Tuesday, April 16, 2013

John Gonder forcefully advocates two-way streets and traffic calming.


I considered planting this link in the preceding story, but CM Gonder's firm advocacy of two-way streets, traffic calming and a progressive stance with respect to streets for all the people and not just their cars deserves the marquee.

Like any citizen of this battered city, as continuing to be beaten until morale improves, I'll be skeptical about two-way plans until I see them implemented. Conversely, the council (assuming its approval is necessary) seems to have sufficient support to push the reform. Will it?

Who possibly could be opposed?

Er, never mind.

As noted earlier, the trick will be for the extent of the change to match the need for it.

One Way, Out

...It's good to look toward removing the one way signs around town. But, maybe the one way should refer not simply to a street direction or traffic pattern but to THE single way we look at ordering society. And that one way is, how can we, as humans, placate the motorized beings which dictate how our cities are gutted to make more room for the resting oil-eaters, how can we reorder our lives to make not only spatial but psychological room for our internal combustion buddies, how much more of here will be written off because we can so easily drive to there? ...

... So, mark me down as a firm "aye" vote on any attempt the administration makes toward eliminating one way streets. Further mark me down as a solid and enthusiastic "aye" on any attempts the administration may offer on helping New Albany take a progressive stand in reordering our city away from automobile-centric development and toward human-scale development.

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