A TikTok expert focused on urban spaces is detailing how discouraging through traffic is a much more effective safety solution for our streets. Incorporating an "unassuming" design into our cities could even have us waving goodbye to excess material signage.
What is the problem with street signs?
The Happy Urbanist (@jonjon.mp4), who has over 250,000 followers on TikTok, described how an "overreliance on signage and enforcement" can be indicative of a huge problem: a lack of mindful design.
@jonjon.mp4 Other things that show design intentions: Discouraging through traffic 👇 @The Happy Urbanist Modal filters 👇 @The Happy Urbanist Innatentional blindness 👇 @The Happy Urbanist #yimby #nimby #publictransit #publictransportstion #architecture #urbandesign #citydesign #walkablecities #walkablecommunities #urbanplanning #pedestrians #pedestriandignity #notjustbikes #strongtowns #janejacobs #cars #roads #travel #safety #notjustbikes #janejacobs #neckdown #sneckdown #unitedstates #99pi #tennessee #tn #usa #uk #unitedkongdom #tiktoklondon #london #ltn #ulez #trafficcalming #islington ♬ original sound - The Happy Urbanist
"If there's a lot of people speeding and crashing in your streets and your solution is to put up arbitrary speed limit signs and enforce it through speed traps, it might be that you just have a weak street and city design," Jon Jon explained, sharing data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published by Vox, showing that cars kill Americans at significantly higher rates than in other "affluent" countries.
He then takes his viewers on a tour of a street in a pedestrian-heavy area in London. Instead of relying on warning signs, the road leads its drivers on a "circuitous" path that requires low speeds to navigate.
"You would have to be a literal Rally Car racer in order to take these curves at an unsafe speed," Jon Jon says. "... This makes it safe not only for pedestrians along Camden Passage, but also people pushing strollers or in mobility aids that want to ride down the path itself."
"So many signs are soooo distracting and dangerous," one commenter pointed out. "This is so much better!"
"I've been saying this for so long now," another added. "If people are speeding in an area a lot, it's because the road is made for that speed. A sign won't change it."
Why is this important?
Creating a safer experience for cyclists and pedestrians encourages residents to travel with less polluting modes of transportation, contributing to healthier air quality and more opportunities for beneficial physical activity. Neighborhood walkability can also impact overall happiness, per Psychology Today.
Of course, doing away with street signs isn't practical in certain situations. As the International Journal of Sustainable Engineering points out in one study, they are crucial for communicating information to drivers on highways.
However, manufacturing, transporting, and installing the signs requires energy, thus generating planet-warming pollution. According to the Iowa State University Institute for Transportation, traffic signs typically have a life of around 10 years.
Designing cities with savvy safety features enables us to manage our planet's natural resources more effectively and can save taxpayers from wasting money on unhelpful solutions.
"People drive the speeds roads were designed for," Jon Jon concludes.
How can I advocate for safer city infrastructure?
While the United States is notoriously reliant on cars, many Americans are ready for something different. A national poll by Hattaway Communications revealed that a large number of respondents wanted additional investments in less car-dependent infrastructure.
Getting involved in local climate efforts, whether through voting, volunteering, attending city halls, or donating to causes that matter to you can help raise awareness and move the needle in a positive direction.
Planet-friendly infrastructure adjustments that could lead to less congested and dangerous roads are also already on the horizon.
For example, in March, the Federal Highway Administration announced it received $44.5 million in funds to increase access to safe bicycling and walking paths, as well as public transportation. Several high-speed rail projects are also in the works.
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