Hasta La Ideas

In an effort to ease congestion, improve conditions for cyclists, and make way for publicly funded restorations of sidewalks, transit lines and streets, San Francisco officially banned the presence of cars (except some official vehicles) on the city’s busiest thoroughfare: Market Street. Following similar legislation passed in cities including Paris, Madrid and NYC, San Francisco formulated a $600 million plan to revitalize its current systems and set a path for future solutions. For most cities, traffic patterns influence the rate at which projects get proposed, allotted, funded and executed—and which social and environmental issues (like access to public transit and carbon emissions) are addressed. With cars pushed aside, pedestrians and cyclists benefit from safer streets and are more inclined to walk and ride, while public acknowledgement of cars as a privilege and not a right opens a dialogue surrounding their impact on our environment and society. Read more about the significant change in SF at CityLab.