Streetmix — Design Street Cross-Sections
| Type | Free web-based street design tool (open source) |
| Cost | Free |
| Access | streetmix.net |
| Source | github.com/streetmix |
| Best for | Quick street redesigns, advocacy presentations, community engagement |
What It Does
Streetmix is the most popular free tool for designing street cross-sections. Drag and drop bike lanes, sidewalks, bus lanes, trees, parking, and more to redesign any street in minutes — no technical skills needed.
How to Use It
Step 1: Measure Your Street
Open Google Maps, find the street you want to redesign, and measure its total width (kerb to kerb).
Step 2: Open Streetmix
Go to streetmix.net. Enter your street width. You'll see a blank cross-section.
Step 3: Design
Drag elements from the bottom panel into your street:
- Bike lanes — separated, buffered, or shared
- Sidewalks — with trees, benches, or planting strips
- Bus lanes — dedicated or shared
- Drive lanes — reduce from 4 to 2, see what space you free up
- Parking — remove car parking, see how many bike lanes fit
- Trees and greenery — shade is infrastructure in Indian cities
Step 4: Share
Save your design, get a shareable link, and present it to your club, councillor, or on social media.
Try This Exercise
- Pick the most dangerous road for cyclists in your neighbourhood
- Measure its width on Google Maps
- Design two versions: (a) current layout, (b) your dream layout with bike lanes
- Share both images side-by-side with your club
Why This Matters for She Cycles
Streetmix makes the invisible visible. Take a 4-lane road in your city, redesign it with protected bike lanes and wider sidewalks, and show people what's possible. One Streetmix image in a council presentation is worth a hundred paragraphs of text.
See Also
- 3DStreet — turn your Streetmix design into 3D
- StreetPlan — plan-view layouts and intersection design
- Street Audit Toolkit — assess your city's current infrastructure