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McGinn Defines "Woonerf."

News   July 31, 2009 at 3:27 pm Josh Feit

Earlier today , mayoral candidate Joe Mallahan defined a bit of his T-Mobile corporate jargon for us ("ideate").

Later in the day, mayoral candidate Mike McGinn defined "woonerf "—a Dutch word for a street (like in Pike Place Market) where pedestrians and bicyclists share the street with motorists.

At this, my transit wonk colleague Erica C. Barnett endorsed McGinn on the spot, while I continued to ask him if he had any agenda besides building Green communities and stopping the $4.2 billion tunnel.

"Don’t quote me on woonerf," McGinn fretted. "Am I going to be the arugula candidate now?"

woonerf


  • joshuadf

    “Anybody gone to Seattle lately and see what they charge for a woonerf?” the candidate said. “I mean, they’re charging a lot of money for this stuff.”

  • joshuadf

    “Anybody gone to Seattle lately and see what they charge for a woonerf?” the candidate said. “I mean, they’re charging a lot of money for this stuff.”

  • joshuadf

    “Anybody gone to Seattle lately and see what they charge for a woonerf?” the candidate said. “I mean, they’re charging a lot of money for this stuff.”

  • http://www.tunnelfacts.com/ Stacy

    I love Woonerfs!

  • http://www.tunnelfacts.com/ Stacy

    I love Woonerfs!

  • http://www.tunnelfacts.com Stacy

    I love Woonerfs!

  • voter

    Woonerfs rule!

    Seroiusly many of our little side streets don’t serve much traffic at all and it totally wouldn’t hurt to rip out the asphalt, install gravel and grass and bark, and let people walk all over, and say cars can enter if they creep along and live there, or are visiting. The overasphalting of everything is sickening.

    IOW instead of installing sidewaks make the whole street a “plaza that accepts slow moving and cautious cars amongst the kids, the cats in the sun, the folks playing checkers.”

    Pedestrian takeover of street space is great. We’re so generous, we’ll let nice cars in.

    But no Hummers!

  • Christi S

    Woonerfs rule!

    More in-depth on McGinn please!!!!

  • Christi S

    Woonerfs rule!

    More in-depth on McGinn please!!!!

  • Christi S

    Woonerfs rule!

    More in-depth on McGinn please!!!!

  • http://manywordsforrain.blogspot.com/ Mr. Baker

    If the picture had open ditches on both sides and no sidewalks it would more closely describe the other Seattle where I live.

    I think McGinn is serving too much pie in the sky to win a general election. Unless he can toll new sidewalks and affordable housing he is going to have a hard time redirecting the “savings” from not doing the tunnel.

    And, yes, it has been pretty clear that Eric has been in the bag for McGinn for a while.

  • http://manywordsforrain.blogspot.com/ Mr. Baker

    If the picture had open ditches on both sides and no sidewalks it would more closely describe the other Seattle where I live.

    I think McGinn is serving too much pie in the sky to win a general election. Unless he can toll new sidewalks and affordable housing he is going to have a hard time redirecting the “savings” from not doing the tunnel.

    And, yes, it has been pretty clear that Eric has been in the bag for McGinn for a while.

  • voter

    Woonerfs rule!

    Seroiusly many of our little side streets don't serve much traffic at all and it totally wouldn't hurt to rip out the asphalt, install gravel and grass and bark, and let people walk all over, and say cars can enter if they creep along and live there, or are visiting. The overasphalting of everything is sickening.

    IOW instead of installing sidewaks make the whole street a “plaza that accepts slow moving and cautious cars amongst the kids, the cats in the sun, the folks playing checkers.”

    Pedestrian takeover of street space is great. We're so generous, we'll let nice cars in.

    But no Hummers!