Jersey Goodness and" Share the Road"

I saw the best jersey the other day! Tour de France yellow, nifty pockets, and a bold, arrow-adorned slogan saying “3 Feet Please”. I loved it. However, lately most of the traffic has been extremely nice about my sharing the road – thoughtful and giving me plenty of space (You know who you are. Hug yourself). They don't need a reminder. The remaining 10% continue to whiz by with inches to spare, often honking loudly enough to startle me into swerving, and often swearing out the window to inform me that my presence on their road is an affront. They won't care about my three feet – my very presence is apparently a mortal offense.

So, as happens on long rides, I envisioned another jersey: “Legally on Road”? Or how about: “State Law-Abiding”? Maybe: “Monitored by Police Camera?” No, that would be false advertising. If it wouldn't slow me down and entangle me with oncoming cars at lights, I'd trail a banner, a lá Jersey Shore: “State Law: I'm Supposed to Be On the Road!! See CT Title 14 Chapter 248, Section 14-286!!” A girl can dream.

While looking up that law so I could tell you about it, I discovered that Connecticut has, as a part of its Safe Routes to School Initiative, launched a "Share the Road" campaign, which among other things enshrined the three feet in state law. I'm thrilled, except that the press release is a month old and I had no idea the campaign was on. If I didn't notice, how to transmit this news to that 10%?

Start here:http://www.sharetheroadct.org/

After you've sent the image along to whoever might be interested, check out the “Learn More” link. All the stuff I've been scouring the internet for, neatly collected on a state-run website.

The image I want on my jersey would be: “So Happy Together”. Anyone reading this good at silk-screening?

And because the 3 Feet Please jersey is pretty great, you can find it here.

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Walking around in pain for fashion

So I was in New York City the other day. Even though it was cloudy and cool, it was great to walk around and people-watch a bit. You'd think I'd learn to suspend vanity and just wear my tourist sneakers, but I don't learn, and I have blisters from my flip-flops.

Why don't women take care of their feet? There we were in a city where everyone walks, and women were teetering around in high heels or padding around in ballet flats - and flat or not, those things have no support at all. I could have saved myself a world of pain (and my husband a world of whining) if I had been willing to sacrifice fashion and wear my not-cute, not-trendy Brooks athletic shoes, the Oscar winners of arch support.

Poorly designed footwear, especially high heels, helps produce bunions, plantar fascitis, heel spurs, you name it. And then you end up not being able to walk, let alone create a life that doesn't depend on cars.

Let me tell you, the men I saw were not tipping and clacking with their behinds thrust out (a postural side-effect of high heels). And they were even wearing nice shoes that matched their expensive business suits.

So, other women, I ask you this: when do we send teetering heels into history along with the corset? Compare the damage the one does to the damage of the other. Wear flat, comfortable shoes with a killer outfit.

And guys: if you really, truly want to see a world with fewer cars, more walking and biking, and healthier people, act turned off by stiletto heels. Even if you think they're hot.

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Connecticut walkbiker meets Israeli roads

My brother Jay immigrated to Israel a few years ago and has been living a car-free life in Jerusalem ever since. He bikes to work, the shuk, and everywhere else. Unfortunately, much like in the state he left, a lot of the employment opportunities in Israel are located in sprawling office and industrial parks in the outskirts of the major cities. So to access these places, Jay became 16 again and signed up for Israeli driver's ed. He seems to have developed an avuncular but challenging relationship with his instructor, whose years of teaching driving have given him a buddha-like resignation about life on the road.

In any event, his comments give you some idea of what the roads are like over there (and make me think they could use some red light cameras. . .)

The top seven things that you never want to hear from your driving instructor

1. Jay: "Forget it!!! I am never going to learn how to drive with a stick shift"

Driving Teacher: "That is your opinion, not a fact. Now Leesten to me. You must leesten to me and you are not leestening. Why won't you leesten...."

