My hometown downtown: It's getting there.

I'm visiting Jacksonville for the holidays. My parents still call this place home, and I am proud to still call it my original home. Saturday, we took a nice walk down the Northbank RiverWalk to the Jacksonville Landing and around downtown and back. I always enjoy seeing the little (and big) changes that take place when I am away. It's been a year now since I've been home, and plenty of things have changed, a new mayor is in office, and I am seeing things successfully implemented in other cities being tried out here in Jax. Below are some photos of some neat new features I saw on the RiverWalk and around downtown since I've been home

Some beautiful new sculpture at a RiverWalk node adjacent to Haskell and the YMCA

Landscaping along Northbank RiverWalk

 

Permeable tree root covers along Laura Street! This is probably my most favorite thing that I saw. I completely nerded out when I saw these...

 

Excellent new, appropriately styled, and functional monuments and directional signage. Love it.

The LauraSt/Water St roundabout looks to be finally completed and with softer brick on the road area. There were lots of complaints, when originally installed, that the brick was too rough for drivers. To be fair, it really was rough and even unsafe when pedestrians walked on it. It is now still rough enough to make cars slow, but safer for pedestrians.

Though Jacksonville's core, like most city's, is far from where it should be, there is progress being made. I am so grateful to see new changes when I come home, even the minor ones. The downtown is certainly still lacking. There are still a number of historic buildings still completely gutted inside (see below photos) that would make beautiful lofts or trendy apartments. Huge vacant lots, only filled with parked cars or Jazz Festival stages during special events, scatter downtown leaving an uneven pedestrian scale and feeling of emptiness. Attracting life downtown is unquestionably the biggest challenge for Downtown Jacksonville and the organizations like Downtown Vision, Inc. that support it.

Recruiting a developer into the core to refurbish one of the historic buildings placing a grocery store and other retail with lofts and residential units above would change the future of downtown. A grocery store in the center core is what is lacking, and I think that would only spark a better future. There may be something in the works that I am unaware of, but I believe that is what would have the greatest impact.

I believe that a downtown can call itself successful when sidewalks are filled with people on a weekend day without a special event. Until then, the sidewalks of Downtown Jax will remain empty with plenty of room to take in the beautiful views of the scenic St. Johns.

Reading and things

Check out this neat video of "Bicycle Animation!" A student created the video to understand how animation is created. The paper animation is not visible to the naked eye, but only through film. Pretty amazing! And bikes!

Having been away from this blog for quite some time, here are some favorite reads and media from the past week or two:

• To Sleep on the Subway, Maybe, But to Dream? Poor Chance - New York Times
• Minority Report at the US Border - An unwelcome encounter between a cyclist without a helmet and a border patrol agent on the Amtrak Cascades line between Vancouver and Seattle - Copenhagenize
• "Street Fighter: One woman's mission to fight gridlock" - An interview with New York City's transportation commissioner, Janette Sadik-Khan - MSNBC
• New condos going up in Sunny Isles Beach, FL (near where I lived formerly) will have parking spots specifically for Porsche sports cars...gross - Wall Street Journal
• Disappointingly, Canada is pulling out of the Kyoto Protocol agreement - CBC
• Hamburg, Germany to Cover Expanded Highway with Public Park - The City Fix
• Bike sharing for cities with helmet laws like Vancouver, Seattle? Yes! - Atlantic Cities

Research update

The first semester of grad school is complete! Two papers were produced, one on participatory budgeting in Peru, and the other on the economy of my hometown and whether it is truly dependent on the huge military presence there. I was really pleased with the latter paper (as was my prof :) ) and am hoping to submit it to a journal.

So, now that all of that has passed, I am beginning to think more about the urban related topics that I want to dive into deeper than I already have for an actual thesis topic. I am regularly being asked, "What is your research interest?" or "Oh, what area are you focusing on?" My usual answer is something along the lines of where public transit and community cross paths. So, the social aspect of public transit. Still, that is too broad of a research topic.

So, having said that, I am soliciting ideas. I am always writing things down when talking with someone about this. I have a list of potential ideas, and the more I read news, the more I think to myself, "Oh THIS would be neat to look at in a different angle!"

