fitting pieces, missing pieces

since my first posting way way back in the fall of 2004, i've taken rather long hiatus and look at what has happened in the life of neo pedestrians!

nothing.

yet.

but hope certainly permeates the air as two new developments with nearly one thousand units between are nearing construction. they have the potential to change the walkability of our downtown over the next 5 years. wolstein's east bank and zaremba's avenue district.

a refocused and slowly awakening Cleveland State University is determined to build a university worthy of it's namesake with promises of a walkable and aesthetically pleasing downtown campus this renwed spirit is evidenced in the parking master plan which proposes the eventual consolidation of 25 acres (30% of CSU's campus) of surface parking to 7.5 acres of structured parking. as CSU practices residential development, the euclid corridor promises connectivity btwn dwntwn and univ circle while Midtown (hopefully) begins to implement its pedestrian friendly zoning overlay. the exciting options surrounding downtown's burgeoning enterntainment hub @ e.4th st. and the arcades should finally begin to connect the gateway district with the warehouse district. all that stands in the way are a few acres of parking lots and word on the street say "mr. crocker park" may just have a fix for that as well. and don't forget all the entreprenurial muster happening on the near east side in our own little asia.

2010 should indeed bring a very different downtown environment for walkers, strollers, cyclists, and hopefully families. the pieces of the puzzle are gradually beginning to fit together.




our Regional Tranist Authority, on the other hand, hasn't changed much, though it has been forced to spread out the same amount of service to an ever sprawling populace. density is certainly a precursor for mass transit.

however, consider the facts from the perspective of a rider:
still frustrating to learn new bus routes (how about maps in/on the bus?)
still not utilizing available technology (announcinng stops sure would be nice)
still not providing riders with expectations (please exit through the rear door)
hence, still an inferior public transit system

what gives?

how will we ever have a truly connected city with an inferior (it's their mindset, i swear) public transit system? what can we do to fix it? aside from attending and voiceing your opinion at the monthly (open to the public) volunteer action committee meetings (VAC), i'm not quite sure....but stay tuned.
also, good conversation on transit happening at REALneo

True Crosswalk

true walker empowerment. nothing pedestrian about it.

TrueCrosswalk
Originally uploaded by theguv.

thanks to mr. nemeth at brewedfreshdaily for this image.

this would certainly be useful at that funky intersection of fulton and bridge in ohio city.

seven year old birkies

seven year old birkies
Originally uploaded by theguv.

post seven years of intense use and nearly 6,000 miles of walking, and one resole later. these are the benchmark for all future shoe purchases. picked 'em up for $99 in a minneapolis shoestore. their replacements recently cost me nearly double at the shaker square everything birkenstock.
how much is seven years of dependable (and comfortable) service really worth??

my iPOD is better than you car stereo!!

Can you really DANCE in your car? Cuz I can get down in the streets or sidewalks. whatever it takes... in fact, I can keep on dancin right through the bus/train doors. while the train be movin, im groovin!

get out your damn car.....fool!

from the 'burbs of the great city of St. Louis

"The City of O'Fallon has approved a measure requiring provision for bicycle parking in commercial areas, office buildings, and schools:

Aldermen last week approved a new off-street parking law that, among other things, requires builders to provide at least one four-space bicycle rack for every 15 required parking spaces.

The law covers commercial, office, institutional, educational and recreational uses.

The city's Planning and Zoning Commission has required the bike-rack placements for a little over a year, said David Woods, the city's director of planning and development.

But the new law puts it in writing."

those four-space bicycle racks cost about $80 apiece and are popping up all over tremont....

Nov. 25, 1950. Euclid Ave. from E.79 St. to E. 71 St.

here's our fair city 3 years before the death of streetcars. the cars that would take over the streets in the next fifty years would eventually bleed the city dry of any life at all....

Good News for Cleveland and RTA!

Transit is Changing Look of the American Dream
"In Minneapolis and cities across the nation, public transit and the development it attracts are contributing to a growing appetite for housing in urban areas. Population groups that now have the deepest preference for housing very close to transit are precisely the populations that will grow exponentially in the next decades. They include older Americans, who will constitute 35 percent of our population by 2025; immigrant families, who will account for almost one-third of population growth; and the nearly 70 percent of households that will not include children."

Gee, we've already got the rail, running east and west across the city, woefully underused, largely because it doesn't go anywhere. Think about it, where can you go via the red, blue, or green lines? TowerCity, ShakerSquare, the southern edge of UniversityCircle, the inner harbor, and the Airport. All interesting places, sure, but what about the other 44 other stops?
Why is ridership low enough to justify only one car running during peak hours?

1. Because parking is cheap?
2. Because there is little residential density near most stops?
3. Because Clevelanders love their cars and hate public transit?

Hmmm......
I'm going with numero dos.
Take a ride heading east on the redline from TowerCity and let me know what you see between dwntwn and universitycircle.

bike parking as infrastructure

law school covered bike parking
Originally uploaded by theguv.

if only we had this much bike use and bike parking at my beloved cleveland state university. following the logic of building roads (which increases auto use), perhaps CSU could build some bike infrastructure ...?

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