We talked to Bobsy (owner of Life Cafe), Simon Squibb (in charge of the “I Love Soho” campaign), SoHo resident Katty Law and urban planners Peter Cookson Smith and Craig Doubleday (both with with Urbis Limited) on how we could do it. We came up with a seven-point plan. Pictures by Urbis Limited.
1. Close the roads on weekends and evenings. While vehicular traffic is essential during working hours, shutting off Staunton and Elgin Streets to vehicles on the weekends and after 6pm on weekdays is certainly achievable. During such times, northbound traffic headed for Caine Road could be rerouted to Hollywood Road.
2. Restrict deliveries to early hours. Service trucks are among the most obnoxious offenders on SoHo streets, pumping out diesel exhaust and often slowing traffic to a halt. Alas, they’re also indispensable to the area, whose dining establishments depend on them for deliveries. The solution? Restrict deliveries to between 9am and 11am, as parts of New York does. Restaurant owner Bobsy sees this as a workable solution for businesses in the area.
3. No parking. Widening sidewalks will reduce the two-lane roads to single lanes, which means no parking. This in turn serves as another disincentive to heavy traffic.
4. Re-pave the roads. This is another “traffic calming” measure that provides a disincentive to drivers, a key tactic in pedestrianization projects. Smith cites the example of cobble-stoned pavements as an effective means of slowing traffic.
5. Plant trees. Who can argue with trees? Actually, a few might; notably, restaurant owners who don’t want the facades of their establishments blocked from view, says Squibb. In our plan, greenery would be positioned at corners and other areas where they wouldn't be obtrusive.