These are potential ideas that I might explore further:

• Social interactions on public transit in rural vs. urban settings. Less frequent rural transit would mean riders would most likely see each other at the same times on their commutes as opposed to urban riders who have many schedule options and more frequent transit. Does this make for more relationship building? Something along those lines...
• Do different modes of transit (rail, bus, etc) promote more social interactions?
• How do varying transit stations or stops build community? What levels of the different types of  interactions (primary, secondary, tertiary) are promoted at different transit stations and stops? How can deeper social interactions be encouraged, producing more 'community'?
• Look at some cases (if any) where more social interaction/community was created as a result of transit coming in. 
• I read this article today about sleeping on the subways in New York. VERY fascinating. I think there is possibly something else in this that could be expanded...

I realize all of these are extremely broad areas and anything that I was to write a thesis on would have to be incredibly refined and narrowed. I also fully recognize that 'community' is something that is difficult to measure or quantify. But I am simply in the exploring stage, so any direction would be much appreciated!

Here's a Christmas related photo for inspiration:

Urban Policy: "Stifling Drivers" or "Irking" Them?

This New York Times article is getting quite the buzz on the transportation twittersphere this morning.

Grist even has an argument for why it is a misleading headline.

I revisited the article and the title has been changed to reflect the print edition! I still didn't see too much of a problem with the original. I think it is appropriate to say "stifled" (in this use: suppressed, curbed, withheld), because then they will see the tram or bus getting priority passing them on the street while they're sitting there bottled up. Next time, taking transit might be a better option over driving.

Nonetheless, it is definitely a fascinating article worth checking out. Displays the differences in American transportation thinking and all of the benefits our cities are potentially passing up.

Seattle's Transit

Again, I apologize for slacking on this blog. But here's a fun post about some observations from my recent trip to Seattle:

I recently took a trip to Seattle with my best friend from back east. I have been twice before, but for no longer than a couple of hours. This time, we spent three days, two nights in downtown and played tourist the whole time. Of course, the only thing I was there for was to check out the public transit and see how it measured up.

Being versed in the transit world, I have never really heard or seen anything special about Seattle's transit other than that awful video of the bus sliding down the hill this past winter. So my expectations were little to none. However, before the trip, we tried to plan as much as possible when we thought we might need to use the transit. This proved to be difficult over the internet since it turns out that Seattle's transit is actually comprised of a number of separate agencies. So, that right there just made the task seem a bit daunting.

Fortunately, we stayed in a really nice hotel in Downtown Seattle that was relatively close to everything we planned to do and see. Therefore, we walked the majority of the time. I forced my friend to at least ride the Link light rail just once, just to say we had done it.

Seattle has a pretty impressive transit system, despite the different modes being comprised of several agencies. Sound Transit operates the Express Buses, the two Link light rail lines, and the two Sounder commuter rail lines. In the downtown core, the Link and a good portion of the express buses travel through an underground tunnel. Seattle is well known for its historical underground, which I assume has produced this neat feature for the city. You can read more about Seattle's underground here or go on the Underground Tour if you're in town. I highly recommend the corny, but informative tour.

Anyway, the transit. We decided to ride the Link light rail on the way back from the Seattle Center to our hotel, assuming it was free in the downtown zone. We were told by the concierge at the hotel that transit inside the downtown zone was free, so you would assume light rail, like Portland's MAX, would be free inside the downtown zone. Not the case. The Link costs $1.50 for the zone we were in. Luckily, I happened to have found an Orca card on the ground earlier that day that still had a $7 remaining balance. Turns out, just the buses are free in the downtown zone. Ah well. It was light rail! In a tunnel! The touristy thing to do would be to ride it, right? So we did.

The even MORE touristy thing to do is to ride the monorail. The Seattle Monorail was built during the World Exposition in 1962. And trust me, it is very 1962-ish. It's privately operated and travels between the Seattle Center and the Westlake Center Station in downtown. Did I mention it costs $4.00 and only goes between two stops? Needless to say, we didn't ride this. We just walked below its concrete pylons and stopped at various donut shops along the way. I know, very classy.

I know this is somewhat of a scattered review of Seattle's transit. We did not take any ferries or ride any buses after all. I would enjoy spending more time there and venturing outside of the downtown core to see more of the city. However, to me, the major problem I felt was a major lack of communication. Things were simply unclear. There was confusion about where stations were, what mode of transit operated in these stations, what fare card or payment to use, etc etc. It was discouraging in some ways, at least for the acting tourists that we were. A simple but challenging suggestion might be to do a little better marketing and commucation for the system and try to make things more seamless.

