In New York, Walking is Transportation

Over the weekend I brought you the story of Jimmy Justice, a loud man with a video camera on a mission to give NYC law enforcement officials a piece of their own medicine. Today I want to share the story of a friend of mine, a lifelong New Yorker, Dan Icolari.

Dan, now in his mid 60s, grew up in Manhattan during the time you’d see folks like Jane Jacobs and Mary Travers (of Peter, Paul & Mary) out on the street in Greenwich Village. In fact, Dan saw both!

He and his lovely wife Ellen, also born in Manhattan, now live in a wonderful home in the borough of Staten Island, a not too far walk from the ferry. They raised their sons in Brooklyn.

The image of Dan, at right, is of course on the Brooklyn Bridge. I didn’t take this shot as I am the one in the orange shirt seen in the background. Having walked with Dan around New York, across one of the most famous bridges and through the neighborhoods of Brooklyn I can tell you he is one experienced walker. And fast!

Dan has been a reader of my blog for sometime now, and has written for NYC’s StreetsBlog so it was no surprise to me when Dan decided to begin writing about walking in his new blog, Walking is Transportation:

The goal of this weblog is to get people to think of walking as more than exercise–as, in addition, an alternative form of transport, one that merits a place in any discussion of transportation policy and planning. Like bicycling.

Like most in NYC, Dan doesn’t drive or own a car. But Staten Island isn’t exactly SoHo when it comes to an urban lifestyle. But after a good walk you are at the Staten Island Ferry terminal and headed to Manhattan. While many others take transit or bicycle, Dan enjoys a good brisk walk — for miles. Sure, Dan takes transit at times, and depending upon distance, but his main mode of transit is himself.

It wasn’t always this way for Dan, a semi-retired advertising executive. From an entry on his site:

I used to drive. I actually owned a car–even though I live in New York, said to be the most walkable of American cities and one blessed with great public transit. Despite all that, like most American drivers, I was convinced my personal mobility–my Freedom, for heaven’s sake–depended on the pathetic hunk of steel, plastic and rubber parked outside my door.

Exactly. The freedom of getting from A to B under your own power is a wonderful feeling. Granted, it takes the right shoes or the feeling may not be so great! If you want to learn more about walking as a form of transportation I suggest you follow the writings of Dan Icolari.

Travel Log: Lawrence KS (2/2)

Last month I had a brief road trip through Kansas with my friend Rich, a Seattle architect. Rich was doing roof inspections for a large property managment firm with properties in small rural towns. On the last day of our journey we visited Lawrence KS (see post 1/2). We had finished Rich’s work in Topeka that morning and we met up with a couple for lunch.

In our younger days meeting friends for lunch was just that — college friends hanging out. One of Rich’s best friends from high school in Oklahoma lives with her husband in Lawrence, both alumni of the University of Kansas. In fact, both now teach at KU. See, we get older and our old friends become respectable. Rich’s friend from high school graduated the same year as me, 1985. I met Bonnie years ago when she was a planner for the city of Liberty Missouri. These days Bonnie Johnson has a Ph.D. and is park of KU’s School of Architecture and Urban Planning. Once Rich & Bonnie stopped talking about who they saw at their respective 20-year reunions we talked about planning issues, including those in Lawrence. Bonnie is a former member of the Lawrence Planning Commission.

In my prior post on Lawrence I looked at the main drag — Mass (short for Massachusets St. Ave). This post will look at a few other areas.

In the next block east of Mass some interesting things are happening. For starters, a parking lot is overtaken each Saturday morning for a Farmers’ Market. We arrived after noon on a Saturday which is a shame as I would have liked to have seen the staging for the market as well as the volume of customers.

Attached to some parking meters are retrofit bike racks. These make it easier to secure a bike’s frame to a solid object. My only question is how much of an obstacle might this pose to someone trying to use the meters. Perhaps this is a good low-cost solution for getting more bike parking?

Above is a good example of how a curb “bulb” can help shorten street crossings and to create ends for parking lanes. ADA ramps are able to be more in line with the direction of travel and not pointed out into the middle of the intersection from the corner of the sidewalk. This view is looking north from 7th & New Hampshire St. (google map). Up ahead is a failed downtown outlet mall converted to a riverside hotel.

