Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Streetsblog

Why Cities Should Strive for Streets That “Fail”

What makes a good street? Wide, tree-lined sidewalks? A concentration of businesses and activity? Or an unobstructed path to speed through in a car?

This is the kind of street engineers would give an "A." Photo: Andy Boenau via Urban Times
This street probably gets an "A" for Level of Service. Photo: Andy Boenau via Urban Times
false

Influential engineering metrics only grade streets according to the last question. But Dave Cieslewicz at the Wisconsin Bike Federation writes that if you want walkable, safe urban streets, that's a test you should fail:

How do we measure a successful street? Well, traditionally we’ve allowed traffic engineers, focused on moving cars, to create that measure. They’ve developed a grading system for streets called “Level of Service” or LOS.

But here’s the problem. If you look at a LOS map of many of the downtowns and neighborhoods that we love the best you’ll see almost nothing but level of service “D” and “F”. In other words, by the measure of moving cars our streets are failing or nearly failing. And if you ranked streets by friendliness to bicyclists and pedestrians the maps would look very different.

At the Pro Walk/Pro Bike conference in Pittsburgh last week I heard a compelling argument to forget about LOS in most urban environments altogether. After all, a city is not a place for cars to move efficiently. And if you make it that you’ve almost certainly lost all the things that make your city a good place to be.

Elsewhere on the Network today: Grist says electric cars aren't making California's air any cleaner. And Copenhagenize rips a feel-good street safety PSA that targets pedestrians rather than drivers.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

‘A Tombstone’: Abandoned Bicycles Outside Federal Courthouse Are a Symbol of U.S. War on Immigrants

At least four bicycles and one moped are chained up and seemingly abandoned outside the federal courthouse. They are symbols of America's war on immigrants.

August 15, 2025

Friday Video: Poor Bike Lane Design Shouldn’t be a Ticketable Offense

The Manhattan entrance to the Williamsburg Bridge bike path is confusing and dangerous, but that hasn’t stopped police from preying on cyclists.

August 15, 2025

Friday’s Headlines: Carlina, We Hardly Knew Ye Edition

A Downtown Council member with a great legacy resigns. Plus other news.

August 15, 2025

City Council Vows To Override Mayor’s ‘Senseless’ Vetoes

Speaker Adrienne Adams vows to override the mayor's recent vetoes of two bills that would expand labor protections and minimum wage to grocery delivery workers using Instacart.

August 14, 2025

Thursday’s Headlines: Veto Oh No Edition

Mayor Adams has gone so far to the right in his quest to retain his office that he's not even listening to his own damn self. Plus other news.

August 14, 2025

Greenway Master Plan Shows the Way … For The Next Mayor

There's a master plan, now all we need is someone to do it!

August 14, 2025
See all posts