St Louis Woman on U.S. Paralympic Team in China

Kerri Morgan, an Occupational Therapist instructor from Washington University, is a member of the U.S. Paralympic team, currently in China for the 2008 games. I was first introduced to Kerri Morgan the same way many of you were, through a January 2007 cover story in the Riverfront Times (link). I met Morgan for the first time in person later in 2007 when I tagged along with a Washington University Architecture class as they visited Paraquad’s facility on Oakland Ave. Morgan was one of our guides. We spent the evening in various types of wheelchairs navigating their course which is used to train new wheelchair users how to deal with various surfaces and obstacles. Morgan was very impressive. Watching her maneuver her chair showed her pure athletic strength.

In November 2007 when I bought my downtown loft I ran into her again — in the hallway, she lives two doors down the hall from me! When I was in the hospital earlier this year (Feb 2-April 30, 2008) following my stroke she was an inspiration for me. When I came home knowing she was down the hall was a comfort. After I got a car and started driving again in July 2008 I’d see her in the parking garage too.

She’s much faster in her manual chair than I am in my power chair!

Paralyzed since one, Morgan is proof that the physically disabled can and should be as integrated into society as much as possible. Half a century ago paralyzed infants likely would have been placed in an institution. Instead she grew up with the support she needed to have a normal life – if you can call getting to go to China to compete with athletes from around the world “normal.”

More on Kerri Morgan over at the RFT Blog.

Go Kerri!

Muschany Was Wrong on 40, Resigns House Seat Amid Charges of Sexual Assault

Last December I attended a meeting downtown of a group attempting to halt the planned closing of highway 40 for reconstruction (see post). It was organized by a traffic engineer the predicted massive traffic problems as a result of shutting down the highway. One of the speakers was State Rep Scott Muschany (R-Huntleigh).

Muschany said on 12/17/07:

…Make no mistake about it, beginning January 3rd MoDOT is going to unleash the worst economic damage that this community could ever suffer, one of the worst public health crisis…

The highway involves hundreds of millions of dollars of tax payer money to support the auto culture.  It has been a headache to those in the immediate vicinity of the construction and access across the road will be worse than before after completion but the dire predictions of all roads in the central part of the county becoming parking lots just never materialized. The economic crisis will come not from the inability to get around but from the inability of the feds to pay the state for their share of the costs.  The federal highway trust fund is running out of money quickly.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s announcement Friday that it would curtail federal highway payments to the states could cause Missouri road and bridge projects to be delayed or even canceled, the state transportation department said. (source)

Today’s paper indicates Muschany has resigned his house seat.  He has pleaded not-guilty on charges of sexual assault against a 14 year-old girl.

I’m not going to speak to the charges he faces as all I know is what was in the paper.  I’m just glad he is out of office.  Fighting the highway on the merits of curtailing such expenses and what it means to be so auto focused —- that is a point I could support.  Good riddance Mr Muschany.

Help Tidy Up Lucas Park Saturday Morning

Lucas Park, located North of the Central Library downtown, has seen better days.  One a fancy Victorian pocket park serving private residences in the immediate vicinity.  As the houses were raised for factories and warehouses the park’s users changed.  With the Gateway Mall and the Arch grounds thiss small park got overlooked.  Maintenance is deferred like many city parks.

The day to day trash gets picked up but the less obvious does not.  Two playground areas have a small gravel that has spilled out of its areas onto the adjacent sidewalks.  Leaves, twigs and dirt have also collected in places such as around the steps to the sunken area.  These items all contribute to an unkempt look that discourages many residents from using the park.

The homeless are there too, which is fine by me.  I have no problems sitting in the same park as the homeless.  By improving the maintenance we hope to encourage more people to use this as what it has been since the start — a charming pocket park serving area residents.

This Saturday morning (9/13/08) at 8am we’ll begin the work.  We’ll have tools & brooms.  All are welcome to help.  We are thinking this will take a few hours but come for the time you can spare.  We are planning to BBQ when the work is done.  We’ll have stuff for burgers but bring what you like.

The Federal Reserve & Locust Street

A street grid can be very effective at moving people on foot, bike car or even wheelchair. But then traffic engineers were let lose on the grid and in cities all over the country the grid has been butchered beyond recognition. We’ve got one-way streets and closed streets everywhere which forces many onto just a few roads.

Pedestrians are generally allowed to continue in the path of the old grid unless a big building was built where the street used to exist, such as the convention center. Often streets were taken with the intent of constructing an “urban Oasis” – a pedestrian mall. When you’ve got hundreds and even thousands of pedestrians passing a single point in an hour then turning over the entire right of way to them can make sense. Otherwise it simply makes the pedestrian feel more isolated.