2. Driving Teacher: "What eez that man doing? "What eez hee doing? Maybe we should pull over and ask? No wait, that might not be good. You know, you Americans don't care about anyone. Someone could kill himself and even then you would not pull over!"

3. Driving Teacher: "You can be more assertive on the road. You did not need to let that driver pass you. You know what they say, when in Rome, one must be like the Romans. No wait, you do not want to drive like the Romans. You know what they say, how does one cross the road in Rome....

Jay: "Amos, I have to be honest with you, I don't trust any of these drivers.

Driving Teacher: "That is okay. What needs only to trust in Hashem (G-d) and that too is your personal choice"

4. Yossi, Ma Nish Ma (how are you)? You see that taxi driver who cut you off? He was my student once....

(somehow my driving teacher knew every motorist on the road who always seemed to be doing everything that I was being taught not to do)

5. Driving Teacher: "Very good. If you had not stopped at the traffic light when it had turned yellow, who knows what would have happened to you....no I don't even want to think about that..."

(in Israel, when the traffic light turns yellow, you must stop if you value your life and your car)

6. Driving Teacher: "Very good. You know in Israel, one must not seek to exercise his 'rights' on the road but what must do what is right..."

(There is a saying in Israel, it sounds better in Hebrew but it basically goes like this, "It is better to lose a moment (by stopping at the red light) than to lose your life in a moment")

7. Driving Teacher (another one): "He is a pachdan (cowardly) driver, but he is ready for the exam."

(The "pachdan" driver passed on his first attempt)

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Red light camera update

The red light camera bill is moving forward in the General Assembly. In its current incarnation, the bill will allow the city of New Haven to create a pilot program to install cameras at up to a dozen intersections. (Click here to read the joint favorable report, which includes summaries of the testimony of proponents and opponents of the legislation.) There has been some media coverage of the bill, including a positive editorial by the Hartford Courant.

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Walkbike tourism

I recently returned from a trip to Los Angeles. Some people go to California to gawk at celebrities, take wine tours, or ride the teacups at Disney. As a walkbike nerd, I intended to find out if the rumors about Los Angeles are true: is LA really the country's sprawl capital? (Click here for the NY Times series on the subject).

It turns out that LA is a very dense city: actually, the highest population density in the country according to the 2000 US Census.

Yet this density does not make the city very walkable. I visited some areas that were designed to be pedestrian friendly, such as Little Tokyo, 3rd Street in Santa Monica, and Pasadena's Old Downtown. But most of the city's shopping is either tucked away in malls (some of which are outdoors, which gives them a main street feel) or lining its busy boulevards which are choked with traffic for much of the day. I saw some examples of strip malls that are built out to the sidewalk, but mostly they were the setback sort you would see along Whalley Avenue or Dixwell. Very few shade trees, too, but maybe they couldn't survive in the desert/mediterranean climate. The major roads were at least four lanes plus a turning lane across and allowed traffic to fly by at high speeds. I did notice that the side streets adjacent to the major boulevards had speed humps, but this was the extent of traffic calming I saw.

I don't think that LA residents are any more attached to their cars than anyone else who doesn't live in Manhattan or San Francisco. But I'm sure more people there would consider walking if the major roads focused less on speed and more on aesthetics. Plus, with free parking in abundance throughout much of the LA that I visited (downtown is a significant exception), I'm sure many people lack the financial incentive to leave the car at home.

I did not get a chance to check out the bike trails, etc., that were available other than the path along the Pacific coast in Santa Monica, which was unsurpringingly gorgeous. Given its climate and density, LA has the potential to be a very bike friendly city, but I think that it would be too dangerous for most bikers given the high speeds that drivers can go on its roads.

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Can Rail Save Connecticut Cities?

On Friday, I attended the 16th annual Gallivan Conference at the University of Connecticut School of Law in Hartford. This year's conference asked whether rail (light, commuter, and intercity) is the answer to the problems of the state's cities, and also looked at some of the legal issues complicating the expansion of railroads in the state.

