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About StreetsWiki – Streetswiki – Livable Streets

About StreetsWiki – Streetswiki

treetsWiki . . .

What Should You Write on StreetsWiki?

is a community-created, online encyclopedia for transportation, urban environmental, and public space issues.

It’s a place for ordinary people, planners, and academics to read and write about our cities and
how we can make them more livable.


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Cyclists slow down to avoid crater-sized 'hole' – Telegraph

Cyclists slow down to avoid crater-sized ‘hole’ – Telegraph

Cyclists were encouraged to slow down thanks to this crater-sized “hole” in the middle of a towpath.

Published: 7:00AM BST 18 Jun 2009

A woman looks into the three dimensional drawing

A woman looks into the three dimensional drawing Photo: GETTY

But the hole is an optical illusion, a three-dimensional drawing of a canyon, in an attempt to make careless cyclists hit the brakes rather than ride dangerously and ignore pedestrians.

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Pro Walk/Pro Bike 2008 – Seattle, Washington

Pro Walk/Pro Bike 2008 – Seattle, Washington

Presentations
#2. Federal Funding for Nonmotorized Transportation and Recreation and the National Trails Training Partnership (Cascade II)
1) RTP Trails Nov 2008:
Presentation: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/rectrails/fundrec_pres.htm
2) RTP and TE Summary: includes both briefs listed below.
Recreational Trails Program Brief: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/rectrails/brief.htm
Transportation Enhancement Activities Brief:http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/te/brief.htm
3) New Approach for Transportation
USDOT Reform Proposal: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/rectrails/reauth_reform.htm
Christopher Douwes

The (National) Recreational Trails Program–NRTP
Greg Lovelady (155Kb PowerPoint Presentation)

#6. Adapting the Bike Sharing Concept to North America (St. Helens)
A Public Bicycle System in Metro Vancouver?
Eileen Kadesh and Andrew Curran (605Kb PDF Format)
Bike Sharing in North America
Eileen Kadesh and Andrew Curran (968Kb PDF Format)
SmartBike DC and How it Happened (for Free)
George Branyan (444Kb PowerPoint Presentation)

#16. Maps and Community Engaged Mapping (Cascade IA)
The Neighborhoods on Foot Map Series
Seth Schromen-Wawrin (13.6MB PowerPoint Presentation)

#66. Designing Facilities for Bicyclists (Cascade II)
Thinking (and Building) Outside the MUTCD/AASHTO Box
Joshua Benson (3Mb PDF Format)

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      Safe Routes to School (SRTS) is a federal, state and local effort

      Overview

      Safe Routes to School image, © Andersen Ross/Blend Images/CorbisSafe Routes to School (SRTS) is a federal, state and local effort to enable and encourage children, including those with disabilities, to walk and bicycle to school and to make walking and bicycling to school safe and appealing.

      In New York, as in other parts of this country, travel to school by walking and bicycling has declined dramatically over the past several decades. The adverse impacts of this trend on air quality, traffic congestion and childhood health are alarming.

      The goal of New York’s Safe Routes to School Program is to assist New York communities in developing and implementing projects and programs that encourage walking and bicycling to school while enhancing the safety of these trips.Safe Routes to school Logo

      These programs can bring a wide range of benefits to students and the community. These include an easy way for children to get the regular physical activity they need for good health and even to ease traffic jams and reduce pollution around schools.

      A major goal of the program is to increase bicycle, pedestrian and traffic safety. Successful Safe Routes to School programs in the United States usually includes one or more of these approaches engineering, enforcement, education, encouragement.

      Local and regional government, schools and community non-profit organizations ready, willing and able to implement SRTS initiatives are eligible to apply for funding.

      Applications are available for projects and programs to improve the health and safety of New York children who bike or walk to school. The program is open to all New York municipalities and school districts.

