Wishing for “Truly Open Streets” in 2015

It’s a new year, and around the Streetsblog Network people are posting their 2014 retrospectives and resolutions for the year ahead.

Kristen Jeffers at The Black Urbanist shares these thoughts to kick off 2015:

Remember this picture of me? I was playing on a B-cycle demonstration bike on the street that I helped paint, to have an open streets event there. Yet, from then to now, not just in Greensboro, but in many other cities, the streets haven’t been so open. In fact, many have been hostile. My wish is that we can start looking at people on our streets, not as threats, not as people to shake money out of, not as places to speculate our real estate futures and to shoot to kill, but as places where we can celebrate our achievements and what it means to be human. I might be wishing this every year, but I’m going to get us started there. If we block the streets in 2015, I pray that it’s to have a party, be at peace and be better neighbors.

Elsewhere on the Streetsblog Network: The Urbanist wraps up its first year covering Seattle with a look at its 10 most-read stories of 2014. Greater Greater Washington celebrates the opening of a new car-free bridge that improves walking and biking access to the Rhode Island Avenue Metro station. And Bike Portland writes that the city’s evolving bike culture bodes well for the future.