work"