Missouri Needs A Better Jury System

Today is Law Day and part of Juror Appreciation Week.

I was called in last month for jury service and I was looking forward to it. For the first time I was to start on a Wednesday rather than a Monday. We were all dismissed for lunch at 11:30am and told to return by 1:15pm. At this point no numbers had been called for the first jury pool. Finally at 2pm the first group was called and my number was among those.

We get to the courtroom and the staff take care of details. The judge comes out and explains the importance of jurors but the case wasn’t ready to be heard that day after all, we were dismissed. I wanted to serve on a jury like I did last time. I wasn’t losing money by being there.

States like Illinois & California have systems available for each circuit to use where jurors can call in the day before to see if they are needed or not. Alternatively, prospective jurors can login online to see if they are needed. This lets people go about there lives. For my Wednesday service I would’ve checked on Tuesday. It likely would’ve told me I was needed since the judge thought he’d need a jury. But others might have been told to call in on Wednesday to see if they were needed on Thursday. A friend I saw on jury duty was losing money sitting there, he could’ve been working on Wednesday instead.  Missouri needs such a system so people don’t spend days just sitting there!

Here are the poll results from the poll last week:

Q: How do you feel about jury duty?

1. I go and want to serve 58 [50.43%]
2. I show up (if called) but don’t want to be called 29 [25.22%]
3. Other: 14 [12.17%]
4. If called, I try to get out of it. 5 4.35% 4.35%
5. Unsure/no opinion 4 [3.48%]
6. I don’t care 3 [2.61%]
7. I don’t vote, so I don’t get called. 2 [1.74%]

The 14 “other” answers from readers were:

1. would love to go but never get called
2. I have no problem serving. But saying “want to serve” is a bit of a stretch.
3. Love it! After voting, it’s the most important way we act as a democracy.
4. never been called
5. I’ve lived in the city for 4 years and still haven’t been called. I want to go!
6. Dont vote, get called anyway
7. I’ve never been called, but would go.
8. I have never been called for it.
9. Considering who I’ve seen picked, I hope I never face a jury trial in stl city
10. I go – depends on the case
11. Reform. Current system has too many uneducated people making critical decisions.
12. I do vote, but haven’t been called.
13. Never been called!
14. It’s my civic duty.

I like serving and I think others would too if we only have to show up when we are needed for a jury pool.

— Steve Patterson

Coming Soon to Kingshighway & Delmar: More Low-Density Sprawl

The site of the former National/Schnucks at Kingshighway & Delmar, long vacant, has now been cleared for new development. I’ve viewed the site as an opportunity to build a dense urban project, ideally connected with a Delmar extension of the future Loop Trolley. But current plans may delay dense development of the 4+ acre site for at least the next 20-30 years.

But ALDI doesn’t need over 4 acres! Looking at city records online I see The Roberts Brothers has divided the site into three parcels, with ALDI buying one of the three.

The boundaries of the three parcels is intriguing, my guess is so all three can have automobile  entrances facing Kingshighway, or at least a Kingshighway address.  This new store will be part of three recently announced locations also including Creve Coeur & Des Peres (source).

My assumption is this Kingshighway & Delmar location will replace the ALDI less than a mile to the north at Kingshighway & Page (1315 Aubert).

Below is a look at a few ALDI locations in the area, showing size of parcel, year built, and the building size:

The most recently completed ALDI on the list above is the 7701 Olive location. I visited that ALDI in May 2006, shortly after it opened.

This is how ALDI builds US locations from coast to coast. For example, in late 2010 a blogger noted the design for a dense Washington DC neighborhood (see Terrible Aldi design shows need for new parking zoning). As with so many retailers, they’ll do the cheapest design they can, barely meeting minimum standards. If we want/expect better we must demand better — raising the minimum. Retailers will meet the improved standard as long as they can get sales & profit growth.     ALDI does have a few urban locations, but only in super-dense places like Queens, NY.

And before anyone says ALDI and Trader Joe’s are part of the same company let me clarify their relationship.

