A Woonerf for a Night

blockparty2[1]Many of you know that on National Night Out you can shut down your street to cars for a night.  However, did you know that you can also shut down your street on any other night as well?  This gives a safe place for kids to play, and a great way to get to know your neighbors.  Creating community on your block is the best way to prevent crime in our neighborhoods, so  why not have more than one party a summer?

A woonerf is a street that gives priority to pedestrians and bikes, but also for a party!  You can make your street a woonerf for a night simply by going to Seattle Department of Transportation’s block party website and filling out a form.  There used to be a $75 fee for this, but not since 2008.  Need some more ideas?  Council Member Sally Bagshaw’s blog has some great ideas here.

There are a few common sense rules you’ll need to abide by:

  • You can not live on an arterial street
  • You can not close your intersection
  • You can not have a bus stop on your block
  • You must clean up and restore your street before 10pm
  • You must not request more than one block party per month

Have fun this summer!