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Posts Tagged ‘Rochester NY’
Friday, October 28th, 2011
Posted by: Bob Williams
 Imagine a Rochester without an noose-like expressway dividing downtown-adjacent neighborhoods on the north and east sides. An obstacle to true connectivity for over 50 years, imagine the loop and its ramps filled in to grade instantaneously at the snap of your fingers. Naturally the next question arrives in our minds immediately, ‘How will we utilize this reclaimed real estate?’
 If the goals are to reconnect severed neighborhood conduits, promote commerce, reduce car dependence, ensure ease of navigation, and foster a dynamic and vibrant streetscape, the answer lies not in a grandiose vision of the future, but more likely in our historic roots.
Consider the example of Alexandria, Virginia . Originally platted in 1749 on land donated by Philip and John Alexander, six fundamental tenets of Traditional Neighborhood Development (TND) differentiate this inviting river city from generic drivable suburbanism…
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Tags: Alexandria VA, Columbus OH, downtown Rochester, Harbor Town, High Street, I-490, inner loop, Ken Marquis, Main Street, Memphis TN, mixed-use development, Mud Island MS, Philip and John Alexander, Rochester, Rochester NY, Safety Harbor FL, Short North Neighborhood, traditional neighborhood development, urban planning, Wilkes-Barre PA
Posted in Background Stories | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, October 19th, 2011
Reconnect Rochester volunteers will be at Main and Clinton from 6-7:30am and 5-5:30pm Thursday to assist new transit riders and to help make transfers. Look us near the Main St. bus shelters wearing this logo…
Riders with a “UFO” pin will be able to ride local buses for free all day on October 20, the first Critical Mass Transit Day. The UFO promotion is part of an ongoing campaign to raise awareness of the $1.5 million in gasoline money that is ‘abducted’ from our local economy every day.
Critical Mass Transit Day is a joint effort by Regional Transit Service (RTS) and Reconnect Rochester, a transit advocacy group that suggests by using public transit as an alternative to driving a car, Rochesterians have the power to reinvest those dollars back into Rochester’s economy.
 RGRTA even announced a fun photo contest today on their Facebook page in honor of the big day. So post a photo of yourself on Critical Mass Transit Day!
Even if you just go for a joy-ride down the street, the idea is to learn about our transit system and show your support for the future of public transit in Rochester. And as you’re riding along on Thursday, remember that by making smart transportation choices we can all save money, and help grow our region’s economy over the long run.
Need Assistance Using RTS?
Download this Commuter Resources sheet [PDF] for handy RTS transit tips. You can also call RTS at 585-288-1700 for help planning a trip or contact the volunteers at Reconnect Rochester—they can help you decipher the routes and schedules.
Tags: Critical Mass Transit Day, Regional Transit Service (RTS), Rochester, Rochester NY, Rochester Vanishing
Posted in Events + Meetings | 2 Comments »
Sunday, October 2nd, 2011
Reconnect Rochester, RTS Partner to Stop the Exodus of $1.5 Million Vanishing from the Local Economy Daily
Riders with a “UFO” pin will be able to ride local buses for free all day on October 20, the first Critical Mass Transit Day. The UFO promotion is part of an ongoing campaign to raise awareness of the $1.5 million in gasoline money that is ‘abducted’ from our local economy every day.
Reconnect Rochester will be handing out UFO pins
at local farmer’s markets throughout October:
Critical Mass Transit is a joint effort by Regional Transit Service (RTS) and Reconnect Rochester, a transit advocacy group that suggests by using public transit as an alternative to driving a car, Rochesterians have the power to reinvest those dollars back into Rochester’s economy.
THE SAVINGS ARE VERY REAL! According to CommuteSolutions.org, those who drive to work everyday alone can incur costs that exceed $1 per mile. That includes fuel, maintenance, parking and depreciation, and depends on vehicle type and driving habits. By comparison, a ride on an RTS bus costs one dollar.
In addition to the personal savings, every one-dollar invested in public transportation can generate $4 in economic returns for our area. Conversely, nearly every dollar we burn on gasoline leaves Rochester.
Making smarter choices when it comes to transportation is an easy way for households to save money, and grow our region’s economy over the long run.
On October 20, proudly display your pin. Even if you just go for a joy-ride down the street, the idea is to learn about our transit system and show your support for the future of public transit in Rochester.
Need Assistance Using RTS?
Download this Commuter Resources sheet [PDF] for handy RTS transit tips. You can also call RTS at 585-288-1700 for help planning a trip or contact the volunteers at Reconnect Rochester—they can help you decipher the routes and schedules.
