Let's Do It (Let's Fall in Love).

With formerly restrictive alcoholic beverage laws being relaxed, and from a recognition that outdoor living with social distancing is a way of coping with COVID, it would take almost nothing in terms of resources and expenditures for just about any city in America to enable experimentation like this.

Look at those parking spaces, finally used for a useful purpose. Local authorities need only establish broad boundaries and get out of the way, as state government already has done v.v. those alcohol floor plan laws.

The other day I was asked if I "hate" New Albany.

I answered no.

What I "hate" is that so many New Albanians can't so much as imagine things that occur in the outside world, like this. Quite literally what you see in the photo above is happening all across the country and the planet, thanks to the pandemic and the ability of city fathers to think on their feet.

Why not here in New Albany?

After all, Los Angeles is doing it.

L.A.-area parking spots have become dining areas during the pandemic. Will it last? by Laura J. Nelson (LA Times)

 ... The pandemic has forced cities and businesses to be more nimble and experimental, and allows them to think about the logistics and trade-offs in real time: "What’s going to bring us more customers? Is it that we have a place to sit outside, or that we have nearby parking?"

Jeffersonville's been doing it for quite a while, and now so is Louisville. Considering Louisville's mayor has been routinely wrong of late, here's one he can hit out of the damn park -- and does.

Louisville Metro says restaurants can expand to on-street dining to help survive pandemic, by Dahlia Ghabour (Courier Journal)

“As we envision a day beyond the pandemic, we want our eclectic Louisville eateries to be part of that future, which is why Louisville Metro has been seeking new ways to help them stay open throughout the restrictions,” Mayor Greg Fischer said in a news release. “The new on-street dining option will give restaurants the chance to serve more customers in a safe manner while complying with the state restrictions that are necessary to stem the spread of COVID-19.”

Why must easy things be so hard?

"In other words, making space for more drivers encourages drivers to drive more."

The Strong Towns feed at Twitter (@StrongTowns):

"Five years later, this $1 billion highway-widening project has seen drive times stay the same or even increase, at all hours of the day. Yeah, not shocked. Thanks to our old friend induced demand, the old adage holds true:

#MoreLanesEqualsMoreTraffic

It's never too late to begin learning about induced demand.

Stuck in traffic? Pay close attention: "Here’s how 'induced demand' works."

As in the San Fernando Valley -- but first, a number. A cappella, no less.

Nary an Auto-Tune in sight.

Five years after Sepulveda Pass widening, travel times on the 405 keep getting worse, by Elijah Chiland (LA Curbed)

Average drive times through the Sepulveda Pass have stayed the same or increased at all hours of the day

Five years ago this month, a northbound carpool lane opened on the 405 freeway, between the 10 and 101 freeways, widening 10 miles of the interstate. It took half a decade to construct and cost more than $1 billion.

Since then, average northbound drive times through the Sepulveda Pass have increased at all hours of the day, according to data from traffic analyst Inrix.

With more drivers on the road, it’s not surprising that delays have increased along the 405 since the carpool lane opened, but the numbers from Inrix highlight the potential for widening projects like the Sepulveda Pass project to deliver diminishing returns.

That's LA, not NA: "City Hall candidates are saying no to real estate developer donations."

Streetsblog referred to an article in the Washington Post, and I retweeted it.

Just imagine living in a place where a local politician would find it advantageous to renounce the sort of "beaks wetted" campaign contributions which here in New Albany comprise the fundamental building blocks of governance. Just imagine living in a place where local journalists cared.

You may say I'm a dreamer ...

Seeking an edge over incumbents, these L.A. City Hall candidates are saying no to real estate developer donations, byEmily Alpert Reyes and David Zahniser (Los Angeles Times)

Two years ago, in a tough race for the Los Angeles City Council, health clinic executive David Ryu made a promise that helped propel him to victory: He swore off campaign contributions from real estate developers.

That promise, Ryu said, was meant to reassure voters that community needs, not political donations, would guide his decisions on new building projects.

Now, with concerns over development and campaign cash taking center stage in the March 7 election, an array of candidates are embracing the same strategy as they look to topple incumbents, some of whom have a steep financial advantage.

Public affairs consultant Mitchell Schwartz, waging a long-shot bid to unseat Mayor Eric Garcetti, said he won't take campaign funds from real estate developers. Council candidates in races from Echo Park to Westchester have made similar promises, singling out that money as a symbol of City Hall corruption.

Stop your grousing and read about "A Los Angeles Road Diet That Worked."

A road diet like the one being implemented on Upper Spring, in an auto-centric city like Los Angeles?

"This is an encouraging message for other towns considering the viability and impact of a road diet."

Cool. We just might be able to pull it of right here in Nawbany.

A LOS ANGELES ROAD DIET THAT WORKED, by Rachel Quednau (Strong Towns)

... This road diet didn't occur without some pushback. From the article:

Some nearby residents, however, complained that the new street design — though well-intentioned — increased traffic and decreased safety by diverting drivers onto neighboring residential streets. They organized a much-publicized petition calling for the city to provide an alternative solution to its road diet plan.

But the road diet persisted with excellent results. Recent data collection efforts show that average speeds on the street decreased and motor vehicle crashes went down. Unfortunately, speeding and crashes have not been completely eliminated, but it seems the road diet has had an overall positive effect and safety has improved. Most significantly, the data shows that all of this was accomplished while traffic on the street remained at a similar volume. From the article:

We analyzed the average traffic counts on Rowena both before and after the project and found that typical traffic volume was unchanged after the road diet was implemented. [...] These results challenge the perception that Los Angeles is too auto-centric for road diets to work.

This story not only reinforces the value of road diets, it also stresses the need for adequate data collection and analysis both before and after their implementation (or, indeed, the implementation of any project like this) ...