Refurbished urban design

I was looking back through some pictures of my travels thus far throughout the Pacific Northwest as I'm planning a better trip to Seattle when my friend visits over Memorial Day weekend. Above is one from the Yaletown district in Vancouver, BC. It dawned on me how fascinating I found these rehabbed loading dock and rail platforms in the old warehouse districts. I can recall only a handful in Portland, but Vancouver had many.

Now, raised, possibly extended with much narrower right of ways, with restaurants and shops, these walkways, separate from the street, serve as great examples of refurbished urban design that I just really love and enjoy.

According to Wikipedia:

While little or no original housing from the 19th century survives, several older buildings from the industrial days still exist. Hamilton Street and Mainland Street are the most significant, comprising two intact streetscapes from that era. They are lined with handsome brick warehouses built on rail platforms, many with cantilevered canopies. These have been converted into loft style apartments and offices, with boutique stores, bars and restaurants at the ground level.

I am really interested in finding out more about about these and if there are other examples elsewhere.

PS: My apologies for a lack of posting lately. Life is busy, y'know.

Eugene City Council backs EmX Extension!

From the Register-Guard:

Mayor Kitty Piercy cast the decisive vote Wednesday in favor of building a controversial rapid-transit bus line in west Eugene, breaking a 4-4 tie on the City Council over Lane Transit District’s latest EmX project.

Then, in a subsequent vote, the council voted unanimously to select Sixth and Seventh avenues as the route to run the buses from downtown to West 11th Avenue. That was a victory for those opposed to running buses on 13th Avenue to West 11th, but it would be a more expensive route for LTD to operate. LTD has said it wants the West 13th route.

“I want us to have a complete transit system,” Piercy said after the meeting, adding that EmX will address city goals regarding compact development and lower carbon emissions. “Having EmX built out is very important to me.” [...]

This is huge news for the successful Lane Transit District! It's got two more approvals to pass before being finalized, but they should be a breeze.

I am personally excited for the chosen route down 6th and 7th, as it will run right past my apartment (though who knows where I'll be when it is constructed...)!

Ugh...Florida...rail...will it ever happen?

This whole high-speed rail debacle in my home state has just got me upset in all kinds of ways. Frankly, I'm pretty much over it by now, and I honestly think the funds would be much better used in the Pacific Northwest because the politicians in this region are thirsty and begging for projects like this that are a "respectful" use of tax dollars.

You can read up on all of the crazy waste of time and money thanks to our wonderful new governor. Two state senators tried to sue the governor for overstepping his power as governor, and the case was in court today, and must be finally decided by tomorrow and reported back to Secretary LaHood.

I did just read an article though about Governor Scott holding his opposition and claiming that Tri-Rail is the perfect example of a failed rail system for Florida. He states in an interview with CNN that "Tri-Rail shows the potential problems with investing in high-speed rail."

Alright. Mr. Scott,

1. Tri-Rail is by NO MEANS high-speed rail, much less an even comparable example to compare the Tampa-Orlando line with. You should get that straight.
2. Tri-Rail IS a pretty failed system, but that is not at all the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority's (the agency that operates the train) fault. The train is slow, it does not connect the downtown cores of South Florida cities, and there is a major lack of connecting public transit to and from the stations. It should have been built along the eastern rail line down there, and everyone knows that, but due to regulations and property acquisition, etc, that never happened.
3. And finally, Mr. Scott, how can we drill this into your brain? Public transportation is not meant to make money! It's meant to be subsidized. In the case of Florida's high-speed rail, that subsidy will be coming explicitly from the Feds. How can we make it any clearer?

It requires investment! The economic benefits seen from the resulting industry trends, tourism, travel, etc are what makes this investment worthwhile! I read news stories everyday of new high-speed trains opening in Europe and Asia, and think to myself how sad it is that because of people like you, Mr. Scott, we will be stuck in this automobile centered society forever.

It's truly sad.

A Taxonomy of City Blocks

A few weeks ago, I came across some fascinating art that I would absolutely love to have in my future, more permanent dwelling place. Any sort of art involving cartography always catches my eye, and these I just can't pass up. I came across these again today on strangemaps.

