When this or any other mayoral administration trumpets its achievements, consider the notion of opportunity cost. Given that there never will be enough time and money to go around, what opportunities were ignored in order to implement those chosen?
Might the time and money have been expended for other more important opportunities?
Shouldn't weighing these pros and cons be a prime determinant in measuring job performance?
If you're wondering why this matters, see Jeff Speck's first of three announcements below. It has taken Lowell, Massachusetts four years to revert the city's one-way streets back to two ways.
In New Albany, we've been talking about this for at least a decade, as three successive mayors have elevated foot-dragging on city streets to the level of Olympic sport ... or, at the very least, to that of synchronized swimming, assuming the aquatic center allows it.
If one feels, as I do, that completed and calmed two-way streets are the single best coordinated grassroots strategy for encouraging the overall revival of downtown New Albany, then numerous other uncoordinated projects ostensibly intended to achieve the same end, while perhaps classifying as "wants", have not been "needs", and have cost us the opportunity to get our streets right following fifty years of suburban-inspired doltishness.
Among other reasons, this lot opportunity is why the Main Street project's Ceausescuesque, grandiose waste is so appalling, but trust me ... Main Street's epic fail goes much further.
Although it seems as though the release date for Jeff Speck's street study keeps being pushed back, some day it finally will land. Even if the current administration honors its understated pledges and agrees to implement Speck's findings, Lowell's experience shows that this might take many years.
And New Albany has wasted these same four years, three consecutive times.
OK, you know I only write when I've got some important news ...
Three neat things to report this time:
1. Well it took 4 years -- a blink of the eye in Planner Time -- but Lowell, MA, where we did our 2010 Downtown Evolution Plan, has reverted the majority of its one-way system back to two way. The switch went off "without incident," and merchants are already seeing a difference.
Here's are some excerpts from my talk there this month:
http://www.lowellsun.com/todaysheadlines/ci_26655793/downtown-redevelopment-hailed-at-lowell-plan-breakfast
2. We submitted our Downtown West Palm Beach Walkability Study in September. This is our best yet. Read it here:
http://walkablewpb.com/reference-documents/downtown-walkability-study/
You can also see my full presentation here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04Rh_pmu7tE
3. Finally, just dropped this week, my first article in ages. I wrote it because I had to: Ten Not Twelve! A design mantra we can all support. It's gotten a lot of attention, but it needs more. Please share it if you agree:
http://www.citylab.com/design/2014/10/why-12-foot-traffic-lanes-are-disastrous-for-safety-and-must-be-replaced-now/381117/
That's enough for now. There's more good stuff on the website:
http://jeffspeck.com
Thanks for listening. Let me know if you don't want any more of these emails.
Ten Not Twelve!
JBS
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