Yes, downtown Lawrence KS has a Borders bookstore while St. Louis does not. Here the city required the corner building, at left, to be saved. A new building was built next to it and the combined buildings make up with store with the main entrance to the right, facing a small parking lot.

From the other way we can see how the parking lot is behind a stone wall. Pedestrians can easily get to the entrance without having to walk through a parking lot. Still, I would have liked to have seen the corner building have some activity — sure it was ‘saved’ but the corner remains rather lifeless. Also in the above image we can see bike parking provided along the public sidewalk (very visible where a thief is less likely to try to steal it). Also here is another use of a “bulb” but in this case it is detached from the curb so that water can still flow downhill to the drain system.

Adjacent to the Border’s parking lot is a new loft building, next to another new loft building. Or is it?

OK, this is not the four buildings that it appears to be — this is one fairly new building. The intention is to give the impression of multiple buildings rather than one potentially overbearing building. As such facade treatments go, I think they did an excellent job with the materials and details. The main entrane to the residential units is through the narrow section that is 3-stories. The ground floor is reserved for retail — each having their own entrance. With the exception of the bank at the far end, all the spaces were empty.

The main residential entrance is under the canopy. For me, the green grass just doens’t communicate commerce. The area is attractive and the grass is flawlessly maintained but this just doesn’t feel like a good place for retail activity.

The far south corner with the bank also disappoints from a downtown perspective. I like the sign being on the corner but the entrance is a bit up the sidewalk — not on the corner where it belongs. Corners used to mean something architecturally.

Across the street and down the block we headed back to our rental vehicle. Note the worn grass next to the sidewalk in the above picture. This brick wall marginally narrows the width of the sidewalk but enough so that a clear path is worn in the grass. The sidewalk is comfortable for two to walk side by side until you get to this point — it appears many will walk in the grass/dirt before giving up their position next to another.

We headed out to see some of the new sprawl on the western edge of Lawrence. The above subdivision is one of the newest. Here we see the post office. The sidewalk cuts between the houses so that people can walk to get their mail. Of course, note the lack of sidewalks along the actual street! Bonnie noted Lawrence has since changed their code, they now require sidewalks. From this view we can see this house’s 3 garage doors but not the front door for humans.

After we dropped off Bonnie back at her home we headed out of town, back northbound on Mass. But we are further south than the main downtown, this is near 23rd. We can see a recently constructed Family Video store next to an older strip mall. Lots of new sidewalks but not a one taking the pedestrian from the public sidewalk to the front door of the store.

Above is the older strip center that the Family Video was attached to. A grocery store in on the far end with the green mansard roof. As you can see, the older area was much harsher than the new — completely lacking in any grass or trees. The St. Louis region has many such strip centers just ready to be improved. In the background is one of the taller buildings in the area.

Although I couldn’t really tell, my guess was senior housing. The greenery here certainly helps soften the solid concrete forms of the building. I’m sure the original renderings were lovely with many people milling about in the pseudo park setting. On this lovely day, the area was empty. Maybe all the residents were north in the main area of downtown with the rest the other direction at the new Family Video.

Lawrence has much of the same sprawl as other cities, the new area with all the big boxes like Target and Wal-Mart. We saw a site out on the edge of town where Wal-Mart is fighting to build a second location. Over the years Lawrence has managed to keep a lot of sprawl at bay but things are changing — more and more voters live on the edge in sprawl. Their voting patterns could change the shape of Lawrence in the future and have a negative impact on downtown.

Travel Log: Lawrence Kansas (Part 1/2)

“Welcome to DOWNTOWN LAWRENCE” the sign reads on the north end of “Mass” Avenue. The technical name is Massachusetts Street but as long as I’ve been going to Lawrence (15+ years) it has simply been Mass or Mass Avenue.

