Traffic Garden Guidelines

Traffic gardens, also known as traffic playgrounds and traffic parks, are safe spaces for children and families to learn the rules of the road and bicycle and pedestrian safety tips away from street traffic. Arlington County partnered with Prince George's County, MD, to advance regional roadway safety through a newly-released design and installation guide for traffic “safety” gardens. The joint project was funded by a $35K technical assistance award through the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board (TPB) Regional Roadway Safety Program and supports the Counties’ Vision Zero initiatives to eliminate traffic-related deaths and serious injuries.

The traffic garden guide is titled: “Planting Seeds for Regional Roadway Safety, One Traffic Garden at a Time” and includes step-by-step instructions to plan for and install various types of traffic gardens (including mobile, pop-up, and permanent traffic gardens). The traffic garden guide also features local and regional stories involving traffic gardens, and contains supplemental materials such as checklists, worksheets, and activity sheets. The intent is for anyone to pick up the guide and implement a traffic garden, no matter the space or resources. 

View the Traffic Garden "How-to" Guide Here(PDF, 12MB)

The joint project was spotlighted on the MWCOG website in February 2023, and the much-anticipated guide was showcased in a panel presentation by panelists from both Arlington and Prince George’s Counties during the League of American Bicyclists 23rd National Bike Summit in March 2023. Both Counties look forward to building more traffic gardens and encouraging other groups and individuals to do the same.