The Federal Reserve of St Louis is finishing up a major expansion to their facility in downtown St Louis. Earlier in the project they turn Locust Street from 4th to Broadway (5th) into a block-long pedestrian mall which enabled the to expand their entry and very likely better secure the facility. All in all the space is well done with good lighting, nice plantings, and plenty of seating.

Yesterday I was driving North on 4th and wanted to make a left and head West to my place at 16th & Locust. Obviously Locust would be a logical choice. Or would have been. My choices were then Pine or Washington. Decades ago I would have had twice that many choices. I picked Washington.

This is not the first time this one-block closure has gotten under my skin.

I guess someone forgot to tell the Federal Reserve about the ADA? Let’s see, I could go right and up onto the sidewalk at the parking garage exit. Hmmm, that doesn’t sound like the safest option. What about crossing from the other side of Locust?

So instead of multiple options a single truck has taken away my only place to cross the street on this block.
I was forced to go to the next block South to cross Broadway. Had the Federal Reserve designed the mall to be more accessible the truck blocking one ramp still would have left me another to use.

The street closure and the provision of only one ramp have the same effect — forcing people to go around what should be a normal straight shot.

Of course someone will come along and recognize the next block of Locust to the West (Broadway to 6th) gets very little traffic. This is because the only cars that can use that block are those headed South on Broadway. Once you go around to the next through street it is just easier to stay on that street. So closing one little block impacts adjacent blocks as well — increasing traffic on some while reducing traffic on others.

Personally I’d never close another street or alley in the city. But when we do we need to keep access for all on both sides of the street in an effort to afford the maximum benefit for the wheeled pedestrian. This includes the young ones seen more often being pushed in strollers downtown.

Making Disabled Parking Visible

Last Friday evening I met friends for dinner at the very popular Mi Ranchito restaurant in University City. It’s in a horrid little strip mall between the Loop on Delmar and Olive  to the North. The parking lot was packed when I arrived — it was 7pm on a Friday night. I got one of the last disabled spots. No there was not a disabled meeting at the restaurant, others were parking in the disabled spaces even though they lacked the required hang tag or plates.

I saw one couple do it. I didn’t say anything to them because I didn’t see their plates when they pulled in next to me. After they went in and I got out of my car I checked and as I suspected they didn’t have disabled plates.

I don’t think any of these drivers were doing it intentionally, the spaces are so poorly marked it is easy to overlook when you are not trying to find one.

So despite having four spaces for the entire strip center three of the four were taken by the non-disabled. I had the fourth.

The building owner is to blame here. The spaces are not marked as required. Each space should have a vertical sign at the head of the space so that it is clearly visible to someone pulling into the space. The wheelchair symbol is also painted in faded yellow rather than blue. Had these two simple things been done when the building was built it would be a huge improvement. The building is only a few years old, the requirement is older.

In parking lots you often need a vertical pole to mount the sign. In the above example two of the four spaces have brick columns which are ideal places to secure disabled parking only signs. Compliance would be very easy in this case. Keeping the symbol painted more visibly should also be a priority.

Contrary to what many may think, disabled spaces are not always the best spaces. Here the spaces are at the center point of the building while my destination was at one end. I’m not complaining – just saying that disabled parking is not always the most convenient. I’ve actually used disabled parking even though a non-disabled space might be closer. I figure out if I can walk the distance or not and what the impact on others might be if I parked in a regular space vs a disabled one. If there is tons of parking available for others I’m going for the shortest route.

The young college guys in the Audi pictured above did recognize when they got out of their car that it was a disabled space. I heard one of them say something like, “None of the others have stickers,” which is true — the others didn’t have permission to park there, “except this one” as they saw my hang tag hanging from the rear view mirror of my car. Within 5 minutes one of the guys came back out and moved their car to another spot.

I could have called the police and had the other cars ticketed but again I don’t think these drivers realized they were parking in disabled spots. Had I arrived and not found a space open for me I might have been on the phone complaining. I was just ready for a good meal and a Corona. I had my spot so I let it go.

I think most people are respectful of disabled spaces, especially those that are clearly marked. When I’ve got a choice of two disabled spaces I’ll take the one that is not “van accessible” as I know that someone that uses a wheelchair and a ramp with a van needs the extra room to get in & out of the vehicle.

Some of you may object to the reservation of these spaces for the disabled. If so I’d be happy to trade my disability & hang tag for your ease of walking.

So when you are pulling into parking spaces make sure they are not poorly marked disabled spaces. If you own property with disabled spaces make sure the markings and signs are visible. I’m contacting University City about this parking lot so the next time I go to Mi Ranchito I’ll be sure to have parking available.