Posted by Kerry Dirk
Local
The Seattle Department of Transportation will be testing parklets in Belltown, Capitol Hill, and the International District. Each parklet will include seating areas, tables, retractable canopies, and planter boxes for vegetation.
Pierce Transit has cancelled a planned 28 percent cut in transit services. The cut was intended to start September 29, but increased sales tax revenue will enable them to maintain current operations.
The Metropolitan King County Council’s Regional Transit Committee voted to update King County Metro Transit’s Strategic Plan for Public Transportation 2011-2021, as well as the King Count Metro Service Guidelines. The update will require Metro to define a long-term plan, for example, along with other modifications.
National
Walkable apartments in Atlanta, Georgia continue to outperform car-dependent housing. Atlanta renters are also willing to pay 10 percent more for a unit in a walkable, urban area. Most of the apartments have a Walk Score rating of 70-89, making them very walkable.
A video made by the LA County Active Transportation Coalition shares youth perspectives on walking, biking, and riding transit.
A study found that small, even imperceptible reasons make some neighborhoods feel safer than others. The amount of trash on the street plays a role in perception, as does whether the neighborhood looks pedestrian-friendly.
Parents in Loudoun County, Virginia, are outraged at the county’s decision to limit school bus services, when the walking routes for many children are dangerous are inconvenient. One student, for example, will have to cross 15 lanes of active traffic to get to school.
San Francisco will now offer free wireless internet in its public parks. Google will cover the cost, installation, and maintenance for two years.
International
Israel is trying out its first bus rapid transit system with two weeks of free travel. After the trial run, which begins August 2, the system will offer 90 buses and 143 stations with automatic ticketing systems. The Metronit will cover 40 kilometers in total.
If you come across any interesting pedestrian news or stories, please send a link to info@feetfirst.org.
Photo courtesy of SDOT.