Comments on: Toward Roads for People, Neighborhoods: The Dominos Start to Fall http://citiwire.net/post/1524/ Our mission... to reflect a new narrative for 21st century cities and regions. Leaving behind the 20th century pattern of cheap energy, endless automobility, burgeoning suburbs, threatened inner cities. To a challenge-packed 21st century: energy prices headed north, perilous carbon emissions, deepening have-have not divisions, excruciating social problems and deep challenges in education. But a time of exciting promise, too. Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:15:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Stu Holmes http://citiwire.net/post/1524/comment-page-1/#comment-1038 Stu Holmes Mon, 21 Dec 2009 14:57:57 +0000 http://citiwire.net/?p=1524#comment-1038 I would like to stress the importance of re-educating the civil engineers and transportation engineers responsible for carrying out these initiatives. Considering the fact that many of them were trained on- and have used for decades- the design standards that have given us the problems we have today. It is not sufficient to simply hand them a new book of design standards and say "Okay, now go do this, which is the complete opposite of what you've been doing." Now that we have the new standards and principles, engineering students will learn from them. But more than likely, they will get a job with a firm that doesn't use them. We MUST be just as committed to re-educating the practicing professional engineers responsible for using the new guidelines. I would like to stress the importance of re-educating the civil engineers and transportation engineers responsible for carrying out these initiatives.

Considering the fact that many of them were trained on- and have used for decades- the design standards that have given us the problems we have today. It is not sufficient to simply hand them a new book of design standards and say “Okay, now go do this, which is the complete opposite of what you’ve been doing.”

Now that we have the new standards and principles, engineering students will learn from them. But more than likely, they will get a job with a firm that doesn’t use them. We MUST be just as committed to re-educating the practicing professional engineers responsible for using the new guidelines.

]]> By: Bill Tirrill http://citiwire.net/post/1524/comment-page-1/#comment-1022 Bill Tirrill Sat, 19 Dec 2009 08:11:42 +0000 http://citiwire.net/?p=1524#comment-1022 If people won't walk more than half a mile, then you can (A) build sprawling suburbs with big highways & big parking lots to accommodate the cars that everyone will need to do anything, or (B) build compact urban communities where most things people need *are* within walking distance. When you take into account all the relative collateral effects of these two approaches, which then appears to be the "sustainable" one? If people won’t walk more than half a mile, then you can (A) build sprawling suburbs with big highways & big parking lots to accommodate the cars that everyone will need to do anything, or (B) build compact urban communities where most things people need *are* within walking distance.

When you take into account all the relative collateral effects of these two approaches, which then appears to be the “sustainable” one?

]]> By: scott polikov http://citiwire.net/post/1524/comment-page-1/#comment-1013 scott polikov Thu, 17 Dec 2009 06:19:57 +0000 http://citiwire.net/?p=1524#comment-1013 Below is the linkt to the revised TxDOT Project Development Process Manual that I reference in my article above. Note that the pertinent revisions are in a different font, particularly in Sections 1000 and 1300 et seq. http://www.gatewayplanning.com/PDFS/TxDOTProjDevp.pdf Below is the linkt to the revised TxDOT Project Development Process Manual that I reference in my article above. Note that the pertinent revisions are in a different font, particularly in Sections 1000 and 1300 et seq.

http://www.gatewayplanning.com/PDFS/TxDOTProjDevp.pdf

]]> By: Emelio DiSabato http://citiwire.net/post/1524/comment-page-1/#comment-1002 Emelio DiSabato Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:25:12 +0000 http://citiwire.net/?p=1524#comment-1002 In response to Jack -- suburbs are hardly sustainable, by your own logic, because they often are isolated from commercial areas. Cities on the other hand more often have integrated neighborhoods, with residences, restaurants, galleries and the like near enough to walk to. The suburban model of commercial space necessitates large parking lots because people need to drive to get to them. Unbridled road building has led to these unsustainable and disconnected models. Anyway -- is the Highways to Boulevards powerpoint online anywhere? Would love to see it. In response to Jack — suburbs are hardly sustainable, by your own logic, because they often are isolated from commercial areas. Cities on the other hand more often have integrated neighborhoods, with residences, restaurants, galleries and the like near enough to walk to. The suburban model of commercial space necessitates large parking lots because people need to drive to get to them. Unbridled road building has led to these unsustainable and disconnected models.