These pieces by French artist Armelle Caron consist "of a series of map pairs, one a blind, but recognisably real city map, the other what looks like an assembly kit for that same city, with the its blocks impracticably but neatly arranged by shape and size.

The transformational process involved is threefold: the city on map A is deconstructed, its blocks are classified for size and shape, then reassembled in rows, arranged by type, on map B. The result is reminiscent of butterfly cases and other taxonomical tableaux rather than of a street map. More Linnaeus than Mercator."
Berlin


Manhattan, the East River, Brooklyn


Paris

Tamarac, FL

The full series and some other neat cartographic art by Caron can be seen here.

High-speed [de]rail

These past few weeks have been abnormally busy for me, so I have never had time to sit and write a full post. But I'd like to talk a bit about the whole high-speed rail debate again, especially what is happening with Florida Governor Rick Scott's rejection of Federal funds for the Tampa-Orlando line.

This past weekend, I once again visited Portland with a friend who was in town, and I traveled via the Amtrak Cascades line from Eugene. I enjoy every moment on this line because it has its own unique features specific to the Pacific Northwest that add to the whole experience of the region. This short two-ish hour train ride between Portland and Eugene is fantastic!...until a tree falls RIGHT in front of the train. Long story short, the train sustained significant damage, and we were forced to chug all the way back to Portland at a top speed of 15 mph to catch the red eye train that had been held for over an hour for us. A pleasant two hour trip turned into a seven hour nightmare on the tracks.

Yep, this happened Monday evening on my return trip back to Eugene. Granted there is absolutely nothing Amtrak could have done to prevent this from happening, since it was ultimately caused by the storms that were passing through the area that night. However, all but maybe one or two times that I have made this short trip to Portland, there have been issues with delays and random problems causing the train to be extremely delayed and ultimately making passengers upset and discouraged from riding Amtrak again. And the Cascades line is supposed to be one of the faster, more reliable routes in the US, which are designed for high-speed use but are limited to only 79 mph max speed! I often regret not taking the Amtrak buses between stations, because at least they can reroute themselves if something happens, they are never delayed, and are much quicker.

Not even two full days after this seven hour nightmare train ride, I get the news that the new governor of my home state, Rick Scott, has finally decided to deny the Federal high-speed rail funds set aside for nation's first line between Tampa and Orlando. Even though, I had begun to see this coming since his election and inauguration, I was still appalled at the decision and his reasoning behind it. Many politicians, including fellow Republicans, were shocked as well.

I have blabbered on about why I feel high-speed rail is so important to the future of America, and I won't repeat myself, you can just read again for yourself. But as the passengers on the Amtrak train and I sat for seven hours Monday night, even breaking into the rationed food, I couldn't help but think to myself once again that if we had a comprehensive high-speed system like those in Europe and Asia, problems like this would be few and far between. The reasoning that we shouldn't pour more money into Amtrak because it is a poorly managed, failing system, to me, is bunk. It is not poorly run, in my opinion as a frequent rider, it's just there has not been sufficient upgrades and maintenance to make it a successful program since it's inception 40 years ago.

It is time to make significant investments in the future infrastructure of our country, and the way it seems right now, Florida will not be leader any longer. Rick Scott has made a poor decision and has already poured hundreds of millions down the drain in research and preparation for this project, not mention the potential job loss that his entire campaign was focused on. I guess California and the Midwest will see all the benefits, and Florida will will be left in the dust, once again.

Sometimes, things are expensive, but when future benefits are at stake that will far outweigh costs now, the smart move is to invest. Instead, this money will be spent on outdated highway and other projects of the past, further holding America back from properly sustaining itself in the future, economically and environmentally.
Let's just hope the rumors of Scott's Presidential bid are anything but true.

(Infographic courtesy of amberofthismoment.tumblr.com)

It's down to the wire for West Eugene EmX!

This weekend, I was at the Gateway Mall and ran into the LTD booth at Springfield's Business Expo. I spoke with a wonderful representative of the agency who knew who I was before introducing myself! I was pleasantly surprised. We talked transit, EmX, high-speed rail, etc.

She made sure to point out to me that there are several key meetings coming up that ultimately determine the future of the West Eugene EmX extension, starting with the Eugene city council this Tuesday. Here's the rundown of the upcoming meetings courtesy of LTD.

