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The most pressing issue - energy and how it affects transportation. From: Nick Bates Date: Apr 21 12:19 UTC Short link
Housing and Education are the biggest two for me. As we re-develop sections
of Columbus we have to consider low-income individuals and their housing
needs. The impact of education on our society is clear, especially
pre-school for all and quality elementary school programs.
> In one word - energy. I suggest everyone check out the issue of peak oil. > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peak_oil > > > > This will first affect transportation. > > > > If you think that current gasoline and oil prices are high now you haven't > seen anything yet. With earth day coming tomorrow we have to really think of > how we can transform from a carbon based to an alternative energy based > society. Or else. > > > > For a current issue, as far as people getting around, I'll quote from my > March 30th issue of Energy and Hybrid Cars: > > > > > All right, I'm all for the streetcar proposal. It's not the end all of rail, > it's a demonstration project. Let's put something into perspective: The > street cars are one segment of a comprehensive alternative transportation > package that an enlightened Mayor Coleman has proposed in a year's time. > Couple the streetcars with Operation Safewalks for sidewalks and the > Columbus Bicentennial Bikeway plan and all of a sudden you have a sea > change. > > > > > > The major complaint that I have both heard and read about concerning these > packages is that they don't go far enough fast enough. Yes, it would be > great if we could get more than 50 miles of sidewalks and expand the area > farther than the city's ancient boundaries. Yes, it would be great if we > could do the entire bikeway plan by 2012 and not have to do it in phases. > And yes, it would be great if we could go beyond one 2.8 mile streetcar > demonstration and put together a complete light rail transportation system > moving out to the suburbs in all directions by 2012. But, that is just not > fiscally or physically possible. > > > > > > I was truly fascinated when the streetcar plan was unveiled Thursday night > seeing Bill Lhota at the table. Then it dawned on me: Coleman, Lhota, Gee > and the others who participated in the process did an end run around COTA's > need to go to the voters for rail. They put together a plan financed > primarily by user fees. By 2012 we will have a demonstration short, short > line rail system in Central Ohio. And, people will see this for the > enlightened idea it is. > > > > > > Times are changing and as the mayor said people can ill afford to pay for > gasoline and diesel. And, the cost of these fuels will only continue to go > up. We need to expand the walkability, bikability and mass transit options > in Columbus and Central Ohio. By 2012 we will have made substantial progress > in these areas, enough so that voters will hopefully be willing to support > ballot issues to expand these services further and in an accelerated time > frame. > > > > > > In my crystal ball, I can picture how these modes would work together in a > comprehensive Central Ohio transportation system. > > > > For most people, you can look at the modes as walking for shorter distances, > bicycling for intermediate to longer commuting distances, and coupling > walking and bicycling with mass transit for the furthest distances. > > > > First, realize that every trip begins and ends on your own two feet. In an > ideal region for a longer-distance trip with much more mass transit and > better bicycle and pedestrian facilities than you see in Central Ohio today > it might look like: > > > > 1. Walk for the shortest trips > > 2. Get on your bike for shorter to intermediate distances > > 3. For longer trips just ride or walk to a bus stop (or train station > if it is nearby) > > 4. Get on a bus (and load your bike on rack if you use it) Buses act > as a feeder into a rail system or for cross-town routes. > > 5. Get off the bus and walk to a train (and put your bike on the rack > in the train - this is how they do it in Minneapolis). DC and suburban MD > and VA have a system in place with buses, walkers and bicycles feeding into > their Metro and this improves air quality as fewer buses have to venture > into the central city. > > 6. Get off the train (and remember to take you bike with you:-)) and > either get on another bus, or ride or walk to your destination > > 7. If you took a bus, get off the bus and walk or ride your bike to > your destination (lock your bike to ample bike racks if you did not walk) > > > > I've said at more than one MORPC meeting that requiring you to specify which > mode you use to travel in a multi-modal world is a bogus process. In the > scenario above you walked, rode a bicycle, used a bus, used a train, etc. > You can't just pick one - it's not reality. We're here to facilitate > transportation, not bean counting. > > > > > > This kind of multi-modal system is what we need in Central Ohio. We should > not be satisfied with anything less. > > > > > We need to move to a multi-modal energy-efficient transportation in Central > Ohio that emphasizes mass transit, bicycling and walking. Not tomorrow or > ten years from now, but now. This also has broad implications for future > land use and how we service people where they live and work now. > > > > I'll save the issue of how we provide goods to people for a future mailing. > > > > Ira S. Weiss > > 11735 Eddington Ave NW > > Pickerington OH 43147-9194 > > <email obscured> > > -----Original Message----- > From: Forum Manager [mailto:corifmanager@gmail.com] > Sent: Sunday, April 20, 2008 10:17 PM > To: <email obscured> > Subject: [CORIF] The Issues that Matter > > > > Good Evening Everyone-- > > > > We would like to start off the discussion with a general topic. What do you > > feel is the most pressing issue facing our region and what steps have or > > could be taken to begin working toward solutions? > > > > Because this is a very broad topic, the issue you identify could serve as a > > 'seed' to a new discussion topic. Remember, to start a new topic, you can > > simply address an email to <email obscured> with a new heading > > in the subject line. > > > > Best, > > > > Liz and Josh, your forum managers > > > > Corif Forum Manager > > Central Ohio, None > > Info about CORIF Managers: > http://forums.e-democracy.org/contacts/morifmanager > > > > This topic's messages may be viewed at: > http://forums.e-democracy.org/r/topic/1H4LmkHQmrDRvFfVEz3XIJ > > ----------------------------------------- > > To post, send your message to: <email obscured> > > To leave or for daily digest, type "unsubscribe" or "digest on," > > in subject line and send to: <email obscured> > > > > More info about Central Ohio Regional Issues Forum: > > http://forums.e-democracy.org/groups/corif > > > > E-Democracy.Org rules: http://e-democracy.org/rules > > ----------------------------------------- > > Technical assistance thanks to our friends at http://OnlineGroups.Net > > > Ira Weiss > Summerfield, Pickerington > Info about iraweiss Weiss: http://forums.e-democracy.org/contacts/iweiss > > This topic's messages may be viewed at: > http://forums.e-democracy.org/r/topic/3rXKcpnF2fHjFcxWcsDNO8 > ----------------------------------------- > To post, send your message to: <email obscured> > To leave or for daily digest, type "unsubscribe" or "digest on," > in subject line and send to: <email obscured> > > More info about Central Ohio Regional Issues Forum: > http://forums.e-democracy.org/groups/corif > > E-Democracy.Org rules: http://e-democracy.org/rules > ----------------------------------------- > Technical assistance thanks to our friends at http://OnlineGroups.Net