More Thoughts on Bike Parking

Tuesday’s post was  about a bike locked to a lamp post while two empty bike were further from the building entry, see: Locate Bike Racks Near Building Entrances. Today is a similar post about trying to find a place to secure your bike.

Transportation cyclists are resourceful types for sure and the above is a perfect example. While this makes an interesting visual I’d much rather see our streets lined with bare-bones inverted-U bike racks located on the outer edge of the sidewalks, near the entrances to active spaces.

Unfortunately too often things like bike parking are on a green checklist and they get checked off as being covered even though functionally few cyclists will ever use the supplied racks, much less 22 at once, opting instead for a sign or lamp post near their destination.  This space should’ve been planted to catch water runoff.

— Steve Patterson

Rethinking Our Streets: The Value of Flexible Street Design with John Norquist

Tonight should be an interesting event:

The event will be held on Thursday, November 29, 2012 starting with a 6 PM reception followed by a 6:30 PM lecture and discussion. Event will be held at Steinberg Hall Auditorium at Washington University at Forsyth Blvd and N Skinker Blvd, St. Louis, MO. The nearest Metrolink Station is Skinker.

 Space is limited. Please click here to RSVP.

Streets can be our greatest asset for building and connecting community. On Thursday, November 29, 2012, John Norquist will discuss how flexible street design can build economic value and enhance quality of life. Norquist will talk about the value of designing streets for people and the implications in the case of I-70 and the proposed South County Connector. He will also discuss CNU and ITE’s Designing Walkable Urban Thoroughfares manual and how to apply sustainable transportation policies in St. Louis. (CNU)

Other mentions of the event said it wasn’t necessary to RSVP. This CNU event is locally supported by City to River and Trailnet.

I first heard John Norquist speak in 2006, he’d only recently completed four terms as the mayor of Milwaukee (1988-2004) at that point. I was fortunate enough to sit next to him on a bus trip to New Town that day. I heard him again later that year at the 2006 Rail-Volution conference in Chicago, there he argued with architect Jan Gehl about pedestrian malls in North America.

— Steve Patterson

Readers Opposed To Viewing Aldermanic Seats As White or Black Seats

Few readers felt vacant seats should be viewed as white or black seats in the poll last week:

Q: Should vacant seats on the Board of Aldermen be viewed as “white” or “black” seats?

1. No 81 [81.82%]
2. Yes 6 [6.06%]
3. Tie
   • Unsure/no opinion 4 [4.04%]
   • Depends 4 [4.04%]
   • Other: 4 [4.04%]

The “other:” answers were:

1. hell no
2. If we want to remain locked in the bitter battles of the past, I suppose we will
3. NEVER
4. Absolutely NOT. Another example of how race should not be a factor in decision..

I personally agree we shouldn’t think a seat is automatically supposed to be for a certain race. First of all, our city is more than just white and black. That said, many realized voter suppression is alive in 2012.

Not only were black folks angered and shocked at Republicans’ blatant attempts at voter suppression in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida, Virginia, Texas and other states, they exacted revenge at the ballot box. (CNN)

But St. Louis votes Democratic, right? Technically yes, but substitute “old guard” for conservative above and the problem is one of gaining power or just enough to be appeased. On the other hand for the last five years I’ve been represented by numerous black persons: Board of Aldermen, President of the Board of Aldermen, Comptroller, State Rep, State Senate, US Rep. While some white folks certainly try to keep the balance of power I hope blacks can see we’re not all like that.

— Steve Patterson

Locate Bike Racks Near Building Entrances

Public bike racks, if existent at all,  often end up in the worst locations.

Maybe the engineers/designers of the streetscape thought someone would bike downtown to sit on a bench and face another bench? Several of these bike racks in adjacent blocks have been removed because their placement interfered with cafe seating and pedestrian flow.

Bike parking needs to be obvious as to use, visible to others, and near building entrances.

— Steve Patterson

Lack Of Crosswalks May Have Contributed To Death Of Boy

On the evening of Friday October 5th a tragedy happened:

A boy has died and another is in critical condition after a pickup truck hit them and left the scene in Pagedale Friday evening.

The incident happened at about 7:30 p.m. in the 7300 block of St. Charles Rock Road in Pagedale at Salerno Drive, just east of Pennsylvania Avenue. (stltoday.com)

His 10 year-old brother survived, with serious injuries. Earlier this month I visited the accident site, well I got as close as I could.

I couldn’t reach the convenience store or cross the street in my wheelchair due to a lack of sidewalks and crosswalks.  The distance between signalized crossings is more than a quarter mile, as a result pedestrians regularly cross the street where it is convenient to do so.

Media reports focussed solely on the driver’s record:

In the last 30 years, he has been arrested about 150 times, almost always while driving in north St. Louis County. Six of his 11 DWI arrests resulted in convictions: four times on misdemeanors and two on felonies. He has served fewer than two years total in prison on the DWI charges. (He also has served time in prison on gun charges.) (stltoday.com)

Yes, those who drink & drive are a problem, but only part of it. The other part of the problem is this area, just a short distance from the Rock Road MetroBus/MetroLink center isn’t designed for use by pedestrians.

My sympathies to the families of all involved.

— Steve Patterson