Quick-Build Materials

“Quick-build” materials allow cities and counties to quickly create safe lanes of traffic for people who are travelling by bike, by foot, by wheelchair, scooter or similar non-vehicle mode. 

Giving people safe, active transportation options helps to cut down on vehicle pollution.

A Toolkit of Materials

See MTC’s toolkit of intervention objects and materials that cities in the Bay Area have been using to create physical and spatial boundaries, creating safer spaces for people using the street, including:

• Temporary Points: Colorful traffic cones, flexible bollards, painted points, plastic drum bollards, K-71 bollards, social distance painted points
• Permanent Points: Planter boxes, Armadillo lane separators, metal bollards
• Temporary Lines: Colorful crowd barriers, a-frame signage barriers, jute tubes, type III barriers, social distance line segments
• Permanent Lines: Playful seating, playful fencing, complete streets spacial configurations
• Temporary Planes: Plastic K-Rails/Jersey barriers, barricade covers, haystacks, painted streets, social distance spherical planes
• Permanent Planes: Painted K-Rails, seating and landscape edges, parklets

The Benefits of Quick-Build Materials

Cities and counties can implement complete-street improvements using temporary, light, cost efficient and readily available “quick-build” materials such as paint, cones, barriers and signage. 

Unlike long-term capital improvement projects, quick-build implementation timelines are shorter and may include demonstration projects (days to months), pilot projects (months-years) and interim design (1-2 years).  

Design testing, flexibility and prototyping are built into the quick-build process so that the improvements are iterative in nature, adjustable and can accommodate community needs.

Staff Contacts

Nicola Szibbo, MTC Principal Engineer
Phone: 415-778-6720
Email: nszibbo@bayareametro.gov

Toshi Shepard-Ohta, MTC Assistant Director
Phone: 415-778-5280
Email: tshepard-ohta@bayareametro.gov