In four days time, starting two weeks ago now, I saw many small towns with Lawrence being the last of them. For the most part, all of the downtowns I saw appeared to be just hanging on or not doing so well. Lawrence, however, seems to be doing quite well — they actually have people eating, shopping and walking around. Relative to the other towns I saw, Lawrence is exceptional. In this post I will talk about some of the reasons why I think it is different.

We might as well start with the name, ‘Mass’ Ave. When calling a friend to meet her for lunch we indicated we wanted to do lunch on Mass. It has a different ring than saying downtown or main street. It is cool sounding. Furthermore, google maps says it is a ‘street’ and not an ‘ave’ but Mass St doesn’t sound as nice as Mass Ave. Maybe someone out there knows how long Massachusetts has been known in Lawrence simply as Mass — perhaps decades?

Also keep in mind that Lawrence is a college town, not that such is a guarantee of a successful downtown/main street. However, the older section of the University of Kansas is located pretty close to Mass. Such proximity, in my view, cannot be underestimated. Besides having the campus not too far away, also adjacent is a good residential base. Both the housing stock and campus are connected to Mass via the old street grid. Urban Renewal and the subsequent f*cking up of the street grid did not seem to make its way to Lawrence — a good thing indeed. That is, walking to Mass from campus and/or the residential areas is quite pleasant and not interrupted with closed streets, massive parking lots or other obstacles.

The sidewalks are mostly plain concrete, no fancy brick patterns. This is actually a newer building on the north end of the street. It was here that some of the first chain stores came into being on Mass but they’ve been here a while and you still have mom & pop stores, the antique mall and such. The balance is nice. Attention was paid, when this building was built, to the important things — the storefront design not the paving on the sidewalk. The point is to sell merchandise!

Standing in the same spot as the last picture but looking north you get a totally different perspective. This is, without question, the worst the street has to offer. An existing office supply place is set back too far from the street with front parking — placing pedestrians (of which they have many) in the direct path of drivers. Above you can see the gold SUV pulling into the parking area as people pass by on the sidewalk.

Here is would be interesting to construct a new building in front of the existing building. It could give a proper face to the street while not wasting the existing building. The new structure could serve as an entrance to get to the existing store and perhaps have a couple of smaller storefronts like a newsstand or locksmith. The spaces you’d lose in front would mostly be gained with on-street spaces. The horrible building in the background is not some generic office structure but city hall.

Based on a vintage postcard I have of Lawrence, Mass used to continue straight ahead and cross the river. For many years now Mass bent slightly to the west to go around city hall before crossing the river. I actually like the idea of a civic building serving as a visual terminus for the main commercial street. This, however, is not a good civic building. It doesn’t say this is the head of government. If you took the letters off the front entry and replaced them with Orthodontist nobody would wonder why an orthodontist was doing business in a very civic looking building. The building doesn’t even look friendly or approachable with the upper floors looming over the lower area. Note the two cyclists riding on the sidewalk (far left).

Sidewalk bike riding, especially in a busy area, can be dangerous. Pedestrians and cyclists can both get hurt that way. The two in front of city hall may have just crossed the river and not wanted to compete with bridge traffic which can be a bit on the fast side.

Lawrence reminds us, with signs, about no biking or skating on the sidewalks. I guess Segways are permitted? I actually like the energy of skaters but I don’t want to compete with them for the sidewalk while I am window shopping. Still, they can bring life and energy to a downtown as well as money when they are not skating. I wonder where skate fans go in Lawrence and how far away is it from Mass?

Now check out the massive red building in the background…

This is the printing plant for the local paper. Basically this is the north end of Mass, opposite the set back office supply place. As you might expect, this end of Mass with the ugly city hall at the end is not as lively as the blocks to the south.

On the opposite end of the street you get people out and about, here using the 1970s concrete planters/barricades for seating — their height is good for that and at least they are planted (unlike those in Topeka).

Mid-block crossings are well-marked but not overdone like those seen in Salina. You can see here the earlier brownish brick color from a 1970s (or 80s) make over and the redder color of the newer work being done to improve the ADA-required ramps. Remember, when you start getting into colored pavers eventually it will look a bit dated. Luckily the sidewalk pavers in Lawrence are limited to a few areas.

