Nov

8

How many gnomes make a good neighborhood?

Filed Under Pedestrians | Leave a Comment

To make our world a better place, do we need a new kind of “Gnome-dex?”

In designing a walkable neighborhood there are some positive factors that often get overlooked; like garden gnomes.  From ABC News (where the A stands for “Australia”) here’s more.

You’ve probably never asked yourself how many gnomes make a good neighbourhood or how many pretty letterboxes and neat lawns it takes to make you feel safe walking down a street.

Sarah Foster from UWA’s Centre for Built Environment and Health has and she has the answers.

Dr Foster and a small team of helpers spent about a month walking the streets of Perth’s newer land developments, counting gnomes and potplants, house nameplates and letterboxes.

“I looked at features of suburban houses, that would either promote natural surveillance of the street or else would reflect the territorial guardianship of the landowner; things that showed they cared about their neighbourhood and had a connection to their house.”  More…

Jun

1

Capitol Hill Community Council’s Complete Streetcar Campaign

Filed Under Bicycling, Capitol Hill, Design, Environment, Gas prices, Parking, Pedestrians, SDOT, Seattle, Streets For People, Transit, Transportation, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Great City volunteers and sustainable transportation advocates on Capitol Hill have been conspiring and brainstorming together for years.  We’ve been thrilled to see the great traction our friends on the Capitol Hill Community Council (CHCC) are getting with their innovative “Complete Streetcar” concept.  Here’s an update from the CHCC’s Mike Kent:

On Tuesday, May 4th, more than 50 transit advocates and active community members joined the Capitol Hill Community Council’s Complete Streetcar Campaign at Capitol Hill’s Sole Repair lounge in celebrating the group’s recent successes.

Million Dollar Nile regaled Capitol Hill Complete Streetcar fans with the world premiere performance of "My Streetcar's on Broadway" -- a twist on the Sir Mix-a-Lot classic.

The day before, the Seattle City Council voted into law legislation that brought the proposed First Hill Streetcar closer to completion.

Complete Streetcar Campaign supporter Web Crowell created the animations which ran on a loop throughout the event on Sole Repair’s flatscreen monitors throughout the night


The party honored the group’s success in advocating for an alignment that would run in both directions along Broadway north of Union Street, instead of looping around Cal Anderson park.

The group’s next steps include calling for an extension of the proposed streetcar route beyond Denny Way to the northern end of Broadway near East Aloha Street, as was originally envisioned, and pushing for a streetscape plan that includes, among other things, a separated two-way cycle track.

If you are interested in becoming active with the Complete Streetcar Campaign, send an e-mail to chcc.streetcar@gmail.com.

Jul

30

Want 600 miles of new bike facilities?

Filed Under Bicycling, Environment, Pedestrians, Politics, Streets For People, Sustainability, Transit, Transportation | 1 Comment

We have a tremendous opportunity to support a more bike-friendly future- please submit your comments by Friday to make the right choice for our region.

The Puget Sound Regional Council is updating the current regional transportation plan. Five alternatives have been analyzed, and the choice made will greatly impact how we plan our communities and get around. (You can read the draft environmental impact statement of Transportation 2040 here.)

Out of five alternatives:

- Only Alternative Five makes significant reductions in all harmful pollutants measured.

- Only Alternative Five comes close to meeting the goals established in state law for reducing vehicle miles traveled.

- Only Alternative Five makes significant investments in bicycling for transportation. It would use only one percent more of our transportation funding to build 600 more miles of bicycle trails and other facilities!  None of the other options focus on walking, biking or transit to solve congestion and health problems.

Click here and tell the Puget Sound Regional Council it’s time to change our transportation priorities.

Your voice will help create more sustainable communities.

Mar

3

Comments needed for a safer Nickerson Street

Filed Under Bicycling, Community, Neighborhoods, Pedestrians | 2 Comments

A safer Nickerson Street is in the works to connect Seattle neighborhoods- but your comments are needed to make it happen. The City plans to add bike lanes and create better conditions at intersections that will create a far more comfortable – and less nerve-racking – ride for both commuters and recreational riders.  This is an important connection to the Fremont bridge and the Burke-Gilman, the new Chesiahud trail along Lake Union, Queen Anne, and points west in Interbay and beyond.

Please stop by the open house  this Wednesday, March 4 between 5 and 7 p.m. to comment in favor of a better Nickerson for bicycling, at Seattle Pacific University’s Demaray Hall, at 509 West Bertona St.

Thank you for your advocacy!

Feb

13

Wow!

Filed Under Environment, Great City, Pedestrians, Politics, Streets For People, Sustainability, Transit, Transportation | Leave a Comment

What a great turnout last night for our official launch of the Streets for People campaign.  The official tally: we had about 175 people show up to find out what this new effort is all about.  Many thanks to the inspirational presentations from James Irwin about how to run a powerful campaign in the “age of Obama,” and to Renee Espiau from the Project for Public Spaces about how to reclaim our streets with creative approaches both grand and small. Read more

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