A Green Light for Common Sense

Old habits, however, can be hard to break. Especially in Germany, a rules-obsessed nation where people who dare to jaywalk can expect a loud scolding from other pedestrians, even if no cars are in sight.

Asked to give a personal demonstration, Hilbricht put Bohmte's lack of rules to the test. Picking a random spot, he bravely stepped into oncoming traffic and across the road -- an act that could have earned him a fine pretty much anywhere else in Germany.

Cars immediately slowed down and gave Hilbricht a wide berth, although he admitted that his police uniform may have worked to his advantage.

When a reporter tried the same thing, two approaching drivers barely hit their brakes, including one guy in a van who babbled away on his cellphone as he sped past.

Ladner, the deputy mayor, acknowledged that it could take a year or two before residents get used to the changes. But city officials are confident. They are spending $3.3 million to overhaul parts of Bremen Street by next summer and hope to expand the special zone gradually over the next 10 to 20 years.

"We're very optimistic," Ladner said. "If others can do it, then why not us? It will be difficult for some people, yes, but it can be accomplished."

Although shared space is attracting lots of attention in Europe, no one expects Germany to shut down its famed autobahns anytime soon.

The program is designed only for public spaces where pedestrians and cyclists share routes with cars. Traffic engineers say it could lead to gridlock if introduced in high-traffic areas, such as large cities.

Practically speaking, the shared space concept works only at intersections that attract fewer than 15,000 vehicles a day, said Juergen Gerlach, a professor at the Center of Traffic and Transport at the University of Wuppertal. The approach can backfire if it covers more than a half-mile of road at a time, he said. Otherwise, drivers would get too frustrated with the slow pace and bypass the area.

Some residents in Bohmte said that although something needed to be done, they remain unconvinced that doing away with all the street signs and safety measures will do the job.

"It's how people are these days -- everyone is in a hurry, everyone just takes off," said Maria Stolte, who pulled her Mercedes in front of a bakery in the no-sign zone to buy some bread. "No one looks or pauses or is courteous. I hope it will slow people down."

At the same time, she doesn't plan on taking her bike for a spin anytime soon. "I don't know if I will feel comfortable riding down this street," she said.

The baker, Gisela Luebbert, is also skeptical.

"What they have done is pretty, no question about that," she said. "They've done a nice job with the design, but was it absolutely necessary? I don't know. We'll see if it's worth all the trouble."