Above is another view from Mass showing the variety of architecture and building heights. You can also see an updated crossing with new ramps.

Work is also being done along the main section of the street. In the foreground you can see a newer tree with tree grate. Just past the lamp post you can see the older raised planter around a street tree. Slowly these are being replaced with the metal grates which pose less hazzards to pedestrians. However, the size of the openings on the grates look like they might be too large to meet the latest ADA requirements — someone could get a heel caught in one of those and twist an ankle. What I do like is that the updated work is being done gradually, in small doses, without having to rip out that which works fine.

Above is one of the areas that doesn’t work so well. It is not catastrophic by any means but it does show that needs have changed. This area is out of the way of the main walkways so none of the bikes or scooters are blocking anyone except perhaps those that might like to sit on the concrete walls. The three bikes are actually at a makeshift bike rack which is some square tubing attached to the lamp. This does not provide good support for bikes (you can see one leaning against the concrete wall) nor does it make it possible to lock the frame in two places — the ideal. Also, getting bikes in and out of the designated area is not exactly easy, especially if you have items you are carrying and it is your bike up against the concrete wall and behind other bikes.

In one of the overflow parking areas behind the stores on Mass I spotted an area for bikes & mopeds. Here, a Honda Metropolitan (like mine) is parked but not chained to the provided pipes — the owner is clearly comfortable that the area is active enough that someone is not going to get away with walking up and carrying away the scooter. With the built-in locking streeting and the kickstand locked in place, it would take two big guys (or gals) to lift the scooter.

While I was excited to see they provided an area I can say that most cyclists & scooterists, just like motorists, would likely look for space along Mass before resorting to the overflow space behind. Note the walkway above leading from the back side parking to Mass.

Here is the same walkway as seen from the alley, which still functions as an alley.  The old fashioned looking street lamps are newer than the concrete planters.  At the end, near Mass but not overly visible, are two bike racks.  They are near possibly the last pay phone in Kansas.

Speaking of bikes, there was a big bike race going on the weekend I was there and a local store did a really nice job using this lovely vintage bike as part of a window display.  I like displays that recongize local events.

Above is another overview shot looking north on Mass.  The obligatory platform with tower cliche is on the right.

Said platform with tower as seen from another angle.

Walking along beside the platform with tower is the worst place to be.  Look closely and you can almost hear the sucking sound as life is removed from the street. 

Lawrence, at least on Mass, has a nice collection of restaurants with outdoor seating.  I’m not sure if this is mandated or just a wise move on the part of the operators but it works well.  I have more thoughts on Lawrence but those will come in Part #2 tomorrow.

Travel Log: Topeka Kansas

I had flown into Kansas City on Tuesday May 8th, meeting my friend Rich, an architect, from Seattle. Starting the next morning we began traveling to the towns on his list of sites to visit (roof inspections for a national property management company). Prior posts will give you detailed accounts of other towns visited on this trip.

We arrived in Topeka Kansas just after midnight on Friday evening, getting the last room at a Motel 6 on the sprawling west edge of town. I was so tired by that point I don’t think I even complained about carrying my suitcase up to the third floor room (and my close friends will tell you I would normally have complained about a 3-story building lacking an elevator).

Above is a morning photo from the 3rd floor walkway of the Motel 6, looking across the street. The building nearest the street contains a Starbucks Coffee with a drive-thru window (just to the left of the view). As you can see, the grass is bright green and well cut. Look, they even have a sidewalk running along the street. Of course, like most suburban areas, the sidewalk is simply for show — it really doesn’t function for anyone. The sidewalks, you see, simply create parallel borders for the main arterial road. The sidewalks cannot be bothered to actually connect a business to another business so that someone might actually use them. This is a common problem, not unique to Topeka. The above picture could be almost anywhere USA.

The fact remains that just a few hudred feet away was a place that we could not easily walk to given the design of the sidewalk system. You’d think, in the richest country in the world, we could figure out how to build more hospitable environments. Actually we have, the interior of a Hummer seems quite comfortable if you can afford to buy one and the gas to drive it. However, I need to walk more and I enjoy walking (when it isn’t too hot or humid, at least). Why must we accept places which are so inconvenient to pedestrians and cyclists yet overly convenient to motorists? Can we not learn how to strike a balance? Ok, enough on that rant, back to Topeka.