Locally Preferred Alternative – Public Meeting Dates

Open House - February 8, 2011

Joint Public Hearing - February 8, 2011

Joint LPA Committee Final Recommendation - February 14, 2011

Eugene City Council Action (if not on previous date) - March 9, 2011

MPO Action at MPC - March 10, 2011

Lane Transit District Action - March 16, 2011

If all goes well, we should have a final positive decision by March! Support WEEmX!

GREAT new promo video for Lane Transit District's EmX!

Bike Paths: Keys to making them work!

This past week, I finally spent the time and money to get my bike repaired after an unfortunate encounter with the infamous Eugene bike thieves back over the Thanksgiving holiday while I was in Canada. It was only a matter of time...

Anyway, today, I took a nice long ride all over Eugene. I think I made it onto every bike path at some point or another. I ventured down ones I had never seen before. Yes, I rediscovered how beautiful Oregon really is, but I also was inspired to do some sort of write up about pedestrian/bike paths and how truly beneficial they are to communities.

Ped/bike paths, multi-use paths, recreational trails, etc are something so incredibly beneficial to communities. When the weather permits, these trails are full of all types of people: the leisurely strollers, the diehard cyclists, the commuters, the family of four, and the marathon runners. In Eugene today, people take every beautiful day to spend time on these trails. It is one of the things the local citizens take the most pride. During the mayor's State of the City address a few weeks ago, residents in a video montage of interviews mentioned the paths more than anything else of things they liked most about Eugene. Friends and citizens of other cities where similar ped/bike infrastructure is lacking or nonexistent, these paths ARE truly something to take pride in.

I am going to lay out what I think make such paths effective and successful for communities, more directly focused on the Eugene/Springfield area.

The paths should be aligned with public spaces and plazas. When traffic, bike and pedestrian, runs right past or directly into public parks, plazas, these spaces thrive. The paths become even more useful too with more of a reason to use them!

They should take full advantage of natural features. In Eugene, the entire length of the Willamette River is surrounded by these mutli-use paths where it runs through the city. It makes days of leisure and potential bird watching all the more possible! When you have have a path that crosses a river where you can get a view like the picture to the right that I took today, you know the path will get some good use.

The paths should be direct, from a commuters perspective. During weekdays, cities with well planned multi-use paths, see the majority of users who are commuters. These paths will only be used by commuters if they are as direct as possible. Cycling commuters do not like to follow a route that jaunts over here, then back over there, etc. Making these paths coincide with the general flow of traffic from other modes of transportation encourages more commuters to choose cycling over their personal vehicles.

Paths should be accessible. Going along with the previous point, making paths accessible to as many sections of the community as possible is key. The new Delta Ponds bridge in Eugene traverses Delta Highway and connects the Cal Young neighborhood with the heavily used Ruth Bascom Riverbank Trail, allowing bikers and pedestrians to easily access the Valley River Center and the rest of the city's wonderful trails.

The paths should have proper and clear signage, directional as well as informational. Something I always notice about Eugene's paths is the great signage for bikes and pedestrians on the trails. You always know which trail you are on. You always know how far you've gone or have to go. You always know if you're approaching an intersection or a crossing. Signage makes path users more comfortable, and yet again encourages use. Even with all of the construction currently surrounding the new I-5 bridge at the border of Eugene/Springfield, there is amazing signage for the temporary paths! It is almost impossible to get lost!

The paths should accommodate multi-uses. This means the paths should be wide enough for both pedestrians and cyclists to use. In heavy traffic areas, the paths should be wider than normal. When I'm cycling, it's nice to have a comfortable amount of space to pass if two or three pedestrians are walking to one side. This makes it safe for all parties.

Maintenance and upkeep is essential. This should be a no-brainer, but I'm sure it is overlooked in most cities. Thankfully, I haven't experienced any trouble with this locally, but I can only imagine how discouraging it would be to commute on a path with bushes and vines creeping on the edges, or potholes and bumps as bad as the roads in Eugene.

Video: "For high-speed rail, a tale of two governors"

From the PBS series Need to Know, an interesting segment on high-speed rail in America and its future since the recent elections.

Watch the full episode. See more Need To Know.

