Indeed.  I'm seeing more and more people using these new lanes in and around Downtown OKC.  Likewise, the sharrows that are being installed just outside of the P180 footprint are equally inspiring.  

A Bus Stop For Grass Hoppers


Changing Planning Perspective




What if all planning decisions were made from the sidewalk?  


I mean literally, from the sidewalk. Like modern day inspectors, our planners and respective planning commissioners should walk the site, the neighborhood, perhaps knock on a few doors, and then make recommendations.  


Heartland Flyer Ridership Up 6% -- Twice the National Average


The numbers are improving for OKC's Heartland Flyer route.  It shows ridership up 6% while ridership is up nationally 3.5%.  Heartland added 4,278 new riders in October-July of FY12 which increased ticket revenues by almost 11%. Unfortunately, on-time performance went from 83.3% (FY11) to 63.9% (FY12).  A reduction of 19.3%!

Full Report

Erosion of Liberty via Political Parties

So, being someone who doesn't own a car and doesn't drive. What ID do you want me to carry/maintain so that I might have the keep my right to vote? 

Do I also need to be in good standing with any political party as well? 

This is why Washington didn't like parties. He saw them as a way to eventually erode the sovereignty of government. Today, party politics is re-writing the rules of our society, and not in an attempt to improve our liberty. Our public liberty. 

The most fitting words of Washington:

"The disorders and miseries which result gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of public liberty.
Without looking forward to an extremity of this kind (which nevertheless ought not to be entirely out of sight), the common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it.
It serves always to distract the public councils and enfeeble the public administration. It agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection. It opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which finds a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passions. Thus the policy and the will of one country are subjected to the policy and will of another."

Out Of The Mouths of Tourists

Walking through Bricktown today I spotted a couple of folks taking pictures of the Devon Tower from inside of Bricktown.  The tower was especially stunning today with the blue skies and white puffy clouds reflecting back down upon OKC.

I took the opportunity to remark on how beautiful it was as as I walked by.  They heartily agreed  and were quick to offer up the fact that they were not from here.  Quickly they asked, do you know the best way to enter the canal so that they could see the entire canal from start to finish.  My destination was going to take my right by the splash park on Sheridan so I offered to get them started on their way.

During our short stroll they informed me that they were tourists from Los Angeles and travel the world quite a bit.  They were intrigued by how pretty Oklahoma City was.  One of them remarked that Bricktown was very similar to some smaller cities in Europe around Amsterdam with the canals.

"But with more cars!" the second one giggled.  

I've spent time in Delft and can relate to how beautiful canal streets are, lined with beautiful brick shops, apartments, and large cobblestone plazas that seem to find you no matter the direction you are headed.  I was glad to hear they liked Bricktown but was also saddened to know that these tourists were going to leave Oklahoma City with the impression (factual albeit) that OKC is a nice town with too many cars.

The irony is that they live in LA, I know.  

Apathetic Citizen


Oh, no sir. I'm not apathetic.  I am quite passionate about what I believe and work very hard to further that cause.  Just because I dislike bigoted speeches and distortion-rooted politics and wont attend your meeting doesn't mean I lack vision and purpose for my country.  I participate in town hall meetings that are usually held in backyards of friends or at round tables in coffee shops.  My block captain is my city councilor and we have a convention regularly at City Hall.  We discuss the issues facing our neighborhoods and we seek to work with others in authority to find solutions.  The only money I give is to the local non-profits that don't spend money on TV ads, but instead feed the hungry and help improve the city I live in.  There is no blame game at the sidewalk level.  Just us and our desire to create a better community, a better country, for our children.

#allpoliticsislocal  #therestisjustascam

War On Suburbia?




 

Arguments like this are just too funny.  For about 60 years, there has been a war on cities.  Only now, cities are starting to fight back.  It is, as my literature teacher would say, "the ultimate irony" to claim that cities are trying to take away from the suburbs when it takes far more tax dollars per capita to support suburbia.

Basic patterns and standards used to exist to keep cities efficient so that local governments could afford to provide basic services to everyone.  Now, roads, water lines, et al. installed in former generations are all ready to be replaced and surprisingly, we have out-scaled our tax bases in most cities and there simply isn't enough revenue.

Is the answer to raise taxes or re-scale our cities so that they can support themselves going forward?  I certainly prefer the later.  

Safety for who?



Safety for who? Is it safer to exclude me from the road or safer to exclude your 2k pound piece of machinery?

Random person directs rush hour traffic

Apparently the traffic signals went out at this busy Vancouver intersection and this guy jumped out and did his best to keep traffic flowing.  Love it. 


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