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      Stimulus Watch: Keeping an Eye on Economic Recovery Spending

      Stimulus Watch: Keeping an Eye on Economic Recovery Spending

      Projects in Rochester, New York

      Below are the “shovel-ready” projects for which this city submitted in the 2008 U.S. Conference of Mayors report. You can click on a project to read (and add to) its description. You can also discuss the project and vote on whether you believe it is critical or not.

      The total cost of all the projects submitted by Rochester is $50,946,000

      …

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      Copenhagenize.com – The Copenhagen Bike Culture Blog: Copenhagen Winter Cycling

      Copenhagenize.com – Winter Cycling from Colville Andersen on Vimeo.

      Scenes from a cycling life in Copenhagen during the winter. Featuring some of the 400,000 citizens who choose the bicycle throughout the wint

      COPENHAGENIZE.COM

      Each and every day 500,000 people ride their bicycle to work or school in Copenhagen. This blog highlights who they are, why they do and how it was made possible.

      Forty years ago Copenhagen was just as car-clogged as anywhere else but now 55% of the population choose the bicycle. 37% in the Greater Metropolitan area. Copenhagenizing is possible anywhere.

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      Bikes Belong

      Bikes Belong

      What We Do

      Bikes Belong works to put more people on bicycles more often. From helping create safe places to ride to promoting bicycling, we carefully select projects and partnerships that have the capacity to make a difference.

      We concentrate our efforts in four areas:

      Support letters from the local bicycle industry are KEY
      to your proposal. Letters from Bikes Belong members—retailers and
      suppliers—will strengthen your application. Please ask your supporters
      to address their letters to the Bikes Belong Grant Committee, as form
      letters will not be considered. Click here to view a list of Bikes Belong members.

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      Alliance for Biking and Walking Advocacy Grants

      Alliance for Biking and Walking

      The Alliance for Biking & Walking will award a total of $250,000 in
      2009. Advocacy Advance Grants will range from $5,000–$30,000.
      Approximately $125,000 will be available for Round 1 and another
      $125,000 in Round 2.  Each round will include a balance of Start-up and
      Innovation Grants.  The Alliance’s ability to award grants is dependent
      upon receipt of the support pledged for this program.

      Start-up / Capacity Building Grant Funding Priorities

      These grants are to help catapult emerging and developing organizations
      with matching challenge grants. Awards of $5,000–$30,000 will match
      dollar for dollar new funds raised within six months. These funds are
      to help leverage private and public investment and launch campaigns
      that are proven to grow bicycling and walking. Priority for Start-up
      Grants will be given to organizations serving cities and states with
      the greatest potential for biking and walking advocacy organizations.
      Funding may be used to develop staff, membership, and resources to
      reach target outcomes that both support an increase in biking and
      walking and sustain the organization. Advance funding will be
      considered, but the majority of funding will be paid when funds have
      been raised and/or pledges have been committed in writing.

      Innovation Grant Funding Priorities

      These grants are intended to help organizations take bold steps to
      increase bicycling, walking, and safety. These grants can be used to
      fund activities that will:

      • Yield new sources of funding for biking and walking (e.g. new revenue streams and old programs that are ripe for change)
      • Spur groundbreaking designs (e.g. Euro designs, reprogramming of streets space)
      • Create innovative marketing and encouragement programs (e.g. new media, new audiences, social marketing)
      • Develop cause-related marketing and mainstream partnerships (e.g. transit, seniors, health, business)
      • Improve, expand or extend an existing program that promises further success

      The goal is to create successful models that can spread throughout North
      America. Priority for Innovation Grants will be given to established
      organizations who demonstrate a clear work plan to develop and freely
      share their innovative program. Grants from $5,000–$30,000 will be
      awarded for winning proposals. Matching funds and over-matches are
      encouraged and will be evaluated favorably.

      Advocacy Advance Grants Round 2:

      • Deadline for Inquiry Application: August 26, 2009
      • Inquiry Applicant Notification: September 11, 2009
      • Deadline for Full Proposal: October 13, 2009
      • Applicant Notification: October 30, 2009

      In exceptional circumstances, grant applications outside the official grant rounds will be considered. Contact Chanda for more details.