New DOT Commissioner Joseph Marie presented case studies from other metros that built light rail lines, including Phoenix and Minneapolis, where he led construction of the systems. Marie admitted that in his 23 years in the transportation business, he had never built a road--an encouraging sign. He said that rail cannot save the cities, but would be a step forward given the right leadership, etc. Seems like a realistic if unhelpful assessment. He said that the DOT was committed to expanding rail service, but said that building new parking facilities was key to increasing ridership. Nothing said about intermodal transportation or accommodating bikes and pedestrians who use the rails.

It was refreshing to see another panelist, State Rep. David McCluskey, a member of the transportation committee, call Commissioner Marie out on the parking issue. Rep. McCluskey was enthusiastic about the prospects of expanding rail service in the state, but encouraged the new DOT commissioner to realize that its not only up to the DOT to solve the parking "problem." He suggested that the state had a role to challenge local governments to meet the goal of bringing commuters to the station. Rather than build new lots, the DOT could leverage the existing privately-owned lots near stations, coordinate bus transportation better, and encourage biking and walking to the stations. Rep. McCluskey said he sees the current economic crisis as an opportunity to demand more from local government at all levels and to change the complicated structures of government that makes it difficult to reform our transportation infrastructure.

Prof. Norman Garrick advocated for building rails in Connecticut cities as a means of "placemaking"; that is, using rails to reshape the way people connect with our urban areas. Rails make cities central to the transportation experience, rather than peripheral exits off the interstates. He cautioned that rail should not be treated as an "appendage" to the highway system, which is essentially what Connecticut has today in Fairfield County. He said that if everyone drives to the train, the rail will do nothing to restore the centrality of cities.

Finally, Prof. Sara Bronin discussed how legal regulations have shaped the placement and preservation of our rail infrastructure and the current legal challenges facing railroads today.

Given his enthusiasm for transportation alternatives to the highways, the audience seemed focused on testing whether Commissioner Marie would live up to these committments during his tenure. One audience member asked whether Marie intended to reform the State Traffic Commission, whose mission works against "placemaking" by focusing on auto capacity rather than inclusion of pedestrians or byclists. Marie said that the mixed transit model which characterizes our state's DOT is actually the goal of most state transit agencies because it allow for flexibility in planning transportation. He said that the CT DOT was getting "better balance" in planning roadways. Another audience member said that Marie was "a world class jockey riding a hippopatomous," and said that the DOT was constantly sabotaging bike and pedestrian friendly projects. Marie defended his agency by saying that there were lots of capable people working at the DOT, that he had brought in some fresh perspectives, and that the agency was evolving in its attitude. He said that the DOT does not ask "why not" enough. But he added that the DOT was doing its "core mission" of maintenance well.

UPDATE: Connecticut News Junkie covered the conference, too.

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Traffic cameras rolled out in West Hartford

West Hartford is experimenting with a solar-powered radar camera that takes photographs of drivers who travel more than 15 miles per hour over the speed limit at the intersection of Boulevard and Whiting Street.  Although the state doesn't allow towns to send tickets to drivers based on radar cameras (but legislation has been proposed and may be on the way this year), the town seeks to harness the power of moral suasion.  If you speed through that intersection, which is in a dense residential neighborhood near a school, you will be sent a photo of yourself from the town police reminding you of your bad behavior.

The town is setting up four displays, but only one has a camera.  The cost is $13,000.  The town claims this effort will be more cost effective than redesigning the roadway.  We'll see. West Hartford has been taking positive steps to slow down traffic along Farmington Ave. through various improvements and it's disappointing to see gimmicks when stronger action needs to be taken.  As a great example of a dense, inner ring suburb where many people live within walking distance of shopping, school, and work, West Hartford needs to do all it can to make pedestrians and bikers safer.  Perhaps if the traffic camera legislation succeeds, West Hartford's cameras will have the impact the town is looking for.  But it might be a better use of town money to combine that $13,000 with some stimulus money to do some shovel ready (ugh, sorry) traffic calming.

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