Density of Ford Project demands more realistic plan for traffic
Recent comments by elected and appointed officials about how the transportation for the redeveloped Ford site encourages walking, biking and transit are informative in what they reveal: the extent to which that plan is based largely on a preferred policy outcome that is disconnected from facts and objective analysis.
The decisions here are predicated on the type of transportation designed for the renovated Ford site. As noted in the original brief, there is no usable transportation to connect transit to neighborhoods in the existing downtown and Northern Manhattan, so it is unlikely that a return to a more highly-used Ford site would promote more transit.
Moreover, some community groups have questioned Ford's role in the industrial park and urged that one of the properties be used for market rate housing. Not only does the new streetcar have to be paid for by the city, but the land must be developed under a 15-year lease. Until such time as a new streetcar line connects (and stops) to the existing trackage, the city has no recourse but to contract out its maintenance and planning for when the new streetcar line connects.
It should be noted that this is different from contracting out the bus routes. In this case, city crews work out plans for a new line for the city with the bus agency, but if that doesn't work out, the city would have no results in front of council and some others may be responsible for ending the contract with the bus agency.
The same study also estimates that for mid-rise mutifamily housing units, there will be only one daily commuter trip for every four dwellings, a 7.2 percent reduction, compared with the downtown area. In contrast, car commuters will travel approximately 300 times a day in a downtown area, versus just 57 trips in a mid-rise.
The same study also estimates that for mid-rise mutifamily housing units, there will be only one daily commuter trip for every four dwellings, a 7.2 percent reduction, compared with the downtown area. In contrast, car commuters will travel approximately 300 times a day in a downtown area, versus just 57 trips in a mid-rise.
Following my commute from the 9 to 33 bus for three hours a day, I typically use a backpack to pick up my bus fare. I'm an avid fan of using things like The Med & Commute and The Daily Pioneer to routinely and reliably track my miles. While their web site is nice, I'm more comfortable with their apps for Android and iOS. The apps are well-designed and feature a grid of live display colors. There is a variation to the apps that allows users to manage real-time updates for their trip.
Tolbert's and Gallatin's assumptions ignore the elephant in the room. We are about to break ground on an urban development project that is 10 times the scale of the surrounding neighborhood. In the past month, residents, local elected officials, and the neighborhood's other civic stakeholders have had a chance to know it firsthand.
Tolbert's and Gallatin's assumptions ignore the elephant in the room. We are about to break ground on an urban development project that is 10 times the scale of the surrounding neighborhood. In the past month, residents, local elected officials, and the neighborhood's other civic stakeholders have had a chance to know it firsthand.
Happily, we have gotten the first, crucial glimpse into the future of City Hall. The American Planning Association has adopted a resolution that seeks to transform the organization's approach to planning and to its mission by stressing the need to encourage innovative community involvement in planning and by encouraging the sharing of information among planning agencies, policy makers, private sector stakeholders and the public."
We can do better. The Ford site development presents a remarkable opportunity for our community. By bringing these projects forward, we can create the homes, schools and other infrastructure we so desperately need to sustain our students and communities."
The city began developing its 5.4-acre site in 2004. In September, the New Westminster Chamber of Commerce's planning committee was asked to give the public a chance to comment on the city's plans. The forum was open to the public but limited to five candidates for mayor and council, meaning the 5.4-acre site was either kept or turned into a headquarters for the campaign, along with offices for their current and former staffs. There were 37 staffers total – and outside observers who expected that a neutral mediator or adjudicator would be hired to keep the two sides apart.
One witness at the council meeting told the Star: "In a city of our size, not having a 50:50 democracy, with 70 per cent of the public being left out and people being pissed off, people were just wanting a return to the days of the 50:50. When you look at the political model here, it looks like anyone who's not with him is a threat. He's leaving the most powerful position to anybody."
Other councillors also criticized the move. Wrote one: "This does not contribute to our city.”
Other councillors also criticized the move. Wrote one: "This does not contribute to our city.”
It is possible to balance the city of St. Paul's environmental and housing goals with a transportation plan that prioritizes bicycles in the city. That is, the numbers can be stacked against each other, and not get so overboard in infrastructure, while adopting pedestrian-only streets and sidewalks.
In a process called design oversight, an ownership group draws up a neighborhood vision for a development project. Then, after 15 years, any changes are subject to an open housing ordinance.
Mayor Chris Coleman and Plan Commission Chairman David Mitchell have declined to offer any kind of plan.
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