The [ALDI] chain is made up of two separate groups, Aldi Nord (North – operating as Aldi Markt), with its headquarters in Essen, and Aldi Süd (South – operating as Aldi Süd), with its headquarters in Mülheim an der Ruhr, which operate independently from each other within specific areas.

[snip]

Both Aldi Nord and Aldi Süd also operate in the United States; Aldi Nord is owner of the Trader Joe’s chain while Aldi Süd operates as Aldi. (Wikipedia)

Thus the ALDI we see in the US is NOT related to our Trader Joe’s stores. Another difference between our ALDI stores and our Trader Joe’s is the latter is willing to go compact in dense, walkable areas. For example, the Trader Joe’s I visited in 2009 located at 1700 E Madison St, Seattle, WA.  The store is located on the ground floor with sidewalk entrance, a level of structured parking over the store and four levels of housing over that.

Madison St. in Seattle still has low-density development, like the gas station across from the Trader Joe’s, but one property at a time it is getting more urban. As it gets more urban it attracts more people, increasing the need to be more urban.

Back in St. Louis, we do the opposite. We continue to build low-density sprawl, then scratch our heads wondering why more people don’t walk, use transit, or why our population declines. I’m not suggesting development patterns are the reason for our population decline in the past, but it is a factor today.

A single story ALDI surrounded by surface parking on this corner is totally inappropriate given the context to the east and south.

— Steve Patterson

Wheelchair Users Unable To Pay Parking Fee With Credit Card

Just weeks before Tishaura Jones was sworn into the office of St. Louis Treasurer I posted about a problem with a city-owned parking lot on Olive (see Wheelchair Users Unable To Pay Parking Fee In City Parking Lot). In that post I showed how disabled drivers that use wheelchairs would be unable to pay the central machine.

At the time the city said they planned for the two disabled spaces to be free of charge, so disabled users didn’t need ADA-compliant access to the machine. The other night I noticed the city installed two old fashioned parking meters between the two disabled spaces.

Problem solved, right? Wrong! This means those parking in the two disabled spots must carry coins to feed the parking meter while everyone else gets the option to pay by coin or credit card.

The city made an error and didn’t consider disabled users. Then in trying to fix their error on the cheap they created a problem of inequality.
— Steve Patterson

Poll: We Get The Infrastructure…

I got the idea for the poll this week from the comments on the post from last Monday: Former River Roads Mall Site Vacant, the Few New Buildings Aren’t Pedestrian Friendly. One person thinks we have what we want, if we didn’t we’d move somewhere else. 

I disagree, but I want to see how you feel about it. This week I ask that you select the sentence that comes closest to matching your view. Here are the options:

1. We get the infrastructure in our communities that most of us want and use.
2. We get the infrastructure that was commonplace years ago, but outdated today.
3. We get the infrastructure that makes developers the most money.
4. We get the infrastructure we want only if we fight for/demand better.
5. We get the infrastructure we get because most people don’t know other options exist.
6. Unsure/No Answer.

The poll, in right sidebar, will randomize the order in which these appear. Infrastructure in this context means the built environment: roads, sidewalks, parks, buildings, etc.

Discuss in the comments below.

— Steve Patterson

National Train Day In Two Weeks: Saturday May 11th

Like trains? Two weeks from today is National Train Day across the country with many events, the St. Louis event will be at the station in Kirkwood (map):

Station open house at the historic former Missouri Pacific depot adjacent to the busy Union Pacific main line with displays from the National Museum of Transport, Kirkwood Historical Society, Big Bend Model Railroad Club, Kirkwood Fire Dept., Union Pacific Railroad Special Agents and National Railway Historical Society among others. Rail safety information display by Missouri Operation Lifesaver. An operating model train layout will be on display along with a telegraph display and demonstration from the Morse Telegraph Club. Food will be available from the Kirkwood Optimist Club. Amtrak will have a drawing for tickets to Chicago or Kansas City. Live music will be performed after 10am. (Amtrak)

Sounds like a fun day!

— Steve Patterson