September 2008 - Posts
From
The Franklin News-Post:
Because of the large number of Franklin County and Rocky Mount residents who work in the Roanoke Valley and the sharply rising gas prices, Town Manager James Ervin said that he and Franklin County Administrator Rick Huff have talked with Valley Metro about starting a commuter bus service between Roanoke and Rocky Mount.
I think this is a fantastic idea; easily the largest growth in our commuter database, right behind the Roanoke to Virginia Tech commute, has been the
Rocky Mount to Roanoke commute (click the Franklin County button to zoom in). Most everybody in the database already meets at the recently-expanded Park-and-Ride, so I think there is plenty of demand already pent up.
If this is something you support, please contact
Mr. Ervin and
Mr. Huff and let them know!
One of the things that has always bothered me about bicycling as a commute option is the
perception that you need a lot of gear to pull it off. A helmet is required, of course, but in Roanoke, at least, it has been the case that you don't see many people riding without the full lycra-costume, including those inappropriately tight pants. For my brief overseas visits to England and China, it was not uncommon to see someone in a business suit riding down the street on an old Schwinn; that's just not something you see often around here, and its a shame. The point of a bike, I would think, is the childlike simplicity of being able to hop on and
just go.
Some bicycle manufacturers are responding to this by making bicycles that encourage casual, dress-down riding. I've got a cheapie little coasting bike from Wal-Mart, for example, upon which I would look absolutely silly if I was dressed in full speed-riding regalia. It's a bike made for shorts, t-shirts, and flip-flops. Expanding on this idea, a company called Shimano has created a family of
Coasting bikes that are geared towards the casual, even commute, rider, with nice fat tires, springy seats, fenders, and chain-guards so you don't get your work pants all greast. My favorite is the
Raleigh coasting bike, and not just because its got a six-pack suitable rack on the front with a built-in bottle opener.
This is on my wish list.
Remember, folks: This week September 22 through 25, is the statewide
Try
Transit Week. Please consider using any of our fine local transit
systems for at least one trip this week - whether for your work
commute, a shopping trip, or just to give it a shot. If you
take the pledge you get a chance to win a one-year transit pass on the system of your chouce.
If you've got a
Facebook account, I've
set up an event through the
RIDE Solutions group (of which you should also be a member) you can use to invite your friends and networks to attend.
Questions about where your closest bus can be found or what
time to catch the bus? Contact the appropriate agency below:
Blacksburg Transit: (540) 961-1185
Valley Metro: (540) 982-2222
SmartWay Bus: (800) 388-7005
I attended a TDM/Transit training session in Blacksburg yesterday, during the course of which the
Statewide Rail Plan was again mentioned. The public comment period is now over, but you'll be glad to hear that of the several statewide public meetings held over the course of the summer, the meeting in Roanoke at the Salem Civic Center was said to be the best attended of the lot of 'em. Dan Rudge, Chief of Planning for DRPT, said that over 150 people came to the Roanoke meeting, and that the vast majority of them took the time to speak up. If I recally corrently, I left the meeting about about two hours and there were still quite a few people waiting their turn at the podium, and at that point there had not been a single voice in opposition to passenger rail in the area.
In contrast, Rudge said the Northern Virginia meeting was attended by about 10 people. He may have been exagerrating a, but the point is clear: The folks in the Roanoke region (and many of the attendees were from much farther away than Roanoke, actually) are passionate about this issue, they want to see passenger rail back in the Valley, and they showed DRPT that they cared. I think they heard.
Just got this from a TDM Listserv to which I am subscribed:
This afternoon, DOT Secretary Mary Peters announced that the highway trust fund is projected to have a zero balance by the end of this month unless Congress takes action. In response, DOT will take the following action:
“Effective September 8th, the Federal Highway Administration will begin making weekly reimbursements, rather than the current twice daily reimbursements. These weekly reimbursements will be made on a pro-rated basis. For example, if the funds available in the highway account covers 80 percent of the requests received, 80 percent of each reimbursement will be paid. The following week, the balance of unpaid requests from the previous week will be paid providing similar, pro-rated reimbursements for the new requests received that week. The Department is taking action to streamline personnel and purchasing policies to further slow the rate of depletion and will consult with other federal agencies funded by the Trust Fund to make the most of every available dollar.”
Additionally, Secretary Peters called upon the Senate to act upon HR 6532, legislation which would transfer $8 billion from the General Fund to the Highway Trust Fund. This is a reversal of policy as the Bush administration had previously opposed the passage of this legislation. In her remarks Secretary Peters called upon the Senate to act on this, ‘must pass legislation’, next week with out addition additional provisions or earmarks.
We certainly don't have the revenue to keep building more roads, and apparently not even enough (on the Federal level, at least) to maintain what we have without serious finagling of the payment system. It is increasingly obvious that reducing demand and concentrating on the best, most efficient way to move people - not automobiles - is going to have to be the solution.
Check out what the Link Museum is going to further the
cause of rail as a key component of a sustainable future. The lecture series looks pretty interesting, and I'm particularly impressed that they are combining different elements of sustainability - locally grown dinners, for example, along with the lectures.
Check them out if you get a chance.