MyWHaT

Oprah's hitting distracted drivers, who's talking about the global issue of distracted people? (photo: Gary L Howe)

• Distracted drivers are the buzz, but what about the walkers? Bicycle commuters?
• TART blog discusses helmet use
• While naked riders get busted for lack of head gear in New Zealand
• NMC students complain about parking walking (demand free Segways, joking)
• TC moves ahead with Division St. Process (we remain hopeful)
• Want to increase bus use, make it free
  
• Boise Vulnerable User Law, making necessary adjustments
  
• It’s not just bike commuters rolling through stop signs (video of Philly intersection)
• The rise of the Chinese E-BIke (I’ve never seen grandmas go so fast!)
• E-Bikes might help reduce health problems related vehicle exhaust
• If exhaust doesn’t get you, Pavement sealer might
  
• Slow Cities looking for a foothold in the United States
• Perhaps TC? In town? Slow it Down! announced
• This author is labeled as Overwired hipster and a social problem (receives medal)
  
• but I’m not that worried as it’s found that in Portland, OR “blogs” are where all the action is to discuss & influence city government.

In that finding, the majority of active users on Portland BLOGs are advocates for pedestrians and bicycle commuters.  To the point that “The biking community is so strong that motorists sometimes feel discriminated against in Portland.”— Finding from a report authored by White Horse Consulting as reported on BikePortland.org

Did you see any eye-catching news this week?

Want to weigh in on anything yous ee here? Feel free…it’s Our Wheels…

North Traverse Heights Neighborhood Association

Mayor Chris Bzdok was in attendance at last night’s North Traverse Heights Neighborhood Association meeting to give his spiel about changing the process of implementing city projects. He’d like to see city commissioners act more like “advocates for city residents“, taking direction from them individually and from the neighborhood associations. As well as, getting city staff to look to the neighborhoods for direction at the beginning of projects instead of in the middle or near the end. Amen.

What came out last night was that the mayor had asked the 7 neighborhood association chairpersons to make a list of the most important city issues.

Vicky Springer, chair of the Oak Park Neighborhood, read a draft.

Top on the list:

• The calming & improvements of city streets. She expressed a collective interest in limiting cut-through traffic, reduction of speeds and better maintenance.
• Improvements for non-motorized traffic. There is strong interest for increased education and enforcement of traffic laws for automobile drivers, as well as more bicycle pathways and amenities. She listed several problem areas: 8th St., Garfield Ave., Woodmere Ave. and in-particular the pedestrian cross walk at Washington St. and Garfield Ave.. That cross walk has been been a failed attempt by the city at least twice in the last decade.

Other issues were access to the beach, improvement of parkland, tax increases during a time of home devaluation, festivals and improvement of BATA. On the last note, she expressed a strong interest in riding the city buses if it was more convenient.

As expected, the issue of increasing number of pedestrian and bicycle commuters was discussed with the standard complaints: running of stop signs, lack of lights, walking or riding on the wrong side of the road. What needed to be corrected was the perception that people not driving cars must be related to past drunk driving convictions or “something”. A resident quickly spoke up to say that many people are making the choice to ride for economic, environmental or lifestyle choices.

Clearly, education opportunities remain.

Over 30 people were attendance at the North Traverse Heights Neighborhood Association

Last night’s meeting, like most, began with reports from the sector patrol officer and planning and zoning department. There wasn’t anything unexpected–many citations, signage issues, and a 25-year-old male, who rides a bike, who is prime suspect number one for some recent “tagging” on garages, buildings and signs. The discussion then went into a lengthy discussion about self-protection and the use of pepper-spray. Huh?

Click here to find information about your Neighborhood Association.

Do you take part in your neighborhood meetings?

Have they been useful?

UPDATED:With photo at 11AM