Anyway — is the Highways to Boulevards powerpoint online anywhere? Would love to see it.

]]> By: Darrin Stairs http://citiwire.net/post/1524/comment-page-1/#comment-997 Darrin Stairs Fri, 11 Dec 2009 20:24:07 +0000 http://citiwire.net/?p=1524#comment-997 I believe the manual you are looking for is "Context Sensitive Solutions in Designing Major Urban Thoroughfares for Walkable Communities". Prepared by ITE and located at this link: http://ite.org/css/ I believe the manual you are looking for is “Context Sensitive Solutions in Designing Major Urban Thoroughfares for Walkable Communities”. Prepared by ITE and located at this link: http://ite.org/css/

]]> By: Jack Edwards http://citiwire.net/post/1524/comment-page-1/#comment-996 Jack Edwards Fri, 11 Dec 2009 15:07:50 +0000 http://citiwire.net/?p=1524#comment-996 Studies show people will not walk to a destination over .5 miles from their home, this is especially true for families with young chlidren and seniors, and those of us who live in parts of the country with climactic extremes. Contary to the New Urbanist beliefs, the suburbs are not only sustainable but are PREFERRED by the masses. Studies show people will not walk to a destination over .5 miles from their home, this is especially true for families with young chlidren and seniors, and those of us who live in parts of the country with climactic extremes. Contary to the New Urbanist beliefs, the suburbs are not only sustainable but are PREFERRED by the masses.

]]> By: Alan Thompson http://citiwire.net/post/1524/comment-page-1/#comment-993 Alan Thompson Wed, 09 Dec 2009 23:58:24 +0000 http://citiwire.net/?p=1524#comment-993 Is the "Manual for Walkable Urban Thoroughfares" online and is there a link to it? Is the “Manual for Walkable Urban Thoroughfares” online and is there a link to it?

]]> By: Rob Steuteville http://citiwire.net/post/1524/comment-page-1/#comment-978 Rob Steuteville Sat, 05 Dec 2009 22:29:04 +0000 http://citiwire.net/?p=1524#comment-978 Here's a brief piece on the DOT reform efforts underway in Texas and Pennsylvania. http://www.newurbannews.com/reformofstatedots.html Here’s a brief piece on the DOT reform efforts underway in Texas and Pennsylvania.

http://www.newurbannews.com/reformofstatedots.html

]]> By: Sam Newberg http://citiwire.net/post/1524/comment-page-1/#comment-976 Sam Newberg Sat, 05 Dec 2009 19:30:17 +0000 http://citiwire.net/?p=1524#comment-976 Great piece, Scott! I'm glad to see Texas moving ahead on this issue. Minnesota has a very motivated complete streets group - www.mncompletestreets.org. An additional point you raise is critical - complete streets support complete neighborhoods. The key is that transportation planners design streets that fit and indeed support their surrounding land uses. Great piece, Scott! I’m glad to see Texas moving ahead on this issue. Minnesota has a very motivated complete streets group – http://www.mncompletestreets.org.

An additional point you raise is critical – complete streets support complete neighborhoods. The key is that transportation planners design streets that fit and indeed support their surrounding land uses.

]]> By: David Burwell http://citiwire.net/post/1524/comment-page-1/#comment-975 David Burwell Sat, 05 Dec 2009 19:15:56 +0000 http://citiwire.net/?p=1524#comment-975 Thanks for these two articles about the connection between transportation and community health--fiscal as well a environmental. The new federal Partnership for Sustainable Communities does indeed provide the bridge between housing , transportation and sustainable communities that maximizes outcomes for all participating agencies and stakeholders. This is an initiative we must not let fail. I hope you continue to track it. Thanks for these two articles about the connection between transportation and community health–fiscal as well a environmental. The new federal Partnership for Sustainable Communities does indeed provide the bridge between housing , transportation and sustainable communities that maximizes outcomes for all participating agencies and stakeholders. This is an initiative we must not let fail. I hope you continue to track it.

]]>