No Sprawl Sign on Farm Outside Yellow Springs, OH

If you are in a fiesty mood and want a little more fuel for the fire, check out this article by GOOD about how urban sprawl is unhealthy and the way we measure success.

I agree with the article that using the traditional level of service to measure success is a mistake.  We should be designing for the pedestrian as the most vulnerable user of our roadways.

How do we do it?  Some think that when the baby boomer generation fully retires, there will be a shift in philosophy and thinking.  I’m not sure that is going to make a difference.  There are too many young planners and designers that are getting sucked in and being molded to the traditional way of thinking.  These youngsters are going to be the old grey hairs someday and may not know any different.

I think the best way is to continue to have your voice heard.  Speak out at public meetings, write your local elected officials, participate in MPO committees, actually send in public comment when it’s requested, work with the designers instead of taking an ‘us’ vs ‘them’ approach.

Sounds easy, doesn’t it?  It’s not.  It takes patience, endurance, good timing and a little bit of luck.

Photo By: MoBikeFed

First Lady, Michele Obama, is again signing the praises of walking and biking to school.  She sees it as an opportunity for teaches, students and parents to get a little physical activity and a way to reduce the obesity epidemic that is sweeping the US.  The goal is to get people active for 60 minutes per day.  There is a lot of information at WalkingSchoolbus.org

The key to the walking school bus success lies in convincing the parents that little Johnny and Susie will be safe.  Personally, I think the school bus is one of the toughest places for kids.  The amount of bullying and teasing that takes place and that often goes undetected has been the subject of many studies.  I’d rather take my chances walking. I think if more parents got out and really experienced what it felt like to walk to school, they would begin to push their elected officials for better infrastructure and connectivity.  We need to start designing and re-designing our roadways and communities from the pedestrian perspective, not the automobile.

Speaking of design, New York City’s Mayor Bloomberg announced two pieces of legislation (still awaiting City Council approval) that focus on promoting the use of stairs in public buildings and allowing stairways to remain open so that people could easily take the shorter trips by foot instead of elevator.  I think this speaks volumes to the severity of the obesity epidemic.  Arguably one of the most walkable cities in the world, where people are on the streets and sidewalks 24 hours a day is still affected by physical inactivity.

Photo By: US Department of Labor

On July 2nd, Anthony Foxx was sworn in as the new Secretary of Transportation under President Obama.  Prior to taking the reins at USDOT, Foxx was the Mayor of Charlotte, NC.  He led some significant projects in Charlotte including expanding the airport and getting another loop road built.  For the cyclist or pedestrian, the most notable was the extension of the light rail line.

Let’s see how’s he’s done in his first 15 days.  A mini report card if you will.

Foxx has said many times that he will focus on safety and efficiency.

If this were like school, the chances of having a big test in the first 15 days would be slim.  Foxx had to get his feet wet with the plane crash in San Francisco.  Not only did it affect transportation, there was the inappropriateness of the intern and the names of the airline crew members.  An unfortunate event but the crash provides some credibility on the need to focus on safety.

Safety:  Check

He has received continued support from the American Trucking Associations.  Hey, get support early and often.

Highways/large trucks:  Check

He has announced a $421 Million loan to expand SR 91 in California under the Transportation Infrastructure Finance Innovation Act (TIFIA).  The claim is that the expansion will reduce congestion and improve the local economy.   The people of southern California get tolls for the next 50 years.  Indirectly, if more cars can travel on a freeway, there may be less vehicles on the local roads.  This could reduce bicycle and pedestrian conflicts and improve the quality of life.  It’s a stretch so we’ll give partial credit.

Highways:  Check

Bicycle/Pedestrian Safety:  Quarter of a check

Quality of life for surrounding neighborhoods:  Quarter of a check

He announced $1M in grants for US veterans and military families to receive training for transportation related jobs.  These grants went to 6 colleges throughout the nation.  It seems that most of the training is for motor carrier type positions.  Human scale, walkable neighborhood type projects will not likely see any benefits.

Highways/large trucks:  Check

Supporting our veterans:  Check

You have to click here for bicycle and pedestrian specific projects.  You know, those projects that aren’t always flashy, often aren’t the subject matter of great press releases but undoubtedly improve our communities?  Zilch.

Bicycle/Pedestrian:  N/A

If I had to assign a letter grade to all of this, it would be a ” B”.  Foxx is doing well but highways are only one piece of the transportation puzzle (albeit a large piece).  I am little concerned that walking and biking can easily get lost in the ‘infrastructure efficiency’ discussions.  My experience with many transportation engineers is that efficiency equals pushing more cars through at a faster speed.  Level of Service often rules the roost when it comes to efficiency.

Let’s be fair.  It’s only been 15 days and the number of issues that Secretary Foxx must face is impossible to quantify.  Maybe we revisit the report card in say 60 days and hopefully there is news on other travel modes that focus on making our communities safer for cyclists and pedestrians.

South Beach Miami Condos

A planned high-rise condo building in Miami will have a valet,  five bays for carshare vehicles, covered bike parking, and may serve as a hub for an upcoming bike share system but will not have a parking garage.  Residents will have to use a nearby City lot.

Would you pay $220,000-$400,000 for a place without a parking place?