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'Sneckdowns': Can Snow Patterns Help Us Design Better Urban Roads?

By Rain Noe - February 6, 2014

in Cars | Urbanism

Yesterday it snowed in NYC, and as always happens, today you can see which parts of the street have been plowed and driven through and which parts are still snowbanks. And recently a movement has begun that claims we can use those snowbanks to help determine urban road construction.

Photo via This Old City

Photo via This Old City

Way back in 2001 Transportation Alternatives Magazine suggested that the untouched snow on city roads are where "neckdowns"—i.e. curb extensions—ought to be installed, to slow traffic at intersections for the greater safety of pedestrians. Here in 2014, that suggestion has really caught fire, with news organizations and urban activist blogs now referring to the phenomenon as "sneckdowns" ("snow" + "neckdowns).

The BBC ran an article called "Sneckdown: Using snow to design safer streets," stating that "snow can be helpful in pointing out traffic patterns and changing street composition for the better." To bolster their argument they interviewed Clarence Eckerson Jr., whose StreetFilms organization creates short films on smart transportation design and policy. "The snow is almost like nature's tracing paper," Eckerson explained. "When you dump some snow on this giant grid of streets, now you can see, visually, how people can better use the streets."

The thinking is that curbs should be made to reach towards each other at the corners of intersections and shorten the crosswalks, with three goals:

- While crossing, pedestrians spend less time in the actual street - Since cars cannot now park close to the corners, turning visibility is improved for drivers - The narrower space means cars must take corners more slowly, and presumably more safely

Here's a video from Eckerson himself explaining the concept of sneckdowns:

The only thing that concerns me is that sneckdowns don't seem to make any allowances made for bicycle lanes. In any case, those interested in the subject should also check out Streetsblog NYC's take on sneckdowns and the This Old City blog's entry on sneckdowns in Philly.

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Pubilius

10 years ago

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people will do things you never intend for them to do. Slow them down on the turns, and they will speed on the straight portions. Make them turn tight, and they will side swipe on-coming traffic. then you have the truck that has to wait for the on-coming traffic to clear for him to make the turn, and creates a traffic jam not allowing the person in his way to make the turn to clear the lane. Total mess.

These wider curbs can work in some residential areas, but you must make allowances for the fire trucks and ambulances as well. Not to mention the moving vans.

There is a good reason we no longer have avenues sized like goat paths.
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MJL

10 years ago

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Um...isn't this where the snow plows can't go, but cars might?
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Will

10 years ago

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Good Observation! I can't help but wonder though about large trucks. On narrow streets it makes sense to have the curb not stick out as much to allow for a greater radius turn.
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clarity

10 years ago

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Design has ever been best served when it discovers "that which is not there"....lovely application of that principle....!
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daniel

10 years ago

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good observation,
but how about longer trucks, eg. fire trucks.....
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Hannele

10 years ago

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Snowbanks can be useful for determining where there is space for bikelanes, too! If the snowbanks are more than a meter's width off the side of the curb, that means there is room for a bikelane.
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nym

10 years ago

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Reminds me of a fascinating TED Talk about so called "desire lines", I've seen some time ago:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pX8zZdLw7cs

"Desire lines" are the path we would want to use if landscape or urban architecture wouldn't force us otherwise. Snow itself is a great curtain that hides what provides those rules temporarily.

I can only highly recommend the TED Talk, your post and the topic in general.
Thanks
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