Life in the streets. Documenting the culture of intersections.
Street narratives, public service announcements, ideologies, and other stories from the asphalt.
Do you feel strongly about an intersection? Please share your street story!
Snap some photos or a quick video with your digital camera. Record an audio file, write a haiku, paint a picture.
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New bridge will cast a long shadow over Vancouver, Washington →
Stand for a minute along Columbia Street near the railroad berm in downtown Vancouver.
Now look up.
A massive steel and concrete structure that today exists only in technical engineering schematics will materialize high above Vancouver’s riverfront within the decade if the proposed Columbia River Crossing sticks to its current schedule. The Interstate 5 bridge will deliver thousands of cars, heavy trucks and light rail trains into the city at roughly the height of an eight-story building.
Washington-based bridge architect Kevin Peterson is appalled.
“It looks like a big damn freeway crossing a railroad staging yard,” he said.
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The fact that the building is rich in history is of no consequence. That the building has tenanted a great many of our state leaders who have gained national prominence is of no import. Nor are we concerned with the almost human personality of the building. Were it standing in a European city, it would probably be used for 50 or 100 more years; but, to Impatient America, it is merely a symbol of a former era and is standing in the path of the juggernaut. Progress.
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Street Narrative: 82nd & Jonesmore; Portland, Oregon.
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New York Adopts Safe Passing Law
The state Assembly last night unanimously approved our bill to require motorists to pass cyclists at a safe distance. The Assembly approval came three days after the state Senate approved the bill. It now goes to Gov. Paterson to be signed.
The law, to be called Merrill’s Law, is named in honor of Hartsdale resident Merrill Cassell, who was killed on Route 119 in November when he was sideswiped by a Beeline bus. The driver didn’t receive a ticket and was back driving the next day.
This law gives us a right to the road, and will make riding safer for us all.
The bill emerged from the tragedy, and the Bike Walk Alliance, along with Westchester Cycle Club and the NY Bicycle Coalition, worked with our state legislators to make it happen. Once signed by the governor, New York will be among 24 states that require that motorists pass “at a safe distance” or by three feet. The state Assembly balked at the three-foot requirement, but after our statewide lobbying campaign, agreed to the “safe distance” terminology, which is in force in such bike-friendly states as Oregon and Washington.
Hats off to state Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins, of Yonkers, who crafted the bill’s first draft, and Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, of Scarsdale, who negotiated with Assembly leadership to find language that would pass muster.
I’ll keep you posted on the victory party, which we’re planning for after the bill gets signed.
BWA President David Wilson
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Bus service should be TriMet's first priority →
Our local and regional leaders have become light-rail happy at the expense of essential bus service, undermining equity principles. While rail proponents talk about the “green” benefits of improved air quality, until we commit to lining all our streets with tracks, a more comprehensive analysis of transit equity and community engagement is needed before any more spending decisions are made that jeopardize bus operations. Improving the frequency, accessibility and reliability of bus service must be our first priority.
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First Lady’s Childhood Obesity Task Force Calls For Transportation Reform →
(Chart: LetsMove.gov)
The White House’s inter-agency task force on childhood obesity, developed under the stewardship of First Lady Michelle Obama, today released a 124-page report recommending dozens of policy shifts in health care, community development, and transportation that it estimates can bring down obesity rates among kids by 5 percent over the next 20 years.
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Why Do Cities Need Bicycle and Pedestrian Staff? →
Without planning for bicycling, a city’s transportation network is incomplete. Employing bicycle and pedestrian staff shows that a community is committed to a comprehensive transportation system; they are critical to integrating bicycling into the municipality’s plans and projects. Their impact is measurable.
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KGW notes that Waldrop was wearing dark clothing, so maybe the crash was his fault because he did not wear the prescribed head-to-toe fluorescent safety jumpsuit required to cross SE Foster.
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Love Seats on Copenhagen Buses →
“We would like to get people to change their behaviour and flirt and smile more on the bus. Maybe some will find love. Others may just want to try taking the bus because there is a chance to flirt with a good-looking guy”
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