      Applications must be complete and all attachments e-mailed to grants@PeoplePoweredMovement.org by the deadline date. Incomplete and late applications will not be considered. If you have questions or need help with your application, do not wait until the last minute to contact the Alliance staff.

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      Deadlines and Opportunities

      This blog’s many readers will note that a number of deadlines approach.

      The recent posts highlight highly-relevant competitions
      —
      Urban Green Expo Garage Inventors competition deadline July 27th, 2009

      WPA 2.0: Whoever rules the sewers rules the city deadline August 7, 2009

      The Kodak American Greenways Program | The Conservation Fund deadline July 15, 2009

      Alliance for Biking and Walking Advocacy and Startup grants, deadline August 26, 2009

      BikesBelong Facilities and Advocacy       grants, deadline August 24, 2009

      Even more pressing and perhaps more promsing, Ram Shrivastava of Larsen Engineering points out that the County and the City will be submitting applications for NYSERDA / DOE Formula based block grants to the County and the City on June 25, 2009. He suggests that we

        “call and write a letter to the Municipal Leaders requesting that they allocate a small fraction 5%-10% for a fund for conducting strategic planning studies. This could allow a source of funding for your project to conduct the first stage feasibility assessment to develop the design concepts and cost estimates. Since this is 100% grant and meant for projects with same goals as your project, it is worth reaching out to these communities and request them to set aside some funds for Planning work and remaining funds could be use for project implementation. The planning amount is not just for RIT – greenway but many other activities in the community.

        Obviously there are other sources that can be contacted later, but this opportunity needs immediate action. Please do point out that this fits into Rochester Green program and would help create jobs and economic development in Rochester.”

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      The Kodak American Greenways Program | The Conservation Fund

      The Kodak American Greenways Program | The Conservation Fund a partnership project of the Eastman Kodak Company, The Conservation Fund, and the National Geographic Society, provides small grants to stimulate the planning and design of greenways in communities throughout America.

      © From "The C&O Canal" by Dorothy Camagna

      Greenways—corridors of protected public and private lands—link recreational, cultural, and natural features and provide multiple public benefits. They provide paths for people and wildlife; protect forests, wetlands and grasslands; and improve the quality of life for everyone. Often associated with rivers, stream valleys, mountain ridges, abandoned railroad corridors, and utility rights-of-way, greenways also can be built along canals, scenic roads or other linear features.

      2009 Kodak American Greenways Program Grants

      The Program operated by The Conservation Fund invites land trusts, local governments, and other organizations to submit proposals for small greenway project grants. Funded projects typically advance one or more of the following Program goals:

      • Catalyzing new greenway projects
      • Assisting grassroots greenway organizations
      • Leveraging additional money for conservation and greenway development
      • Promoting use and enjoyment of greenways

      The 2009 application deadline has been extended to July 15. [All applications must be submitted electronically.

      Award Amounts: Most grants range from $500 to $1,000. The maximum grant is $2,500.

      Click here for access the guidelines for the 2009 Greenways Awards.

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      WPA 2.0 : Whoever rules the sewers rules the city.


      Jury: Stan Allen,Cecil Balmond, Elizabeth Diller, Walter Hood, Thom Mayne, Marilyn Jordan Taylor

