I agree with you whole heartedly Dale, even about the nation addicted to
consumer debt. Oye! don't get me started on that one.

However, as with seemingly all other problems we face in our society today,
identifying the problem isn't really the issue, it's figuring out the steps to
take to get the wheels of change happening.

We do need more awareness, yes. A larger voice will probably do the trick. If
the public makes it an issue then our so called representatives will listen.
I'm not entirely sure how to mobilize the folks and one issue Brett and I ran
into is leadership. Neither he nor I have the time to devote to spreading the
word for the next few years. It's a big hill to climb for sure.

jamie

--- In AZTOC@yahoogroups.com, Dale <dale@...> wrote:
>
> jamie:
>
> It's interesting that you should bring this up. The City of Seattle just
> published their "Draft Seattle Pedestrian Master Plan"--
> <http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/pedestrian_masterplan/>
> --in which they describe the many tools available to make Seattle more
> walkable. In walkability, they don't stop with sidewalks but also include
> paths, trails, greenways, and anyplace else people might walk within and
> around the urban environment. At this point, I doubt any of our elected
> officials have the foresight to see the many virtues of walkability and
> will move forward only if forced by the masses or maybe by a court order.
>
> Looking through this lengthy Web document from Seattle, the thought of
> making much of our community walkable seems like a daunting if not
> impossible task because of the opposing inertia. Arizona has an
> unsustainable growth-addicted economy that expects sprawl to build the
> wealth necessary to sustain the existing infrastructure. It's like trying
> to save the economy of a nation addicted to consumer debt by freeing up
> more credit. But I digress.
>
> IMO, walkers and rollers (wheelchair & scooter users) whether with or
> without dogs would all benefit by creating a popular movement to demand
> more liveable and sustainable neighborhoods inclusive of the full spectrum
> of walkers. Organization has worked well for bicyclists but pedestrians
> currently lack the same degree of unity for a cause.
>
> My wife is sponsoring a program on Access Tucson called Perils for
> Pedestrians that presents actions other communities are taking to become
> more walkable. I've been thinking that several people could get together
> and make attractive portable photo presentations on display boards to show
> the relative benefits of walkability and take it to public libraries,
> street fairs, green and sustainability expos, community centers, and
> anywhere people will see them. I'm convinced that if people knew what
> they're missing, more people would be demanding walkability.
>
> -- Dale
> <http://DaleRoose.com/>
> Jesus was homeless.
>
> On Mon, 11 May 2009 17:06:49 -0700, Jamie D. <jdeben@...> wrote:
>
> > Hi Dale,
> >
> > How did our meeting with the Board go way back in Feb?
> >
> > jamie d
> >
> > --- In AZTOC@yahoogroups.com, Dale <dale@> wrote:
> >>
> >> In case anyone is interested in participating, I address the Pima County
> >> Board of Supervisors suggesting changes generally around walkability as
> >> a
> >> key to a better urban environment. Many people are involved in groups
> >> representing the needs of bicycle riders, but there are few people
> >> representing pedestrians. In the County neighborhood where I live and
> >> walk, we have bike lanes but no sidewalks.
> >>
> >> When I walk into the city, I find that rather than encouraging walking
> >> and
> >> bus riding, there are problems that actively discourage walking. One
> >> problem is short crosswalk timing. The Americans with Disabilities Act
> >> calls for sufficient crosswalk signal time to allow people to cross at
> >> 3.5
> >> ft/sec but I've found intersections in Tucson that require 12 ft/sec.
> >> Having a particular disability, I get stuck in intersections after the
> >> lights change and I'm reasonably mobil. Seniors using walkers should be
> >> able to cross our streets with some degree of safety.
> >>
> >> When we think of trails, we tend to think about recreational trails in
> >> areas outside the urban environment. In the days, our trails were the
> >> routes we used to conduct activities of our daily lives the way we now
> >> use
> >> roads and sidewalks, so I consider our sidewalks as urban trails.
> >> Personally, I'd like to see some neighborhoods that think in terms of
> >> walks and sideroads, but I'm not holding my breath.
> >>
> >> BTW, I walk with one or two dogs almost every day on the northeast side.
> >> Imagine the visibility we'd have if we walked through neighborhoods in
> >> groups.
> >>
> >> -- Dale
> >> Cry havoc and let loose the dogs of change!
> >
> >
>