Feet First’s look at pedestrian news for the week of November 30, 2012.
WEEKLY WALK AROUND THE NEWS
Posted by Kerry Dirk
November 30, 2012
Local
Construction to make Linden Avenue N between N 128th and N 145th streets more neighborhood-friendly is still underway, with the entire project to be completed by next spring. Construction at the south end, between N 128th and N 130th streets, is now complete. Be sure to check the website for more specific details.
The Neighborhood Street Fund application process is currently underway. This fund supports neighborhood transportation projects identified and prioritized by the community itself. Projects should be valued at between $100,000 – $750,000 and should have the support of their local neighborhood District Council. Applications are due December 17.
New updates are available on the Northgate Link Extension project. On November 7, the Sound Transit’s public open house attracted more than 60 people to see the 60 percent design work for the Northgate station and elevated track. The 90 percent designs will be available in 2013. In addition, demolition will soon begin at the site of the future Roosevelt light rail station.
Turnout for Sound Transit service to Lakewood and South Tacoma has been less busy than expected. The route, which added eight miles of service and was predicted to receive 380-530 daily passenger boardings, has only received an average of 237 boardings during the first 17 days.
National
Walk Score is encouraging shoppers to support locally owned businesses this holiday season. In fact, they are offering shoppers a chance to win $500 to shop locally. To enter, add a photo of your favorite small business to Walk Score, and enter as many times you want with photos of different businesses. The winner will be randomly selected on December 10.
The governor of Massachusetts, Deval Patrick, recently announced a policy initiative to increase the walkability of neighborhoods that choose to use land efficiently. Municipalities who adopt an as-of-right zoning district can become eligible for preferential treatment when applying for state assistance funds.
Walk Score has now made commute times available, meaning you can compare your travel times of various transportation options, including walking, biking, driving, and taking transit.
The Sustainability Leadership Program at the University of Oregon will offer a one-day course entitled Designing Sustainable Communities: Principles and Practices for Creating Healthy, Vibrant Living Environments. The course will take place Monday, December 3 from 8:30 a.m. 4:00 p.m.
Smart Growth America recently released the 22 communities who were selected to receive a free technical assistance workshop in 2013.
A recent report found that the word walkable helps to spark housing sales and urban development, with the strongest housing markets being in those neighborhoods deemed to have the best walkability. The report, which looked at D.C. neighborhoods specifically, found that 43 met the criteria to be called WalkUPs, or walkable urban areas.
International
Treehugger has provided an interesting slideshow that highlights the challenges pedestrians face in Rome, a city overrun by cars and scooters. See pedestrian crossing areas that are used as parking spaces, sidewalks blocked by garbage cans, and public squares taken over by parking.
Interested in bouncing to work? A Estonian firm has created a trampoline sidewalk prototype, Fast Track, which debuted at the Archstoyanie Festival this past summer in Russia. The 170-meter long trampoline was put at ground level to allow for easy jumping.