Open Streets, Atlanta Streets Alive
Published on Oct 13, 2016
Ever wonder what is an open street event and how to add one to your city or town? This presentation was created by the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition describing best practices on their initiative, Atlanta Streets Alive, in hopes for more Open Streets to spread out across Georgia and the southern United States.
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PRESENTATION OUTLINE
Open Streets, Atlanta Streets Alive
Add on Community and any Event can be fun to plan
Photo by City Clock Magazine
Modern day Open Streets (Ciclovías) started in Bogotá, Colombia
City initiative with emphasis on community improvement and health in Bogota. ABC's adaptation is Atlanta Streets Alive. Atlanta Bicycle Coalition is the non-profit advocacy organization in Atlanta, GA. www.atlantabike.org
Photo by Dana Durell
Now, there are over 90 in North America (mostly in the U.S.)
Best described by OpenStreetsProjects.org
Many North American Open Streets organizers draw inspiration from Central and South American cities, where such initiatives are often called “ciclovía.” The term, which translates to “bike path,” was coined in Bogotá, Colombia when the city rolled out its now famed Ciclovía in 1974. However, before there was Ciclovía in Bogotá, there was Seattle Bicycle Sundays, a car-free initiative connecting several parks along a 3-mile stretch of Lake Washington Boulevard. First launched in 1965, Bicycle Sundays predates Bogotá’s initiative by nearly a decade. Additionally, Seattle’s effort quickly inspired similar initiatives in the parks and parkways of New York City (1966), San Francisco (1967), and Ottawa (1970). All four of these early open street initiatives still take place today.
http://openstreetsproject.org/about/about-benefits-of-open-streets/
Many North American Open Streets organizers draw inspiration from Central and South American cities, where such initiatives are often called “ciclovía.” The term, which translates to “bike path,” was coined in Bogotá, Colombia when the city rolled out its now famed Ciclovía in 1974. However, before there was Ciclovía in Bogotá, there was Seattle Bicycle Sundays, a car-free initiative connecting several parks along a 3-mile stretch of Lake Washington Boulevard. First launched in 1965, Bicycle Sundays predates Bogotá’s initiative by nearly a decade. Additionally, Seattle’s effort quickly inspired similar initiatives in the parks and parkways of New York City (1966), San Francisco (1967), and Ottawa (1970). All four of these early open street initiatives still take place today.
http://openstreetsproject.org/about/about-benefits-of-open-streets/
Resources to make your initiative the best... we got you!
There are many amazing resources out their to help any stage of your Open Streets initiative.
http://healthiestpracticeopenstreets.org/
http://www.bikewalkalliance.org/resources/reports/open-streets-guide
http://openstreetsproject.org/resources/
http://healthiestpracticeopenstreets.org/
http://www.bikewalkalliance.org/resources/reports/open-streets-guide
http://openstreetsproject.org/resources/
Open Streets Project
(http://openstreetsproject.org/resources/)
Healthiest Practice Open Streets
(http://healthiestpracticeopenstreets.org/
http://healthiestpracticeopenstreets.org/
http://www.bikewalkalliance.org/resources/reports/open-streets-guide
http://openstreetsproject.org/resources/
Tons of useful information is out there... no need to reinvent the wheel.
http://www.bikewalkalliance.org/resources/reports/open-streets-guide
http://openstreetsproject.org/resources/
Tons of useful information is out there... no need to reinvent the wheel.
Photo by RichGrundy
The Rise
Atlanta Streets Alive (Inside and Out)
Atlanta Bicycle Coalition is the non-profit advocacy organization in Atlanta, GA. www.atlantabike.org ABC has been organizing ASA since 2010 and started small on two iconic streets in Downtown, Edgewood Ave and Auburn Ave.
During this presentation a deeper dive into the logistics of ASA and event planning will occur.
During this presentation a deeper dive into the logistics of ASA and event planning will occur.
Photo by TimothyJ
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- Imagined by the Altanta Bicycle Coalition (Non-profit advocacy group) in 2010, and internally Organized ever since
- Estimating 150k+ attendance per year (over 300k in 2016)
- From 25 volunteers to 110+ volunteers annually for ASAs (many repeats)
- 2.5 miles to over 10 miles of Open Streets within a year
History: ASA is the brainchild of ABC and still organized completely internally. This is a different model than many Open Streets, which are run by city departments or open street organizations.
