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Oct

30

I ♥ Copenhagen

Filed Under Bicycling, Copenhagen, Sustainability, Transit, Transportation | 1 Comment

Note: Ryan Miller is a Seattle University student majoring in Political Science. He is currently studying abroad in Copenhagen and will be writing blog posts for Great City about his experiences and impressions of the Danish Capitol (and possibly other locations around Europe).

Drowning in the Green Wave

In my daily commute to and from school I have the great privilege of utilizing one of the prides of Copenhagen’s transportation system, the so called “green wave” streets. Streets on the “green wave” system have had their traffic light timings for rush hour adjusted so that a cyclist traveling at 20km/h will have nothing but green lights for their entire trip.

In theory, this system should create an environment which encourages cycling over other forms of transport during the times when traffic would be its worst. However, in practice, I find the green wave street I ride to be a mixed blessing at best. Perhaps I betray my racing roots a bit much when I say that 20km/h (12 mi/h) is a maddeningly slow pace for me to attempt to ride, especially when I’m running late to my economics mid-term. So what ends up happening is I set off from an intersection, get up to speed, and then come to a stop at every single intersection where I will put my foot down for 15 seconds as I wait for the timing to catch up with me. Conversely, when I do attempt to ride slowly I will constantly get stuck behind a cargo bike moving at 15 km/h and have the same problem in reverse.

That’s not to say there aren’t some benefits to the system, the closer I get to the city, the more congested the bike lanes are, and once just enough people are clogging the lane, the fast traffic will move at the 20km/h needed to get the timing right. And when that happens, riding in Copenhagen is pure bliss. However, you have to be very lucky for that to happen.

Despite my own personal objections to timings, I could not say they speak for the Danish population as a whole. My experience thus far is that the “average” Danish commuter is that they typically ride at closer to the correct pace than I do. So perhaps in time my riding style will become more accustomed to the green wave, and my annoying habit of getting stuck at every light will go away.

It is also important to remember that the people adversely affected by this light timing extend beyond the individual car traffic the system is supposed to inconvenience. One of my worst experiences with Copenhagen mass transit comes from attempting to ride a bus that was routed along a green wave route. The busses, having no dedicated lane on these streets, are stuck in the (planned) traffic jam that results from the green wave.

There are plenty of individuals who are unable to ride their bikes into work for a number of very valid reasons (e.g. the physically impaired), yet are still making the decision to not take their cars into the city. Why should they be punished in the same way car users are? I know that the street would have ample room for bus lanes if the on-street parking were removed. It seems to me that by giving these streets bus lanes instead of on-street parking you kill two birds with one stone. Not only are you avoiding the dilemma of punishing mass transit users, but you are also discouraging car use in an extremely effective manner.

Oct

26

Great City Voter’s Guide

Filed Under Elections | Leave a Comment

This is an important election season for Seattle and the region. As a 501(c)(3), Great City does not endorse political candidates, but there are a number of other items on the ballot that are of great importance to the city that we would like to endorse. They are:

Approve the Housing Levy: Providing affordable housing solutions to ALL citizens of Seattle is a key component to creating a socially and environmentally sustainable city and supports the goals of sustaining a thriving regional economy, promoting vibrant communities and ensuring healthy landscapes by easing sprawl. Since 1981, Seattle voters have approved one bond and three levies to create and preserve affordable rental and ownership housing. The current levy, which Seattle voters passed in 2002, expires this year. The proposed 2009 Housing Levy will produce an estimated 1,670 units of rental housing while the Rental Assistance program will help 550 households per year. Current market conditions make the levy all the more vital in creating and preserving our legacy of affordable housing stock.

Reject Initiative 1033: Tim Eyman’s latest initiative would place a cap on state and local taxes based on this year’s tax level. As a result, our state, county, and city governments would be locked into a level of spending reflecting this country’s worst economic recession since the 1930s. If we are to be serious about creating a sustainable and livable urban environment, we must give our city and county the tools it needs. Initiative 1033 would be a financial disaster for our region – Great City urges voters to reject this proposal.

Approve Referendum 71: In April, the Washington State legislature gave same-sex couples the same rights enjoyed by married couples. The current Referendum, if rejected, would rescind these rights. Great City believes strongly that providing the same basic rights to ALL of our citizens is tantamount to creating a great city, a great region, and a great country. Approve Referendum 71!

Budget Hearing Tonight: If you haven’t already, please send city council an email encouraging them to designate funding to implement our Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plans today. This is a tough year for the city, but we must keep our eyes on the city’s long term priorities. Bike and pedestrian infrastructure and amenities are core requirements of a healthy, vibrant, and environmentally sustainable city. We would also encourage you to stop by city hall this afternoon at 5:30 to give public testimony.

Oct

26

SDOT Releases Draft Cap Hill Parking Plan

Filed Under Capitol Hill, Parking, SDOT, Transportation | Leave a Comment

Note: Our friends at SDOT have asked us to pass this along to the masses:

SDOT has recently released a DRAFT parking plan for the Capitol Hill study area. Residents, businesses, and property owners will be receiving a mailer with plan details within the next few days. In addition, you can find details of the plan on our Community Parking Program-Capitol Hill website, which is: http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/parking/cp_caphill.htm.

Also on the website is a link to a web survey where you can review the plan and submit comments and give your feedback.

Oct

23

Action Alert: Ensure Council Designates Funding for Bike/Ped Projects

Filed Under Bicycling, Policy, Politics, Seattle, Streets For People, Sustainability, Transportation, planning, walking | Leave a Comment

This next Monday, October 26, Seattle City Council will be considering whether or not to repeal the Employee Hours Tax (aka, the “Head Tax”). Regardless of how you feel about the repeal of the tax, the potential loss of a funding mechanism for Bridging the Gap sends a dangerous signal about Seattle’s transportation priorities. The Mayor has stated he wants to make Seattle into the most pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly city in the United States. This is the time for us to walk our talk! The improvements identified by both plans make it safer for our children to walk to school and in their neighborhood. They help our seniors to continue to be mobile. They help us reduce our reliance on the automobile and reduce our carbon footprint. They also ensure the health of our business districts and other community places.

Please email city council members today and urge them to allocate funding sources for bike and pedestrian infrastructure. And if you are free, please consider attending the city council hearing on Monday at 5:30 pm at the Council Chambers in City Hall.

Oct

21

Great City Releases Land Use White Paper

Filed Under Great City, Land Use, Seattle, planning | 1 Comment

Yesterday, Great City released a Land Use White Paper to the campaigns, city council, planning commission, and city leadership. The impetus for the paper was the belief that Seattle is being presented the urgent opportunity to be bold and visionary with its land use policy. Freshly elected officials, a new administration, and an economic recession that has temporarily slowed new development will provide the city a chance to reevaluate its current approach to planning and development.

It is Great City’s goal to widen the dialogue on land use, both during what remains of the campaign season and into a new administration. The white paper issues a broad challenge to Seattle’s leadership and citizenry while also providing some recommended strategies to create a more livable, economically vibrant, and socially just city. We look forward to working in partnership with new and existing leadership, the city, the non-profit community, and our citizens to do just this.

great_city_land-use-white-paper.pdf (Small PDF)

Seattle Sunrise photo via artslink.com

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