Each week we will be focusing on blogs from around the world dealing specifically with urban environments. We’ll be on the lookout for websites outside the country that approach themes related to urban experiences and issues.
• As the weather turns colder, some are considering turning in their bikes for other transportation options. BikePortland.org urges you to reconsider! With plenty of helpful tips to help you brave the winter on a bicycle, you can keep on rolling into the spring.
• The Next American City offers some insight into the experiences of American cities planning airport-city connections. The article suggests that the best laid plans consider market demand, the ability of the service to reduce emissions and congestion, financial feasibility and the distance from the offsite terminal to the airport. DC’s Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is cited as one of the nation’s best: with stops connecting the airport to both downtown Washington as well as the much of the region, it is the mode of choice for a quarter of airport passengers.
• GOOD news: Walk Score, the successful web based walkability tool, is expanding beyond its initial offering of 40 U.S. cities to include neighbourhoods in the nation’s 2,500 largest cities. The 100 point score generated by the website accounts for nearby availability of grocery stores, restaurants, schools, and other everyday needs.
• For those serious about urban agriculture, AP says Farm School NYC: The New York City School of Urban Agriculture should be your next stop. In January, the school will open the great urban outdoors for a two-year program to teach aspiring farmers the agricultural and business skills needed to revive agriculture in urban communities.
• The New American City is excited about CEOs for Cities’ latest project – Give a Minute Chicago. This online civic engagement tool asks residents to take a moment to share their ideas about what would make them walk, bike or ride transit more often. While the tool is heralded as a great way to reach young people, Christian Madera asks whether “a minute” is really enough and how we build more meaningful civic engagement.
Photo by Lee Jordan
Do you have a World Wide Wednesday worthy article you’d like to share? Send the link to www@spacing.ca
2 comments
Interesting to read about the TF Green air rail link in Providence in the Next American City article. This is an incredibly relevant case study for Metrolinx because:
1) It is current – service starts in Dec 2010
2) It is an extension of an existing commuter line into the airport
3) It is diesel because that’s all that could be afforded
4) Travel time from airport to downtown Providence is 20 min
5) Fares will be based on the commuter rail model, not business-premium express. $5 fare!
6) Airport station includes parking, bus connections, etc. to leverage the stop as a transit center gathering airport workers, commuters, travellers, etc. from feeder routes.
Were Metrolinx to execute the same for the Pearson link, it would run a simple GO train spur, charging GO train fares, using existing diesel equipment and featuring connectivity into the rest of the GO network. Not perfect for any one interest group (not a classy express for business, not as clean or quiet as electric, not as cheap or frequent as subway) but certainly a tested and proven real-world way to get. the. job. done. and. stop. the. sucking. One can only hope they will do so.
iSKY, the spur to the airport has gone through design phase. Guess what? its NOT designed to support bi-levels (clearances, grades, etc.).
we were forced to go with SNC and their money making designs, the province still wants it up and running for PanAm 2015. These two facts alone mean now we’re stuck with premium rail service to the airport.