ASA started in the Fall of 2010 due to the hard work of 25 volunteers and a couple key partnerships with businesses and a city official. The result - 1.5 miles of open streets, a handful of activities, and around 1000 participants.
As of 2016, ASA is held four times a year with-in over 11 neighborhoods via three different street routes. The most miles closed at a time has been 5 miles. The most neighborhoods touched on one route has been 7. Largest amount of participants for 4 hours was 106,000 during the last ASA - Fall 2016.
ASA started in the Fall of 2010 due to the hard work of 25 volunteers and a couple key partnerships with businesses and a city official. The result - 1.5 miles of open streets, a handful of activities, and around 1000 participants.
As of 2016, ASA is held four times a year with-in over 11 neighborhoods via three different street routes. The most miles closed at a time has been 5 miles. The most neighborhoods touched on one route has been 7. Largest amount of participants for 4 hours was 106,000 during the last ASA - Fall 2016.
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The are four pillars of focus for ASA (Health, Civic Pride, Transportation Options, and Livable Streets) These pillars of ASA are the backbone of the initiative and help to distinguish an ASA from the saturated Atlanta festival scene. Find your pillars (vision) and stick with them.
Civic Pride + Health
Civic Pride and Health are how ASA is activated and provide an amazing foundation for outreach and coalition building.
Neighborhoods, and the people in them, are majors influencers in ASA (the people can make change if given an avenue to do so)
Our neighborhood organizations are encouraged to participate in ASA. We recruit ambassadors from every neighborhood and collaborate with them to create civic pride unique to ASA.
The health pillar can come in many forms. Though physical activity dominates, because really we don't get enough in our culture, there are also environmental and social activities.
Neighborhoods, and the people in them, are majors influencers in ASA (the people can make change if given an avenue to do so)
Our neighborhood organizations are encouraged to participate in ASA. We recruit ambassadors from every neighborhood and collaborate with them to create civic pride unique to ASA.
The health pillar can come in many forms. Though physical activity dominates, because really we don't get enough in our culture, there are also environmental and social activities.
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Example: Neighborhood organization participation
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Example: Political leaders supporting ASA at Opening Ceremonies
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Example: Local, iconic businesses supporting ASA (Provide marketing and open doors, maybe give tours or sponsor an activity)
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Example: Local radio involvement - radio remotes, live interviews with initiative leaders and participants
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Example: There are a plethora of healthy activities. Ensuring activities are diverse and fun for many participants is extremely beneficial.
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Example: Health initiatives come in many forms - Partner with local groups
Transportation Options
+ Livable Streets
Being the bike advocacy, transportation options are vital to highlight during an Open Street, but all open streets are striving toward changing minds around how streets can be used for all modes of transit.
Families can get the opportunity to teach kids or try a different mode before sharing with cars. Sometimes new options are introduced, like bike share (a bike rental, transportation or recreation option)
Great thing is many communities across the US are thinking about how they can increase quality of life and become more livable. By introducing Civic Pride, Health, and Transportation Options, our streets inadvertently become livable.
Streets were local music is highlighted, everyone can go from A to B in whatever mode of choice, and development is community influenced.
Families can get the opportunity to teach kids or try a different mode before sharing with cars. Sometimes new options are introduced, like bike share (a bike rental, transportation or recreation option)
Great thing is many communities across the US are thinking about how they can increase quality of life and become more livable. By introducing Civic Pride, Health, and Transportation Options, our streets inadvertently become livable.
Streets were local music is highlighted, everyone can go from A to B in whatever mode of choice, and development is community influenced.
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Example: Transportation comes in many forms. Highlight them all at your initiative. Perhaps you create a temporary, protected bike lane and place a bus next to it on the street which is providing demos on proper bike storage use (as pictured here)
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Example: Families can get the opportunity to teach kids or try a different mode before sharing the road with cars.
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Example: Sometimes new options are introduced, like bike share - a bike rental, transportation or recreation option. (as pictured here - blue bike is Atlanta's new Relay bike share bike)
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Example: Partnering with other local/regional organizations can ensure all participants options are highlighted and helps with marketing/outreach.
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Example: Streets where local music is highlighted, everyone can go from a to be in whatever mode of choice, and development is community influenced.
