I Biked, Walked and Scootered Yesterday

Heading from my new loft to the convention center 8 blocks west yesterday for the Missouri section of the American Planning Association conference I managed to make a trip on foot, one on bike and another on scooter.  The joys of multi-modal living choices!

The scootering, of course, was the easiest as it requires no effort and the weather was quite pleasant.

Walking was actually the second easiest.  It took less than 20 minutes at a comfortable pace.  I’m out of shape and substantially overweight so walking — and lots of it — is on my agenda.

Bicycling, on the other hand, was a chore.  The only one of my bicycles I have downtown now is my rather cool looking single speed bike, a bike that weighs in at 50lbs!  Add my weight and you can imagine the challenge of pedaling all that around.  Granted, it had been over two years since I had really bicycled anywhere so it felt good to be on the bike.  Plus those bike helmets are feather light compared to a motorcycle helmet.

Although the YMCA is across the street I’m really not a gym kinda person.  I prefer my exercise outdoors — more naturally.  Hence the walking and bicycling.   Well, time to hit the sidewalk and walk back down to the conference for the final day.

Downtown Just Gained One More Resident

Last week I teased you that I was moving. And while guesses often focused on the 15th and 7th (Ald. Florida and Ald Young, respectively) I actually moved to the 6th, where Ald. Kacie Triplett was elected earlier this year in a heated 3-way race. I did not move for political reasons, I moved because I got a cool place for a great price in a part of town I wanted to experience.
My first six months in St. Louis were in the fashionable Central West End. I enjoyed walks up and down Euclid and shopping at Straub’s. The year was 1990 and the rent on my 8th floor studio apartment was $330. From there I jumped over to Old North St. Louis, then still officially known as Murphy-Blair. After a few years there, I moved down south to Dutchtown in 1994 and then a few blocks over to Mt. Pleasant in 2004. I’ve actually moved very little and then only because it was want I wanted to do.

So where did I move?

I am in the Printer’s Lofts on Locust between 16th and 17th. Pretty basic loft, no upgrades. A nice spot in the parking garage for my scooter.  Seems like a waste to have an entire parking space for a single scooter. Although I spent the night in the loft last night I have not fully moved in — that will come soon enough.  But, I have enough items to get me through.  As lofts go it is pretty big but it is still a downsize from my 2,642 square foot corner storefront — nearly a 40% reduction in space.

I will have room for my bicycles, which I plan to use often.  I also will get one of those old lady carts to allow me to walk down to the store and do my grocery shopping when wheel everything back.   I might, for grins, bike to MetroLink and head out to Eager to go to the Trader Joe’s at some point.

This will be a good place for me as I finish my masters degree (in Urban Planning & Real Estate Development).  Who knows, in a couple of years I might move on — both Old North and the Cherokee area are calling my name.  Until then, see you downtown.

Metropolitan Taxicab Commission Not Forced to Provide Taxi Stand on Sidewalk at Convention Center

For nearly a year now I have been trying to get the taxi stand, located literally in the pedestrian sidewalk area of Washington Ave, removed (see July post). To me a taxi stand directly in the path of pedestrians is careless and opens the city up to a major liability should someone be injured or killed by an exiting taxi.

The official line from the taxi commission is that they don’t control municipal rights of way. True enough, placing a taxi stand on private property is likely much easier than in the public right of way —- be it the street or sidewalk. Within the public right of way, the city must agree to the location. The Metropolitan St. Louis Taxicab Commission includes both the City of St. Louis and St. Louis County.

The relevant section of the Missouri statues relative to the taxicab commission is:

The provisions of this section notwithstanding, existing municipal regulations relating to taxicab curb locations and curb fees as well as local business licenses which do not seek to regulate taxicab use shall not be preempted by the taxicab code except by agreement between the commission and applicable municipality.

So while the taxicab commission is correct that they do not have the authority to place a stand on a municipal right of way without that city giving it’s approval, it is also correct that a municipality cannot force the Metropolitan Taxi Commission to place a taxi stand in a dangerous location — such as an active sidewalk location used by pedestrians. In fact, a municipality cannot force the taxicab commission to place a stand where they do not wish to. This, in my estimation, would make the members of the Taxicab Commission equally liable for such decision to put a taxi stand within a sidewalk location. The commissioners cannot simply pass the buck to the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Bureau (that operates the convention center) and the City of St. Louis.

