Solar Highways
This is a short video of a revolutionary way to build roads for the 21st century, which was designed by a company that won a USDOT grant. Yes, Solar Roadways proposes to pave roads with solar panels that you can drive on. It’s an intelligent pavement that generates power & pays for itself. Check it out!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
BikeWalkLee's 10 Key Questions to Ask about MPO 2035 LRTP
BikeWalkLee analyzed the MPO documents in preparation the 10/26 public workshop on the 2035 LRTP Cost Feasible Plan, and developed the following 10 key questions to ask. If you weren't able to make the meeting, please go online and get a comment form,or send your comments directly to Don Scott, dscott@swfrpc.org.
10 Key Questions to Ask
Lee County 2035 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP)
Public Workshop on Cost Feasible Plan
1. How can the MPO develop a long-range transportation plan when there is no vision or goals to integrate all modes into the planning process?
2. The county has a goal of reducing vehicle miles traveled (VMT) -- How does the draft plan reduce VMTs either by investing in infrastructure or promoting policies (HOV lanes, parking policies, telecommuting)?
3. Does the MPO have goals for shifts in mode shares (e.g., increasing biking, walking, and public transit)? Where is the shift in mode reflected in the plan?
4. The MPO has a mandate to set goals to reduce greenhouse gases. How does this draft plan accomplish these goals?
5. How is the MPO proposing to prioritize the projects for the cost feasible plan? What methodology? What criteria?
6. What priority is the MPO giving the safety of all road users (walking, bicycling, transit, and automobile) in the prioritization of projects?
7. How is the MPO maximizing the use of the existing transportation facilities before building new facilities?
8. How is the MPO going to support a workable transit system (e.g., promote “choice riders”)? What is the MPO doing now to model a system that will accomplish that goal (e.g., 15 minute headways and efficiency in the system)? The MPO should show the economic and congestion–related benefits of a workable and efficient transit system.
9. How is the MPO designing the cost feasible plan so that it represents an integrated multi-modal system with integrated funding (roads, transit, bike/ped, ITS, etc.)?
10. Why isn’t the MPO modeling the impact of the wide variety of policy tools that would reduce the need for automobiles (e.g., parking fees, transit usage, or HOV lanes)?
10 Key Questions to Ask
Lee County 2035 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP)
Public Workshop on Cost Feasible Plan
1. How can the MPO develop a long-range transportation plan when there is no vision or goals to integrate all modes into the planning process?
2. The county has a goal of reducing vehicle miles traveled (VMT) -- How does the draft plan reduce VMTs either by investing in infrastructure or promoting policies (HOV lanes, parking policies, telecommuting)?
3. Does the MPO have goals for shifts in mode shares (e.g., increasing biking, walking, and public transit)? Where is the shift in mode reflected in the plan?
4. The MPO has a mandate to set goals to reduce greenhouse gases. How does this draft plan accomplish these goals?
5. How is the MPO proposing to prioritize the projects for the cost feasible plan? What methodology? What criteria?
6. What priority is the MPO giving the safety of all road users (walking, bicycling, transit, and automobile) in the prioritization of projects?
7. How is the MPO maximizing the use of the existing transportation facilities before building new facilities?
8. How is the MPO going to support a workable transit system (e.g., promote “choice riders”)? What is the MPO doing now to model a system that will accomplish that goal (e.g., 15 minute headways and efficiency in the system)? The MPO should show the economic and congestion–related benefits of a workable and efficient transit system.
9. How is the MPO designing the cost feasible plan so that it represents an integrated multi-modal system with integrated funding (roads, transit, bike/ped, ITS, etc.)?
10. Why isn’t the MPO modeling the impact of the wide variety of policy tools that would reduce the need for automobiles (e.g., parking fees, transit usage, or HOV lanes)?
Monday, October 25, 2010
Implementation Status of Lee County Complete Streets Program presented to BoCC on November 1st
At the County Commissioners' Management & Planning meeting on Monday, November 1st (1:30 p.m.), the first annual report to BoCC on the implementation status of the complete streets program will be presented. Click here for the report package. If you want to watch the BoCC discussion, you can tune into Channel 97 at 1:30 p.m. on November 1st, or watch it later on the Lee County website.
The package contains the following documents:
1. Memo from County Manager
2. Matrix of nine key elements of action plan, with actions required, timelines/deliverables.
3. Action Plan Status Report (narrative that accompanies the matrix). Note the ongoing roles of the Complete Streets Team, Community Sustainability Advisory Committee (CSAC), and the Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC)in the action plan.
4. Exhibit A--Executive Summary of LeeDOT (Andy Getch) research paper on roadway design and construction: comparison of guidance for sustainable communities, complete streets, and context sensitive solutions
5. Exhibit B--Exceptions Report, detailing the road projects during 2009-2010 that deviate from current development standards for bike/ped accommodations and basis for exception. In future years, the report will be reflect complete streets criteria.
On October 20th, the Community Sustainability Advisory Committee adopted the changes to the draft documents as recommended by their complete streets subcommittee (Margaret Banyan, Darla Letourneau, and Dan Moser), and those edits were reflected in the package that is being presented to the Board.
Kudos to the County Manager, Karen Hawes, and her complete streets team, Andy Getch(LeeDOT), Mikki Rozdolski (DCP), and Tessa LaSage (Sustainability Director), for their commitment to complete streets & their hard work in developing this implementation plan for taking the complete streets policy statement to a plan for action. Thanks to the CSAC committee for its continuing leadership and support. BikeWalkLee has been working with the team over the past year and is looking forward to moving into the implementation phase. We're making progress!
11/1 Update:
At today's M & P meeting, the County Commissioners accepted the staff report and action plan on complete streets implementation and the staff will now move forward to implement the actions and deliverables in this report.
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