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Example: Open Streets are great mediums to capture important data on how to increase diverse mode share.
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Example: They are also great for getting feedback from communities on proposed, new developments or land use.
ASA from start to finish
Event Logistics
During the next slides, key aspects of ASA/Event logistic best practices will be covered.
Photo by jurvetson
Strong Partnerships
- Outreach, Outreach, Outreach
- Neighborhood Leaders, Schools, Commissioners, Business owners, Non-profits, and Little Leauge Coaches
- Doesn't have to start with City leads (if the people are interested they will listen), but they are essential partners
- Changing minds takes time
Ensuring the right partners are at the table, ones just as invested in the initiative as you are, takes some strategy and time, but it will make or break your Open Streets.
For ASA, it started with finding community leaders from both the governmental level as well as the businesses/key influencers.
After a couple years, ASA established an ambassador program to increase community empowerment around the initiative. Perhaps your communities have avenues like strong local organizations to partner with.
Remember: Changing minds around a new initiative can take time. (*will take more time for some than others)
For ASA, it started with finding community leaders from both the governmental level as well as the businesses/key influencers.
After a couple years, ASA established an ambassador program to increase community empowerment around the initiative. Perhaps your communities have avenues like strong local organizations to partner with.
Remember: Changing minds around a new initiative can take time. (*will take more time for some than others)
Photo by jairoagua
FUNDING
- Keep it diversified and simple
- Focus on Local (The City, Businesses, & Universities)
- Largest expenses in the U.S. - Police/traffic management, Sanitation, Outreach, Admin/Operations
- Build strong partnerships with robust in-kind trade
Funding is the most complex and unique to each market. There is no "easy" way, but these ideas can put you on the right track.
In-kind trade is just as important as cash. Try to keep cash local as a focus on local community.
In-kind trade is just as important as cash. Try to keep cash local as a focus on local community.
Photo by Rob Hayes.
Off duty Police
Crosswalk Angels
Barricades and more
To expand on the largest expenses, police are the largest but truly don't have to be. A couple ways to lower these costs are to
1. Have a lead off-duty police officer you work with to help outline a plan for traffic and safety management
2. Pair off-duty police with traffic monitors
3. Volunteers help participants with crossing intersections
4. Barricades don't have to be anything fancy, but do need to be sturdy. They can be metal, "french" barricades, wood pallets, wood sawhorses. Drape or a fix important day-of information to barricades, especially at major intersections. Cones and caution tape can definitely be used at non-cross streets or to supplement barricades.
1. Have a lead off-duty police officer you work with to help outline a plan for traffic and safety management
2. Pair off-duty police with traffic monitors
3. Volunteers help participants with crossing intersections
4. Barricades don't have to be anything fancy, but do need to be sturdy. They can be metal, "french" barricades, wood pallets, wood sawhorses. Drape or a fix important day-of information to barricades, especially at major intersections. Cones and caution tape can definitely be used at non-cross streets or to supplement barricades.
Photo by protohiro
Keep training and education as a top priority
Remember: Changing Minds Takes Time
The more you can get in front of many, diverse folks in the community, the better. Use every opportunity as an educational one. Make time to train volunteers and leads thoroughly. People will have questions, answer them. Questions are natural since the vast majority of people have never heard of Open Streets.
Organization is Essential
Being overly organized helps with sanity. Keep things simple and over communicate. This can greatly help when bulk of organizations resources are volunteers. If this isn't your strength, find someone who it is... they will even enjoy it!
There is power in DATA
Don't skip it
*Resources for suggested open streets methods
Data can help with future planning and future funding. Remember: Hard to measure success without defining it beforehand.
There are methods outlined in the resources provided.
There are methods outlined in the resources provided.
Photo by The Visual Agency
Brand and Marketing
They're Different than Outreach
Building a strong brand that resonates your open streets initiative and creates a unique presence in your community may take a professional, or at least a creatively savvy art student ;-)
Marketing is spreading the what, where, when, and why of the initiative far and wide.
Outreach is a form of engagement, which for Open Streets can also mean empowerment. It definitely should highlight important information on what, where, when, why (just like marketing), also it should be personalized for the audience. Another key difference, it expresses how entities can be involved - be it a business, individuals, or community organizations... the list can be endless. Depending your open streets focus areas, those entities can be quite diverse and lengthy.
