Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Image: Clarence Eckerson/BBC
Image: Clarence Eckerson/BBC
Image: Clarence Eckerson/BBC

With Blizzard Mania '16 reaching a fever pitch up and down the Eastern Seaboard, it looks like we're in for the first serious sneckdowns of the season.

For the uninitiated, sneckdowns are neckdowns created by driving patterns in melting snow or slush. Sneckdowns highlight excess asphalt that could be repurposed for streetscape improvements to slow motor vehicle traffic and make walking safer.

A little backstory: The sneckdown concept goes back decadesIn 2001, Transportation Alternatives wrote: “[T]he next time someone tells you that you can’t have a neckdown on that corner or this corner because there’s not enough room, show them what happens every year when it snows.” Streetfilms’ Clarence Eckerson Jr. documented "naturally occurring neckdowns" in 2006, Streetsblog founding editor Aaron Naparstek coined the hashtag in 2013, and the international sneckdown craze was born.

Use the #sneckdown hashtag to share your photos on social media (find tips from Clarence on page 3 of this PDF). If you'd like to see your pics on Streetsblog -- wherever you are -- please include a location in your tweet or Instagram. We'll be on the lookout first thing Monday.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

‘Stupendous Potential’: Pay-Per-Mile Auto Insurance Would Cut Costs And Traffic Violence

Lowering car insurance costs doesn't have to eviscerate crash victims's rights.

March 5, 2026

Senate Majority Leader Questions Hochul’s Insurance Premium Scheme

The growing chorus of state lawmakers who want clarity on how the governor's auto insurance helps real New Yorkers now includes Stewart-Cousins, the second-most-powerful woman in state government.

March 5, 2026

Locked In: Mamdani Proposes $25M For Long-Sought Secure Bike Parking

Nine years after the city announced an unrealized plan for secure bike parking, Mayor Mamdani wants $25 million to build a network of 500 bike lockers.

March 5, 2026

Thursday’s Headlines: Mamdani’s Criminal Crackdown on Cyclists Edition

Another day, another criminal summons. And another record from Jimmy and the Jaywalkers. Plus other news.

March 5, 2026

Opinion: A Fairer — And Better — Way For Taxi Passengers To Pay The Congestion Toll

A per-minute, rather than flat, fee on passengers entering the central business district would reduce traffic, Charles Komanoff says.

March 4, 2026

NJ Scales Back Part of Gov. Murphy’s Turnpike Boondoggle

There’s now one less thing for New Yorkers to dislike about New Jersey.

March 4, 2026
See all posts