… Continue Reading

Travel Log: Wichita Kansas

Friday last week my friend Rich and I pulled into downtown Wichita KS. It turns out they were having a festival so we didn’t get to see a normal crowd.

Exiting the major east-west highway through town this large marker “welcomed” us to downtown.

This brutal building with parking on the corner is right on the edge of the CBD. St. Louis-based A.G. Edwards is the only name on the building.

Just a couple of blocks north of the horrible AG Edwards building was this wonderful old stone structure, now a historical museum. People are walking to the festival.

Despite all the people out on the sidewalks the downtown seemed rather lifeless. You can tell from the street markings that on-street parking is not allowed, although who’d want to given the sterile buildings. Note the pedestrian bridge over the street — we saw several of those. Rich and I, both from Oklahoma originally, thought Wichita reminded us of Oklahoma City. We will see another similarity later.

The above image shows a lot. First, the building is beautifully detailed and includes a public clock — a nice touch all too often missing in public spaces. The vendor trailer is a good way to sell food, although I am sure it is only there for the festival. We were forced to turn because the street we were on switched to one-way in the opposite direction. Note the pretty paving pattern in the middle of the wide intersection — I’m sure this was sold as a sure way to revitalize downtown.

The nice bulidings quickly end and we are left with generic 70s towers and useless plazas. People are ready for the parade.

An area on the edge of the CBD had been cleared and the street(s) reconfigured. I’m not sure what is planned — they already have the generic sports facility and conference stuff downtown. Whatever it is, I am certain it is being billed as the project that will save downtown.

Not far away one of the numerous pedestrian bridges over the street has lost its skin. I’m not certain if it is getting a new updated skin or if it is soon coming down. This one-way street needs help.

East of downtown is the second reason why Rich and I see a similarity to Oklahoma City. Their former warehouse area next to an elevated railroad line, known as Old Town, is very much like OKC’s Bricktown. Wichita’s Old Town does appear to have some residential included but it still has very much the feel of a destination entertainment place rather than a neighborhood you’d call home.

A new building meant to evoke the feeling of an old warehouse just doens’t quite make it. The outdoor dining at this restaurant looks just plopped down. Despite these flaws, the area seemed popular.

A new theatre and parking garage may attract many people to the area — temporarily at least.

A newer hotel tries to look interesting by having different colors of exterior synthetic stucco. This is the very visible back side.

On the right is something that peaked my interest — a combination gas station and sit down restauarant. The Conoco still operates but in the old service bays are a restuarant. They had the garage doors open and seating spilled out onto a fenced in patio. I’m not sure I’d enjoy seeing people fill up their SUVs with gas while eating but this could be an interesting way of providing a necessary service (gas stations) with more interesting dining spots.

The bulk of this “marketplace” street was pretty boring. The lack of on-street parking left the impression nothing was going on. Everyone was parked in yet another parking garage (with the fancy railings). The sidewalks seemed narrow in places.

I’m using the above image to illustrate a couple of things.  One, these destination areas always need some sort of museum — that way the marketing folks can say they are “Arts & Entertainment” districts.  Ugh.  Next, note all the paving treatments but for all the money spent the pestrians walk immediately adjacent to the street (no street trees for separation) and behind parked cars.  How thoughtful….

Brick detailing and light fixtures are supposed to make the pedestrian feel better as they encounter a highway hell section of Wichita.  In truth, the brick & smaller scale light fixture do actually help — just not enough.

Before leaving town we stopped so that Rich could leave flowers for his grandparents. The cemetary was beautiful although a few areas were a bit boggy due to the rains and the mostly flat terrain.   The Hebrew cemetary was next door.  We had a long conversation about headstone designs (raised vs flat), New Orleans’ urban cemetaries, and the use of natural burials for the preservation of open space.  Coming up, Topeka and Lawrence KS.

See also the Wichita wiki and more images.