Archive
Weekly chatter: Skip to the bottom->crowd sourcing for small towns!!!
It feels like Spring! Why are you on the computer? —read this and then go…
You’re not doing anything on Monday afternoon, right? MDOT is bringing its road show to Traverse City. It hasn’t been a great year for the state’s transportation agency. Due to falling revenue, they had to give up over 500 million in federal money & 243 road projects had the brakes applied (Are Toll Roads an answer?).
Materials for the 2010 TC Capital improvements are being positioned for spring. 8th Street and other projects still don't satisfy the city's master plan...At least the skies are blue.
Monday’s hearing will discuss the next 3-5 year plan. There is public comment time, which is a good time to address the authority about complete streets, livability issues and local control. The Traverse City meeting is Monday, March 8th at 1:00pm at the Hagerty Center.
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Tidbits from this week’s chatter:
- Local BLOGs about Driver Training
- Obviously needed as many still pass flashing school buses
- 2009 sees more bikes sold than cars
- Mass Transit is As American as Apple Pie
- Even for conservatives as they…
- …already support a socialist highway system
- And you think Obama has escorts when he walks?
- Well, Archie’s dad has his back walking to school
- One kick ass pedometer
- A Norwegian diplomatic campaign for “城市，让生活更美好”
- And Mayor Bing suggests Downsizing Detroit
- and also USPO is scaling back (this is sad–support USPO!)
- Last, but not least, small town of 6500 effectively uses social media
This last news bit is thrown in because it’s often argued that small cities can’t afford to implement effective communication processes. Well, the City of Manor, Texas is proving them wrong. Of course, they are utilizing the popular social media sites, but they are also using the service SeeClickFix as a way for residents to report directly to the public works department. In addition, they have launched a crowd sourcing platform called Manor Labs to involve citizens in the planning and problem solving of the city. Each time a resident contributes, they earn a “innobuck” that can be redeemed for prizes or put towards implementing the idea.
Is this model for Traverse City or regionally in Northwest Michigan? Robust. Effective. Creative. Affordable….why not?
NOTE: 城市，让生活更美好 = better cities – better life
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Is this how the Boardman Lake Trail will be completed?
Along the TART Trail (Photo: GLHowe)
Rails-to-Trails is leading a push to help support U.S. Representative Earl Blumenauer’s (Ore.) Active Community Transportation Act, H.R.4722. The passage of the act would create a $2 billion fund focused on building bicycling and walking networks, and do so through a competitive grant process similar to transit and road infrastructure.
Contact your representative to encourage them to support this act. With Michigan already losing out on millions in federal transportation funds, it seems logical that now is the time to support more targeted bills. You can visit the Rails-to-Trails or Michigan Complete Streets to learn more about the bill.
You can follow the bill through congress at GovTrack.us
Is this how the Boardman Lake Trail will be completed?
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UPDATE: The 8th Street Kerfuffle is still in the ‘system’ somewhere between FHWA, MDOT, and the CITY. The city has requested approval for a list of traffic calming and active transportation additions to the project. MDOT had to pass that on to FHWA which will determine whether or not things like lane narrowing, turn lane removal and addition of bike lanes exceed the threshold for a ‘normal change of order’. You’re encouraged to contact Senator Carl Levin’s office to request any and all possible support from the senator’s office. We’re looking for a little flexibility to ensure that the money is spent wisely & that we move towards a complete street. You can hand deliver your letter to his TC office: 107 Cass Street Suite E Traverse City, MI 49684-2602
A promising sign out of the 8th Street Kerfuffle is an invigorated Traverse City planning commission. Wednesday night’s meeting was the first time that capital improvements were judged on whether or not they conformed with the city’s master plan. Although they allowed for the projects to move forward (minus Barlow, Airport Access & Hannah-which will have further review), there was a poignant & promising discussion that a re-prioritization from staff is needed. Planning Commissioner Ross Richardson offered a clear re-cap and promising comment on this web site after the meeting.
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