Ciclovía ciudadana: DIY Bicycle Infrastructure in Guadalajara, Mexico

THIS is neat.

(via Copenhagenize)

Gateway/Riverbend EmX is up and running!

Lane Transit District's new Emerald Express bus rapid transit line is up and running as of this past Sunday! The second of many planned EmX line in Lane County connects Downtown Springfield with the Gateway Mall and Riverbend areas of Springfield.

This week, I took a ride on the new line with a few of my coworkers. We rode the entire length of the Gateway line, and I just wanted to observe the way the line functions and interacts with vehicle traffic and the neighborhoods it traverses.
One interesting feature of the new line, is the alternating loop. As buses leave the Springfield Station heading north, the digital route display on each bus reads either Riverbend/Gateway or Gateway/Riverbend, denoting the direction the bus will travel in the loop. Just north of Hayden Bridge Station, there is a roundabout intersection that incorporates the EmX excellently into general traffic. At this point, the bus either goes north to Riverbend or west toward Gateway. Hopefully, if you're going to Pheasant Station, you don't take the Riverbend/Gateway line. I can see how this can easily confuse riders, and The Transport Politic mentions this in their write up of the new line. I hope this becomes clear to riders after ridership becomes regular, but as a start, it caught me off guard and took some figuring out.

There is also good incorporation through the Pioneer Parkway corridor with bike and pedestrian paths with new signalized crossings at bus intersections and main road intersections.

With the opening of the Gateway extension, it now only requires around 20-25 minutes to get from Downtown Eugene to the Gateway Mall on the EmX, AND there is no transfer required! There is 60% of right-of-way reserved for this new line and priority signaling, making the interference with traffic even less, and which makes BRT lines truly successful.

Overall, this is a great addition for the new system of EmX in the Eugene/Springfield area. Downtown Springfield will benefit from the extension, Springfield as a city will benefit, and more extensions in the region will only benefit riders, neighborhoods, businesses, and quality of life even more, despite what the opposition may think.

(Top photo courtesy of @angibrauerKMTR, others from LTD.org)

In the Reader

If you're anything like me and completely nerd out over transit maps and their design, you'll enjoy this article at The City Fix about Symbolism in the Transit World: Helping You Find Your Way.

Upon moving out to Oregon, I knew that Portland was one of the most livable cities in the country. I did, however, wonder where the kids were. There aren't many, and apparently there are downsides to this in some ways. The Conservative Planner takes a look at how this is common in the top 5 livable cities in the US.

City Limits has a great story about how the Obama Administrations urban policy initiatives are really happening whether you realize it or not.

An interesting look at how planning has become faith-based by "Exorcising the Suburban Dream". I do not agree with very much of what the author suggests other than the "principles" he says are the bylaws of our generation of planners. He criticizes them, but I think they are wonderful! Ha

• Thou shalt build upon thy dwelling a porch of such magnitude that it can serve as a gathering place.
• Thou shalt construct a path of 2 cubits (approximately 4 feet) wide near thy porch for followers to meet and pray that a cul-de-sac shall not influence thy offspring.
• A place for chariots shall be placed upon the buttocks of thy dwelling. Thy chariot must not be nearer to the dwelling than 4 cubits or thee will be smitten.
• Thou shall plant a tree half a cubit from thy curb and in front of thy porch.
• Create a place for gathering no farther than 600 cubits from thy dwelling.
• Thy dwelling shall have Craftsman trim.
• The path to heaven is taken by bicycle, light rail, or walking, not by powered chariot.
• A congregant must dwell in extreme closeness to thy neighbor.

Meanwhile in Florida...

A new governor was sworn in Tuesday morning. Republican bazillionaire, Rick Scott, took the office after a $73 million campaign and a full on $3 million inauguration ceremony followed by a freezing of all new government regulation in order to "be more growth-friendly". This is stalling much needed legislation from being created to manage important environmental things like the St. Johns River water supply.

Also, at this point in the future of Florida's high-speed rail, the recommended approach is the fiscally conservative one. The plan is not perfect as I've said before, but it is meant to be a pilot for the nation, and is something.

Video: UNDERCITY

UNDERCITY from Andrew Wonder on Vimeo.

Check out this fascinating look at New York City from below. Thank goodness there are people willing to risk it to film things like this!