Slow Streets put people first by creating low-traffic, community-focused routes where biking, walking, and rolling are safe and accessible options for everyone to get around. With support from PeopleForBikes, California's statewide bicycle advocacy coalition CalBike recently developed “Implementing Successful Slow Streets: A Community Toolkit,” a practical, step-by-step guide to help communities plan, launch, and sustain their own Slow Streets programs.

What Are Slow Streets?

Slow Streets are residential streets designed to reduce cut-through traffic while remaining accessible to all transportation modes. Features like bollards, cones, and street bulbouts help slow traffic down and make streets safer for people biking, walking, and spending time outdoors.

Slow Streets and Low-Stress Bike Networks

PeopleForBikes’ annual City Ratings evaluates thousands of communities on the quality of their low-stress bike networks. One key factor in the ratings is traffic speed. When streets are slower, people riding bikes and driving cars can safely share the road. However, as speeds and traffic volumes increase, each travel mode requires its own designated space to prevent crashes and injuries.

Communities can boost their City Ratings score by creating more connected networks of protected bike lanes and off-street paths, lowering residential speed limits to 25 mph or less, adding traffic calming features that encourage safe driving, and implementing Slow Streets programs that prioritize people biking, walking, and rolling.

In May, CalBike hosted a webinar to highlight lessons learned from Slow Streets programs in several California communities.

According to CalBike, San Francisco has seen some of the most significant Slow Streets victories in recent years. Local advocates secured a car-free JFK Drive through Golden Gate Park — then defended it successfully at the ballot box — and helped transform the Great Highway near Ocean Beach into a permanent park and promenade. The city’s Slow Streets program, launched in spring 2020 as a response to the pandemic, quickly evolved into a lasting model for safer, low-traffic corridors. After pilot phases with temporary signs and barriers, the city made four post-pandemic Slow Streets permanent in 2022. By 2023, 14 out of 18 Slow Streets carried fewer than 1,000 vehicles per day and traffic collisions dropped 48%.

Nearby, Oakland and Berkeley have also used Slow Streets to make their neighborhoods safer and more bike friendly. Oakland launched its program in 2020, creating 21 miles of low-stress routes guided by its 2019 bike plan. Though the routes were later removed, continued advocacy led to a 2021 design guide and the passage of Measure U in 2022, ensuring that bike and pedestrian improvements are integrated into every street repaving project. The city now plans to build 50 miles of neighborhood traffic-calming upgrades. In Berkeley, the “Healthy Streets” initiative expanded the city’s bike boulevard network and helped inspire Measure FF in 2024, which requires the implementation of bike and walk plans. Community input is a key focus, as shown by a one-day Slow Streets pop-up on Ninth Street — supported by PeopleForBikes and Bayer — that collected resident feedback to guide future policies.

With new investments and updated plans underway, both cities are proving how community-driven advocacy and smart policy can deliver safer, more connected streets.

How CalBike’s Toolkit Can Help Your Community

CalBike’s “Slow Streets Toolkit” is designed for advocates, planners, and residents looking to make Slow Streets a reality. It provides practical guidance on:

• Gaining support from city officials and community members
• Connecting with existing bike infrastructure
• Designing safe and effective street layouts
• Engaging the community and collecting feedback

Following these principles helps communities build streets that are safer, easier to navigate, and more welcoming for everyone, while also strengthening connected, low-stress bike networks. When your city invests in low-stress bike networks, it not only makes streets better for the people who live there, it also boosts your City Ratings score, signaling real progress in creating great places to ride.

Check out the CalBike Slow Streets Toolkit for practical guidance, case studies, and actionable steps.