April 2008 - Posts
Just the other day, I overheard a group of people talking about a some issue in their workplace. The gist of the conversation went "I am just a cog in the big machine, I can't improve anything." In planning circles, we often hear this type of reasoning. Societal or environmental problems seem so complex that
individuals seem to give up on their ability to help out or improve things. In the case of Air Quality concerning Ozone this is definitely untrue. With the new federal Ozone standards, we are so close to the threshold, that actions from a small group of individuals could get us to the good side of the standard. That is how things work when you are close to a threshold.
As an example, imagine for a moment that we are all in the Washington DC area during rush hour. All of the sudden, 2% more cars instantaneously enter the highway. Does congestion only get 2% worse? It is likely that delay gets much worse than 2%. Near a threshold one to one relationships of inputs and outcomes don't usually work. The same effect can happen the other way. Imagine that 2% of the cars suddenly disappear, don't you have much more than 2% increase in your comfort level and ability to maneuver? This phenomena holds true in our quest for regional air quality improvement. You as an individual can make a difference. You can sign up for
RIDE Solutions even if you only rideshare one day a week. You can change some conventional light bulbs for the high efficiency
Compact Fluorescent Bulbs, and you could make a habit of only getting gas early in the morning or later in the evening. All of these seeming simple things help much more than you think, due to the fact that we are right at the threshold.
Today is Earth Day, though many of you may have participated in various Earth Day events this weekend. I was at Raleigh Court with my trusty RIDE Solutions display (if you weren't there you missed a free CFL). But today's the real thing. What better way to celebrate than by taking a whole bunch of pledges?
Well, how about two?
Energy Star, building off their Change a Light campaign,
has their own pledge and, of course, a number of tips outlining simple steps you can take to increase energy efficiency in your home.
Nearest to my heart is the
Clean Commute Day pledge. We're just starting to build momentum - already we're outstripping last year's pledge rate and we've still got three weeks to go. Take the pledge to carpool, bike, walk, take the bus or telecommute on May 16 and be an important part of improving regional air quality, as well as saving money! If you're the Facebook type, you can participate through our
Facebook event and invite friends to join you in the effort. We're even
on MySpace!
We get around. By carpool, of course.
The New River Valley Planning District Commission, out of whicht he NRV part of RIDE Solutions is run, has deployed a
survey to gauge employee mobilty issues in the Valley. There is some thought to implementing a regional transit system to connect the more rural counties to the employers in the Blacksburg/Christiansburg area, but they're still undergoing data collection to determine feasibility. If you live in the NRV, or know someone who does,
take and share the survey and let them know what you think.
There's also a usage survey for those commuters who utilize the area's Park and Ride Lots. So, while you're at it,
complete that one too.
Channel 10 has a story this morning on the effect has prices were having on non-profits (I can't it online, and I only caught a snippet while I was getting ready for work, so I apologize if I mix up the details). The example they provided was the Food Bank, which relies on volunteers to deliver much of the food they distribute. Apparently, gas prices are reaching the point where volunteers can no longer afford to deliver the goods, so the Food Bank has to take on a larger burden to deliver it themselves.
I was on vacation and am still trying to recover from the work load that built up while I was gone. There's quite a lot of news to comment on, which I will attempt to get to later in the week. In the meantime, I'll point you to some of the most interesting news items and commentary that appeared while I was away:
The City of Roanoke announced that it will be offering
trolley service between downtown and Roanoke Memorial Hospital by the end of the summer. The rubbet-wheeled trolley (really, buses painted up as trolleys) will run every 10 minutes from 7 am to 7 pm Monday through Friday, and every 5 minutes from 10 am to 2 pm. The trolley is a cooperative effort of the City, Carilion Clinic, and Jefferson College.
The state announced the location of the proposed intermodal site will be
Elliston, prompting much discussion.
The always-interesting
Bacon's Rebellion has a number of good pieces. Norman Leahy's
piece about the conjunction of conservative politics and transportation planning/funding deserves the most attention. While I don't have time to comment in depth right now, I think its overly concerned with conservative philosophy and not sufficienty realistic concerning the problems our current transportation infrastructure and behavior poses, economically, environmentally, and in the realm of public health.
Check these pieces out and I'll discuss them in full later in the week.
Clean Commute Day is officially on its way.
Visit the RIDE Solutions website for a complete rundown of Clean Commute Day promotions and events, including the pledge, bike routes, a giveaway by Cardinal Bicycle, and more. And don't forget that May is Bike Month - look for bicycle-oriented events all over town. Keep your eyes on this blog for more information as it becomes available.