The next public meeting of the Metropolitan St. Louis Taxicab Commission is Wednesday October 31, 2007 at 9am in the auditorium at 100 North Tucker. If you think the commissioners should consider removing this stand please email them at complaint@stl-taxi.com. You can call them at (314) 241-7600 [or toll free at (877) 785-8294]. And finally you can contact them via fax at (314) 241-7603.  Correspondence should be firm but polite and directed to either Chairman Lou Hamilton or director D. Michael Tully.
Others to contact include:

• Jim Cloar of the Downtown St. Louis Partnership:  jcloar@downtownstl.org; (314) 436-6500 x224; or fax (314) 436-1646
• Kathleen Ratcliffe of the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission: kratcliffe@explorestlouis.com; (314) 992-0604; or Toll-Free: (800) 325-7962; or via fax (314) 421-0039.
• Kathy Hale of the Mayor’s office: halek@stlouiscity.com
• Ald. Phyllis Young; via email; (314) 622-3287; or fax (314) 622-4273
• Director of Streets, Todd Waelterman; via email waeltermannt@stlouiscity.com; (314) 647-3111; or fax (314) 768-2888

Visitors to St. Louis should not be forced to walk around taxi cabs or have them driving toward them on the sidewalk as they exit their sidewalk-based location.  Pedestrians should not be subject to this danger simply because the city refuses to give up a lane of the street for the convention center refuses to give up a portion of the circle drive in front of the convention center out of the path of pedestrians. While the taxicab commission cannot legally place a stand elsewhere they are not forced to provide the existing stand — they can legally remove it.

Political Insider Blocks Path of Sidewalk with SUV, Defense Caught on Video

Arriving at City Hall this morning I spotted an SUV parked smack dab in the middle of the sidewalk along Tucker Blvd — in such a way that someone in a wheelchair or mobility scooter could not pass by:

That is my scooter (aka motorized bicycle per state law) in the very far left. As you can see, it is parked way out of the line of travel along the sidewalk. The black Acura MDX, however, is directly in the path of pedestrians and anyone that might be using a mobility device to get around. Who would be so insensitive as to park in the pedestrian path?

Getting in closer we can see that it really would be a challenge for some to get around this vehicle.

From another angle we can see the challenge someone might face.

From the rear we can see how close the planers are on the right, forcing pedestrians to alter their direct course. So again, who would do this?

The placard on the dash indicates a member of the Metropolitan St. Louis Taxi Commission — on official business! I had my thoughts but I couldn’t confirm it because I have no way to track vehicles.

Once at the Board of Alderman meeting my suspicion was nearly confirmed. Taxi commissioner, political insider, political consultant, and lobbyist Lou Hamilton was coming in and out of the BoA chambers. Still, this was not proof that this vehicle was his.
However, I was downstairs on the phone in the rotunda of city hall when Hamilton was heading to the exit. I quickly ended my call and headed out the door. Hamilton stopped just outside, to light up a cig, and I continued to my scooter. I had my camera out and was ready. I think he spotted me but I wasn’t about to leave. I figured I could wait him out.

The video explains the rest pretty well:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ld9MwhV4ZLU[/youtube]

Not blocking the sidewalk? The pictures and video seem to show otherwise!

Basically the aldermen were afraid to be seen getting into his SUV to head to lunch — can’t say that I blame them. Let’s see, it was back in 2006 that Ald. Florida, Gregali and Kirner were part of a motorcade that included Hamilton, this was first described by Dave Drebes on March 3, 2006 and later by the RFT on April 5, 2006:

The aldermanic trio weren’t the only local VIPs who received special treatment on February 24. Public relations executive and mayoral lobbyist Lou Hamilton and his wife, Mayor’s Ball chair Tricia Roland-Hamilton, departed city hall that evening in a dark SUV with a blue light flashing atop its dashboard.

Lou Hamilton could not be reached for comment.

I didn’t see any emergency lights on Hamilton’s Acura, maybe it is his wife’s vehicle?

Hamilton is chairman of the Metropolitan Taxicab Commission — the very commission that continues to have a taxi stand set up in front of our convention center. Despite repeated private requests & public blog posts to remove the taxi stand, it has not happened. It seems clear that chairman Hamilton doesn’t place much value on pedestrians but and is willing to use his ‘official business’ placard to justify parking directly in the path of pedestrians. This personal philosophy must be why the taxi commission, under his leadership, has refused to yank the taxi’s off the sidewalk.

For the purposes of disclosure, Hamilton’s former company, Vigilant Communications, was hired by Ald Dorothy Kirner when I challenged her for the 25th Ward seat in the Spring of 2005.

Scooters Vs. Minis on 9th Street, October 2006

A year ago I took some video from a fun event held last October by Espresso Mod on 9th Street —- a scooter vs. mini contest.  I thought I’d use this video to test out some new video editing software (Apple’s iMovie ’08).  Enjoy:

[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=TZKbk28993E[/youtube]