As a best practice, marketing and outreach work hand&hand
Marketing is spreading the what, where, when, and why of the initiative far and wide.
Outreach is a form of engagement, which for Open Streets can also mean empowerment. It definitely should highlight important information on what, where, when, why (just like marketing), also it should be personalized for the audience. Another key difference, it expresses how entities can be involved - be it a business, individuals, or community organizations... the list can be endless. Depending your open streets focus areas, those entities can be quite diverse and lengthy.
As a best practice, marketing and outreach work hand&hand
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Example: Strong branding is highly recognizable and adaptable. For open streets, it should also be fun!
Outreach + Marketing
- Posters and flyers
- Yard Signs
- Street Closure flyers/signs
- Door hangers
- Day-of Signage
Here are the main print forms ASA uses for both outreach and marketing. Depending on specific neighborhoods, we may use one form over another, but usually all are used through the process. Providing these materials as far out from the day-of, the better.
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Day-of
- A-frames (sandwich board) signs
- Feather/Tear Drop Banners
- Event Banner on barricades at key intersections
- More vertical height the better
- Event Information Areas (Tents, roaming volunteers, flyers for traffic/security officers)
Day-of print has more specific information.
Perhaps it's focused on safety information for the day (again a lot of people aren't used to a road usually open to bike/ped/role/play)
What, Where, and Why are usually highlighted throughout so people understand the initiative while participating in it.
Open Streets are created for all, so making sure the information reflects the community (different languages, signage more vertical in height as well as lower to ground, more graphics less text when can, drive participants to social media or website)
Perhaps it's focused on safety information for the day (again a lot of people aren't used to a road usually open to bike/ped/role/play)
What, Where, and Why are usually highlighted throughout so people understand the initiative while participating in it.
Open Streets are created for all, so making sure the information reflects the community (different languages, signage more vertical in height as well as lower to ground, more graphics less text when can, drive participants to social media or website)
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Example: Businesses can help market to patrons
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Example: Volunteers roaming can encourage participants to ask questions and help to personalize the initiative.
Digital
- Website that is both informational and functional
- Social Media (Facebook best for ads, Instagram/Twitter/Snapchat best for engagement)
- Check out @/#atlantastreetsalive
- Partner sites & social media have exponential marketing reach
- Local print and radio
Photo by osde8info
An ACTIVE Street
HUBS of Activity
Activity on, or right off, the street can continue to encourage the livable, engaged community environment open streets strives to foster.
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Open Streets can become rather dense in sections of the car-free route. Limiting the added activity to these areas can drastically help with safety and traffic flow.
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For areas with wider roads or not as much commercial density, then adding larger activities can help create a fun environment.
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Unique activity can be great for education or encouragement to try new things. Maybe an introduction to new activities will be all someone needs to be more physically active in their life.
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Example: Partner driven tactical urbanism demos at Open Streets can highlight needs within the community. Much like this pop-up park.
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Example: Add elements of activity that allow participants to interact independently.
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Example: Create a fun event or experience so participants see the whole route (street closed to cars) ex. bike ride, walk-a-thon, run/trot or footrace, pedi-cabs, scavenger hunt
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Example: Encourage businesses along the route to extend patio service, create pallet bike parking, add an activity like ping pong or corn hole on the sidewalk(street being used by all) or 5feet into the street.
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Example: Keep only pockets (a block or two) with really dense activity and leave rest of street with less or no activity other than people moving from one area to another. This helps with traffic flow so everyone can experience the whole route if they want.
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No matter age or ability, ensure everyone feels welcome at an Open Streets! Diversify partners, ensure ease of flow throughout route, limit or have no alcohol vending on the street (no open container permit if not law in the area to reduce people walking around with beverages or drinking excessively)
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Example: Take the opportunity to educate the community on projects and gain feedback/input (can partner with local DOT, developers, business districts, planners, advocates, and government)
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Photo credits
Steve Eberhardt
Heather Troutman
Jarad Wright
Keisa Bruce
*if not already at bottom of slides
Shout out to our amazing photographers.
*Open Streets Project
(http://openstreetsproject.org/resources/)
*Open Streets Guide
*Healthiest Practice Open Streets
(http://healthiestpracticeopenstreets.org/
Just a final plug for the great resources available to help your initiative!
Photo by RichGrundy