      WPA 2.0: an open design competition for working public architecture organized and sponsored by cityLAB

      cityLAB, an urban think tank at UCLA’s Department of Architecture and Urban Design, announces a call for entries to “WPA 2.0: Working Public Architecture.” WPA 2.0 is an open competition that seeks innovative, implementable proposals to place infrastructure at the heart of rebuilding our cities during this next era of metropolitan recovery. WPA 2.0 recalls the Depression-era Works Projects Administration (1935-43), which built public buildings, parks, bridges, and roads across the nation as an investment in the future—one that has, in turn, become a lasting legacy. We encourage projects that explore the value of infrastructure not only as an engineering endeavor, but as a robust design opportunity to strengthen communities and revitalize cities. Unlike the previous era, the next generation of such projects will require surgical integration into the existing urban fabric, and will work by intentionally linking systems of points, lines and landscapes; hybridizing economies with ecologies; and overlapping architecture with planning. This notion of infrastructural systems is intentionally broad, including but not limited to parks, schools, open space, vehicle storage, sewers, roads, transportation, storm water, waste, food systems, recreation, local economies, ‘green’ infrastructure, fire prevention, markets, landfills, energy-generating facilities, cemeteries, and smart utilities.

      Download the competition brief here: http://wpa2.aud.ucla.edu/inx/files/wpa20brief.pdf

      July 24, 2009:
      REGISTRATIONS CLOSES; last day to submit questions

      July 31, 2009:
      Final update posted to Questions and Answers

      August 7, 2009:
      PROPOSALS DUE (5 PM PDT)

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      Genessee Land Trust

      500 East Ave # 200 Rochester, NY 14607 – (585) 256-2130
      Directions and more »
      www.geneseelandtrust.org

      I had breakfast last week with Tom Frey and Gay Mills, head of the Genessee Land Trust. I learned all sorts of things I didn’t know, but most importantly, the Genessee Valley Land Trust is all about preserving green places, and connecting them to people and neighborhoods.

      According to their newsletter, their new strategic plan outlines five conservation initiatives

      • Create a ribbon of protected critical habitat and countryside near the shore of Lake Ontario
      • Link our urban neighborhoods to the natural places of the City of Rochester and Beyond
      • Partner with towns and farmers to extend the quilt of protected thriving farms
      • Preserve the best and uncommon natural habitats
      • Create greenways for wildlife between preserved habitats

      I also learned that they share offices with the Rochester Area Community Foundation….
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      The High Line: "that would be so cool…" IS

      Rendering of the High Line, a green future pro...Image via Wikipedia

      The High Line–world’s most innovative urban park (so far)– opened last week in New York City. Betsy and I visited it today. It’s beautiful, functional, and inspiring.

      The High Line was an overgrown and abandoned elevated railroad line slated for demolition in a decaying neighborhood. A couple of dreamers with no particular qualifications met at a public hearing and advanced the idea that it should become a new public park. Ten years later, it is so. (History, Design Slideshow, my photos)

      We were impressed by a number of things.

      The merging of old and new, industrial and natural. (right)

      The success of the social design and the instant community (below; note the kid- and wheelchair-friendly bleachers)

      And the unity-in-diversity of the vistas.



      And above all the demonstration that regular people can turn radical visions into life-enhancing realities.

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      Thomas Frey knows how it's done.

      I found Thomas Frey of the Genessee Valley Land Trust (and former Monroe County Executive) watering a tree at a new park on the corner of Clifford and Conkey Streets. Adjacent to that park (he explained) runs the former track of a CSW Railroad Spur that went from the Power Plant in High Falls all the way up to the top of the Genessee River near Charlotte. Tom helped the City of Rochester obtain a $2 million grant that will turn that trackbed into a bike path in the next year!

      Besides offering to help us advance the Rochester Greenway, Tom told me more than I could fully absorb about the history of the various rail lines that criss-crossed Rochester in the past and provides us with such interesting opportunities for the future. What I *was* able to absorb is now recorded on the google Earth map at http://RochesterGreenway.org (and above right).

      The conversation will continue.

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      First Post of the RochesterGreenway Blog (and clipping service)

      This blog chronicles the progress of the RochesterGreenway project.

      Presumably you’ve already been to
      http://RochesterGreenway.org?
      If not go there! Then come back.

      Today I initiated this blog, where you may find day by day updates on the project.

      On the right you’ll find a clipping service, featuring items of interest (if you’re interested in this kind of thing) from around the web.

      Co-editors, apply within!