Hoedown at Barnes Dance tonight?
The resurrection of the "Barnes Dance" method of pedestrian crossing at 7th and H streets NW after a decades-long hiatus was a throwback, but now a group of people is mobilizing on Facebook to wind back the wacky time machine even further: They're planning to turn the Barnes Dance into a barn dance tonight at 7p.m.--replete with cowboy boots, "overalls, plaid and straw hats."
The group plans to turn the major intersection, which at that time on a pleasant Friday night is a sweltering amalgamation of businessmen rushing out of work, imbibing 20-something revelers, pumped-up, team-colors-wearing sports fans, and freestyling, trash-can-beating hip-hop enthusiasts--but up until now, nary a pitchfork or fiddle--into a "do-se-do" rodeo.
"Meet at 7pm at the corner of 6th and H to get our moves together, then we'll start dancing," says the Facebook group.
The Barnes Dance, as The Post's Dr. Gridlock has written, is a free-form pedestrian crossing engineered in the middle of the last century in which all auto traffic comes to a halt, with no turns allowed, while pedestrians dart across the intersection in whatever direction pleases them, including diagonally--not unlike some urban version of a square-dance hoedown.
Yee-haw, partner!
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=b251c4f0-ea99-45a6-8e44-be0f158c3f01)
By
Luke Rosiak
|
May 14, 2010; 10:27 AM ET
Categories:
Events
| Tags: Barnes Dance, Pedestrian crossing, fun
Save & Share:
Previous: I-495 South blocked at I-66
Next: Nighttime delays on Metro next week
Posted by: 1995hoo | May 14, 2010 11:16 AM | Report abuse
The intersection is incredibly stupid. Have you seen the nine square blocks of gridlock they caused today???????????????????
ANYBODY????????????????
I could have told you this was going to happen.
In fact, I would like to say right here and now that I can do a better job than any sitting city planner in D.C.
In other words, I want your job.
I challenge the city of D.C. to fire these people and put me in there and I'll fix traffic up real good.
Posted by: bs2004 | May 14, 2010 3:18 PM | Report abuse
"I challenge the city of D.C. to fire these people and put me in there and I'll fix traffic up real good."
Hopefully you'll do a better job of that than you will of using the English language correctly. :-)
Posted by: 1995hoo | May 14, 2010 3:42 PM | Report abuse
A Barnes Dance is not meant to improve traffic flow, it is meant to facilitate easier pedestrian crossings at intersections with heavy pedestrian traffic. As a graduate student currently earning a Master of City and Regional Planning, might I remind you that urban planners should plan for all modes of transportation, NOT JUST CARS!
Posted by: pantani | May 14, 2010 3:44 PM | Report abuse
The “Barnes Dance ” or “Barnes Walk” pattern is named after Henry A. Barnes (1907 – 1968), who popularized the system as NYC Traffic Commissioner. He also worked in Baltimore.
See:
http://notionscapital.wordpress.com/2010/05/07/dancing-with-the-cars/
Posted by: MikeLicht | May 14, 2010 10:43 PM | Report abuse
The comments to this entry are closed.
This may be one of the dumbest things I've heard in a while. (The event itself, that is, not the blog post. The blog post is useful in that it tacitly warns people to avoid that intersection lest this thing disrupt the traffic.)