MyWHaT

Big news for those paying attention was the Division St. Initiative. A lot was covered on Wednesday and it will provide MyWHaT with material well into the future. In the meantime, at the bottom of this post is a NY-DOT video explaining the ease pedestrians have navigating roundabouts. More from Ohio, Washington, and a broader PSA from our own MDOT.

The key is the pedestrian right of way and that is as much a duty of walkers, as it is for motorists. It’s your street, step out and be seen.

Weekly Chatter:

TART granted MDOT Safe Routes to School $$$ to connect TC West Middle to city

• TART gets Walk to School boost
• Safe Routes releases new School Travel Data like  44% live within one mile of their school
• These kids biked to school No one died!
  
• Speaking of percentages, the total U.S. population, all 320 million could live well in 1 state
• A new traffic signal design–> Take Turns
• Anothercity pleads with a DOT: Complete the Street
• What’s better than LEED building? Better parking policy
• Water treatment facility & public park in one package!
  
• That’s how you do storm water treatment & save $$$
• Toronto finds non-motorized commuters spend more
• “Let Him Ride!” Man arrested for commuting by bike…
• The other feud! ESPN’s Tony Kornheiser slams cyclists
• Hey Tony, don’t mess with Lance, the feds are on his side with both
  
• a congressman helping the Bike-Curious
• and Sec. of Trans. Ray LaHood jumping on a table
• to proclaim: “This is the end of favoring motorized transportation at the expense of non-motorized!“
• And finally, is it the infrastructure or type of person that defines how we choose to move?
• This question set off two interesting posts: “How infrastructure shapes the way we move“

And the other at a post titled, The most important blog post you’ll read this year. Big statement from Human Transit about a “conceptual error that lies at the root of a lot of bad transit planning decisions, an error made, at one time or another, by most citizens, many political leaders, and more than a few professionals.  It’s called (not very effectively) the Fundamental Attribution Error.  It happens when we say or believe statements of the form: “My decisions are based on my situation, but other people’s choices are based on their culture, the kind of people they are“”.

The point. The most important indicator that determines our transportation choices is what is presented to us. As Michael D summed up, “above all this is determined not by culture and personality but by the kind of infrastructure and transportation service provided.”

Build it, and they will come.

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“Car Cannon”

As a city resident, this is the perception. A daily bombardment of cars & SUVs into the city. The result is a decrease in property values, increased infrastructure costs and more and more public space devoted to cars.

I’d much prefer to have the perception below:

“People Cannon”

Too much of our public space and resources go towards serving the automobile. Yes, this is a current necessity as cars move people;  they just don’t do it as efficiently as we need. They also detract from the core purpose of the city: social interaction and efficiency of proximity.

What is the city for?

NOTE: “Car cannon” adapted from Wednesday night’s presentation by Ian Lockwood. “People cannon” created in response. No person was or will be injured in the production of this cartoon and any resemblance of real people is unintended. (cartoons attempted by Gary L Howe)

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