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Complete streets bills moving in MI & where can we use a slide?
Good news for Michigan Complete Streets! By unanimous vote, two complete street bills passed out of the house transportation committee yesterday. Now, they are first going back to the house floor and if all goes as expected, then goes on to the senate transportation committee.
MI Complete Streets explains the process and includes a useful link to the Michigan Citizens Guide to State Government (PDF). There will be need for future citizen action, so keep those letters dusted off. In the meantime, a thank you letter to Rep. Wayne Schmidt is deserved.
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Weekly Chatter
- A coop-loop recap from one of the coop hosts. The date is reserved for 2011 as the 3rd Saturday in June.
- What’s the deal with radio talk show hosts saying stupid things about people on bikes? One reader comments, “Owning a two-ton hunk of rolling metal and glass does not give you the right to threaten and kill anyone who chooses to get around by other means.” It wouldn’t be so troubling if events like this didn’t take place: lot’s of tolerance for hunting cyclists.
- Black Hawk, CO is still drawing attention with it’s bike ban. They claimed safety concerns, but the numbers just don’t add up.
- What’s it like to travel across the country by Amtrak? “The scenically mundane mixed in with the magnificent.“
- The growing pains of a dense city turning to the bike. Vancouver is learning what it takes to move more commuters to two wheels. As this Good infographic suggests, if you build it, they will use it. (click through for interactive)
- The inferior, ever present traffic signal comes complete with a strong lobby. The author suggests,”Think about this for a moment: If computers, cars or coffeemakers worked as poorly as America’s traffic signals, their makers would promptly be laughed off the market.”
- Urban Pedagogy: How do we get effective public participation when we only train consumers and workers? One effort is to train citizens by teaching the language of planning. For those of us out of school, MSU’s citizen planner program may be worthwhile.
- As the G-20 meets, talk of climate change and energy policy remains vague. There’s a pile of cash sitting there for national coffers that, if redirected, would also help the planet. From the International Energy Agency, “global fossil fuel subsidies are currently worth more than $550bn (£382bn) a year.“
To wrap, It’s a car ad, but not until the very end. Up to that point, it’s just a great idea. In this case, using a public transit station to create moment of fun in an ordinary day. I was at the top of the Park Place last night; we envisioned a zip line down to the bay. A slide seems more doable, but where?
Have a weekend!
‘Hands Across the Sand’ planned along West Bay
A local “Hands Across the Sand” event is planned for tomorrow (June 26). The group is asking for people to join them in creating a human line extending from the mouth of the Boardman River west past the volleyball courts.
“Hands Across the Sand” is a national demonstration to bring attention to the dangers of offshore drilling and call on leaders to end our oil dependence and move America into a clean energy future.
Those who wish to participate are asked to arrive between 11 & 11:45 for a noontime demonstration. For more information, call June Thaden, 947-1800 947-8476.
There are other Michigan events planned as well.
This video from an event in Florida reminds me of a human oil spill boom. Which appears to be the goal, to create ‘a solid wall of opposition to offshore drilling in Florida‘.
