A few good points
Lost in all of the shuffle in the debate over La Puerta del Sol is some common sense coming from Athens-Clarke County commissioner Alice Kinman. I was high on Kinman prior to last year's election, having known her through her work with the Interfaith Hospitality Network (and I respected the campaign she ran, as well). I haven't always agreed with some of the decisions she's made as commissioner, but she's been very open and honest about her views and has returned all of my emails to her.
But the Five Points commissioner takes it up a notch with a good proposal buried at the bottom of Friday's Banner-Herald commission story:
Kinman asked a committee of commissioners to examine the way the county chooses where to install sidewalks. Now, commissioners choose sidewalk projects from a ranked list prepared by the county transportation department, but some commissioners say the list doesn't always make sense. She asked for a sidewalk master plan similar to ones for roads and bicycle lanes.
Kinman shares, more or less, a vision similar to one I have. She has alluded to in previous meetings and statements that she's open to wider sidewalks which feature bike paths, rather than simply three-laning current four-lane roads and adding a bike lane on each side of the street. Widening the sidewalks and creating ample space for pedestrians and bikers to co-exist, while maintaining the necessary lanes needed to handle the traffic flows on the city's major streets is sound policy. If nothing else, it does deserve a good look.
Speaking of La Puerta del Sol, States McCarter continued to lobby his fellow commissioners to vote against the proposed mixed-use development on the eastside. The commissioner opposes it because he says it will bring noise, extra traffic and possibly drunk drivers too close to Cedar Shoals High School. One has to wonder why Ansonborough elicted little rebuttal from McCarter, but this one has him all riled up.
The good folks at Athens Politics are all over this one - here and here. Plus Hillary is on the ball as well.
But the Five Points commissioner takes it up a notch with a good proposal buried at the bottom of Friday's Banner-Herald commission story:
Kinman asked a committee of commissioners to examine the way the county chooses where to install sidewalks. Now, commissioners choose sidewalk projects from a ranked list prepared by the county transportation department, but some commissioners say the list doesn't always make sense. She asked for a sidewalk master plan similar to ones for roads and bicycle lanes.
Kinman shares, more or less, a vision similar to one I have. She has alluded to in previous meetings and statements that she's open to wider sidewalks which feature bike paths, rather than simply three-laning current four-lane roads and adding a bike lane on each side of the street. Widening the sidewalks and creating ample space for pedestrians and bikers to co-exist, while maintaining the necessary lanes needed to handle the traffic flows on the city's major streets is sound policy. If nothing else, it does deserve a good look.
Speaking of La Puerta del Sol, States McCarter continued to lobby his fellow commissioners to vote against the proposed mixed-use development on the eastside. The commissioner opposes it because he says it will bring noise, extra traffic and possibly drunk drivers too close to Cedar Shoals High School. One has to wonder why Ansonborough elicted little rebuttal from McCarter, but this one has him all riled up.
The good folks at Athens Politics are all over this one - here and here. Plus Hillary is on the ball as well.
posted by Jmac at 8:26 AM
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