Faces of Slow Lake Street: SIERRA AND KI KUEHN

SIERRA: “I like it because it’s a place to hang out with friends. I really connect with my friend Anna because we’re able to bike all the time down here. Which is something I don’t usually get to do because we don’t really live anywhere where there’s a space where you can freely bike. So that’s a bit of fun.

It’s different than biking in a bike lane because my parents let me bike out here earlier than they probably would have let me if it wasn’t a slow street because there were less cars. It gave me more freedom at a younger age. Even now they might not let me do it if it wasn’t a slow street.”

KI: “I actually think we’ve enjoyed it more for hiking and then biking and being outside, and just kind of walking. I think it makes the neighborhood feel more like a neighborhood instead of some kind of crazy city street. It’s great. We spend a lot more time outside than I think we would have otherwise. We do a lot of family, out-to-dinner kind of walks, both during the daytime and in the evening.

I think Slow Lake Street feels safer during those darker hours when there’s a lot of traffic. So we get to use more of the extended shoulders of the day because you can do it early in the morning and more at dusk when it feels less safe.

On California Street there was a pedestrian that was killed crossing the street. We live on 18th and there’s no stop sign there. So a lot of people just kind of… It’s just really hard to be a pedestrian in the neighborhood just one block over where it’s not a slow street. It just feels a lot safer to be walking here.

The woman was at a crosswalk (on California Street.) She was older and she was hit by a car and killed. I think two years ago?”

SIERRA: “One year ago. It was pretty recent.”

KI: “I think it’s a brutal reminder that we have to share the road. There’s a lot of cars and when you’re on a busy street, it’s harder to do. It’s really nice to have a place where even if cars are driving through they’re at least going slower because they know they’re not supposed to be driving quickly. Like this person right here… (pointing to a car passing by on Slow Lake Street.)

It’s been fantastic and it’s really helped us enjoy the neighborhood a lot more.”

SIERRA and KI KUEHN (Daughter and mom walking together)