Tags: Critical Mass Transit Day, Regional Transit Service (RTS), Rochester, Rochester NY, Rochester Vanishing
Posted in News, Things You Can Do To Help | 1 Comment »
Thursday, July 21st, 2011
New Walk Scores are just out. How did Rochester rank? Below is a list of cities equal or greater in population and Rochester’s Walk Score puts us in the #18 slot. Not too shabby – on the surface. But…
![Of cities equal or greater in population, Rochester's Walk Score puts us in the #18 slot. But we have room for improvement. [Source: WalkScore.com]](http://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-walk-score-1.gif)
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Tags: pedestrians, Rochester, Rochester NY, Walk Score, walkability, WalkScore.com
Posted in News | No Comments »
Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011
On Thursday, February 10, 2011, RGRTA will be hosting its Second Public Design Review Workshop inviting members of the community to review and react to design options for the RTS Transit Center . This public review will take place at the Radisson Inn Riverside and the doors will be open to everyone from 6:00-7:30 pm.
Ideas and comments on the initial designs were taken by RGRTA at the RTS Transit Center Public Design Review Workshop (September 15, 2010) and the Rochester City Council Public Forums (April 27, and May 5th, 2010).
The volunteers at Reconnect Rochester have compiled this handy checklist for YOU (the public) to use as a guide to assess how well public comments were received and integrated into the newly proposed designs. Print it, share it, and use as a starting point to form your own opinions and ask the important questions…
Follow Reconnect Rochester on Facebook for updates on the RTS Transit Center and other local transportation projects and public meetings.
Tags: bus terminal, downtown Rochester, Mortimer Street, Regional Transit Service (RTS), Rochester, Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority (RGRTA), Rochester NY, RTS Transit Center
Posted in Events + Meetings, Things You Can Do To Help | No Comments »
Sunday, November 7th, 2010
*Cross Posted by RochesterSubway.com
 Lots of news has been brewing lately over the future of Rochester’s beat-up, 32-year-old Amtrak station on Central Avenue.
Congresswoman Louise Slaughter recently announced that a $1.5 million federal stimulus grant has been awarded to New York state to plan for a new multi-modal station on the site. A $2.5 million appropriation to pay for the station design is expected to pass Congress next month. And Governor-elect Andrew Cuomo has just made it abundantly clear that New York will take whatever federal money is left on the table by newly elected GOP governors in Ohio and Wisconsin.
So for now, let’s just assume that something very interesting is in the works for our pitiful excuse for a train station. This is the perfect time to take a step back in time—to be inspired by Rochester’s grand old stations…
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Tags: Auburn Railroad Shed, Bragdon Station, Broad Street, Buffalo Rochester & Pittsburgh Railroad, Claude Bragdon, Clinton Avenue, Court Street, Erie Railroad, Eugene Sintzenich, Exchange Street, High Falls, history of Rochester, Lehigh Valley Railroad, Main Street, New York, New York Central Railroad, old photos, old photos of Rochester, railroad, railroad station, Rochester, Rochester Amtrak Station, Rochester history, Rochester NY, Saint Paul Street, vintage postcard, vintage views
Posted in Background Stories, News | 2 Comments »
Wednesday, October 27th, 2010
Last month RGRTA hosted a pubic workshop to invite ideas and comments from the public on our new RTS Transit Center . Reconnect Rochester was there and we offered our best critique. After all, the success or failure of this project will impact us all for decades to come.
The following is the result of a collaborative effort by Reconnect Rochester members to contribute to, or try to improve upon RGRTA’s preliminary proposal (PDF, 5.7mb). The ideas and visuals outlined below are by no means a finished product; but just enough to convey our ideas. As always, we welcome your feedback in the comments.
Essentially, we are looking for a scheme that is:
- As compact as possible
- As safe as possible
- Has least impact on adjacent assets
- Provides for pedestrian scale on Mortimer
- Can be recylced for other uses if/when bus operations are altered
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Tags: bus terminal, downtown Rochester, Mortimer Street, Regional Transit Service (RTS), Rochester, Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority (RGRTA), Rochester NY, RTS Transit Center
Posted in News | No Comments »
Monday, June 28th, 2010
Tonight’s screening of Beyond the Motor City at the Dryden Theater was, in my opinion, a phenomenal event for Rochester. After the film, seven panelists discussed local transportation issues and took questions on the subject from the nearly full audience. Of course, in the allotted timeframe we were only able to scratch the surface, but this is a conversation that we will carry on in the months, and years ahead. If you’re not already, now would be a good time to make sure you’re following Reconnect Rochester on Facebook  . And, in case you missed tonight’s event, here is Beyond the Motor City in its entirety. Enjoy…
Tags: America, Beyond the Motor City, Detroit MI, documentary, Dryden Theater, Empire State Future, film, infrastructure, mass transit, mass transportation, movie, New York Museum of Transportation, PBS, Reconnect Rochester, Rochester, Rochester NY, Rochester Rail Transit Committee, Rochester Trolley & Rail Corporation, RRCDC, transit, video
Posted in Events + Meetings | 2 Comments »
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On Tuesday, January 31, the Rochester Regional Community Design Center 
