March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 11

says, " Here, we don't use the word
'closed.' We call them 'Open
Streets.' Forest Park Drive is so
popular that weekdays are now like
weekends, and weekends are now
like holidays. " Whether anecdotally
or through hard counts, all the cities
report roadway usership increase.
During normal years in autoindulgent Memphis, Tennessee, a
four-lane parkway alongside Tom
Lee Park overlooking the Mississippi River is car-dominated from
June through April. In 2020, when
COVID-19 shut down the region's
commerce and thousands of Memphians rallied to the riverfront for
camaraderie, Mayor Jim Strickland
feared a spike in infections from too
much crowding. In response, the city
closed all the parking lots in Tom Lee
Park, as well as all lanes of Riverside
Drive. The result was unexpected.
" We found that when the roadway
was closed to cars, people flocked to
it, but now there was twice as much
space, " says Nick Oyler, bikeway and
pedestrian program manager for the
city. " In fact, there were as many people choosing to bike and walk on the
street as in the park itself. Not only
was the wide roadway easier for social
distancing, but the surface was also
better for bikes, scooters and skaters. "
The big question is: What will
happen in all these parks postCOVID-19? Some assume the closures will end and things will revert to
the old ways. A few cities, including
New York, have indicated that some
of the car-free experiments will likely
become permanent, partly because
of public support and partly because
of cost savings. For most, the decision still hangs in the balance.
In Washington, PARC's McCarthy says, " We definitely think
we've made the case for keeping

People's Alliance for Rock Creek (PARC), September 2020
Usership of Car-Free Upper Beach Drive - The Overview
Number of Days Studied (Tue., Wed., Fri.)

Number of Locations Studied

Total Number of Hours Studied

163

Total Number of Users Counted

28,741

Average Number of Users per Hour per Location

176

Average Number of Users per hour (total)

528

Average Number of Users per Day (5 hours)*

880-2,640

By Location
Number of Counts
That Location

Total Usership That
Location

Average per Hour
That Location

Boundary Bridge

8,035

144

Broad Branch Road

10,966

203

Joyce Road

9,740

178

Number of Counts
on That Day

Total Usership That
Day

Average per Hour
That Day

Tuesdays

9,698

176

Wednesdays

9,181

174

Fridays

9,862

175

Number of Hourly
Counts That Time Slot

Total Usership That
Time Slot

Average per Hour
That Time Slot

7-9 a.m.

10,693

170

12-1 p.m.

4,135

130

4-6 p.m.

13,913

207

By Day of Week

By Time of Day

By Time of Year
Average/Hour
Before Labor Day

185

After Labor Day

165

By User Mode
Number

Percent

Bicyclists

17,777

62%

Runners

5,140

18%

Walkers

4,917

17%

Other (skates, wheelchairs, strollers, etc.)

907

Note: In addition, 629 dogs were tallied
* The minimum is if every single user was triple counted; the maximum is if no user passed more than a single
counting location.

Upper Beach Drive closed to cars
on weekdays. "

Peter Harnik is Founder of the Center for Park Excellence at
The Trust for Public Land (peterharnik1@gmail.com).

PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N .O R G | M A R C H 2 02 1 |

Parks & Recreation

March 2021 - Parks & Recreation

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