Yep, "A Police Shooting Gives the Lie to Buttigieg’s Campaign Narrative."

If Joe Biden can be VP, there's nothing stopping Mayor Pete -- except that if the Democrats nominate the sort of candidate likely to choose Mayor Pete as VP, Trump will win re-election.

Just try to imagine Jeff Gahan's probable handling of such municipal matters (his inept public housing putsch gives you a pretty good idea of his attitude) amid the veneration of local Dickeyite neoliberals, and the basic disconnect is easy to see. It's all surface sheen deflecting attention from functional vacancy.

Maybe Gahan can move to South Bend and be Pete's vice-mayor.

A Police Shooting Gives the Lie to Buttigieg’s Campaign Narrative, by Jeet Heer (The Nation)

Black voters are wary of Mayor Pete, for good reasons.

... In announcing his candidacy, Buttigieg said, “But I would also argue that we would be well served if Washington started to look more like our best run cities and towns rather than the other way around.” The implication is that South Bend was one of the “best run” cities. Now Buttigieg has to acknowledge that he’s failed in dealing with one of the pressing municipal problems of our time, police violence.

But Buttigieg’s problems go even deeper. Buttigieg has often touted South Bend’s diversity and economic success. But the shooting of Eric Logan has exposed the fact whatever economic success South Bend enjoys has been unevenly distributed, with a glaring racial divide persisting.

Buttigieg, housing and homelessness? This Twitter thread by Luke Savage is a must-read.

Luke Savage writes for Jacobin.

"This week I did some research on Mayor Pete Buttigieg's administration and South Bend. There's a lot more work I need to do on his policies overall, but specifically I looked into his approaches to housing and homelessness - both of which I think both deserve sharp criticism."

Read the whole thread here. I was struck by this tweet.

Hmm, where have I heard the name of Barnes & Thornburg? Was it in a Marx Brothers movie?

South Bend: "But why slow down traffic at all? A major reason is economic growth. Smart Streets isn’t just a traffic project — it’s economic development."

A mayor who makes public speeches? How is it possible?

Pete Buttigieg lays it all out. The thinking is clear, and the delivery conversational. I try to imagine a New Albany mayor -- any of them -- communicating like Pete Buttigieg. Surveying the aspirants, I still don't see one. Is it time for the "Draft Ed Clere" movement yet?

---

Mayor: Smart Streets will mean a more vibrant downtown South Bend, by Pete Buttigieg (South Bend Tribune)

Walk around downtown South Bend today, and you’ll see tremendous investment and growth.

From the recently renovated LaSalle Apartments, located on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, to the Courtyard Marriott under construction by the former College Football Hall of Fame, from the conversion of the JMS Building to the massive renovation of the former Chase Tower, there are signs everywhere of the fastest downtown growth in generations.

What you might not realize is that each of these projects happened with the help of Smart Streets.

Today we celebrate the completion of the repaving, streetscaping and traffic redesign known as Smart Streets, as planned and under budget. The city and our partners took roughly one year to complete work that would normally take three or more.

Doing it this way was disruptive, but allowed us to get it over with quickly — like tearing off a Band-Aid. I appreciate the patience of the commuting public as daily routines were impacted, as well as the efforts of the planners, engineers, and workers who made it happen.

We moved forward on this project after dozens of public meetings and several votes of the Common Council and Redevelopment Commission, with strong support from the downtown business community. Still, I recognize that not everyone is a fan of the changes.

In particular, some residents have expressed frustration with the idea of traffic calming, a major feature of the project. Why would the city ever deliberately act to make traffic go slower? Isn’t the point of a road to get cars where they are going as quickly as possible?

First, remember that the changes to commuting times are minor.

A recent side-by-side comparison by The Tribune showed just a three-minute change in the overall drive time from Angela Boulevard in the north to the Chippewa roundabout on the south side — almost the entire length of the city. You can still get across the core of downtown in less than five minutes, most of the time.

But why slow down traffic at all? A major reason is economic growth. Smart Streets isn’t just a traffic project — it’s economic development. And by that measure, it is already a tremendous success.

We’ve counted a total of over $90 million in private investment from businesses who say Smart Streets was a factor in their decision — a threefold return on our public investment.

If you’re glad that the Chase Tower is being renovated rather than torn down, or that Main Street Row is getting a new façade at private expense, thank Smart Streets.

A vibrant city has streetscapes that work not just for cars but also for pedestrians, bicyclists and shops. The old traffic pattern forced pedestrians on Main Street to walk alongside a four-lane highway blasting traffic out of the area as quickly as possible — not exactly an inviting place to walk, socialize or shop.

Today, our new downtown is a destination rather than a throughway. It’s a tremendous improvement, for which a few minutes’ slowdown is the price we had to pay.

The other major consideration is safety. Not everyone loves roundabouts like the ones we have installed, but they can lead to dramatic safety improvements.

Studies have found that roundabouts can reduce injury crashes by up to 80 percent. The slower speeds in the downtown area are also a safety enhancement: when speeds go from 35 miles per hour to 25, it cuts the risk of fatalities by more than half.

No street design can prevent all serious accidents. But we know that Smart Streets improvements can save lives in the years to come. This is one reason the U.S. Secretary of Transportation recognized South Bend with the Mayor’s Challenge Award at a road safety summit last year in Washington.

Of course, safety depends on users as well as engineering. We’re counting on residents to pay attention to signs and markings, and to familiarize themselves with safe use of crossings, bike lanes, roundabouts and other features.

Green crosswalks are for bike traffic. Red areas are forbidden to cars. Divided sidewalks indicate two-way traffic. Taking advantage of Smart Streets improvements means spreading street smarts about how to use them.

In the months and years to come, we will continue to tweak markings, signal timings and design to ensure the best environment for drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists and businesses.

But the bulk of the work is behind us. Now is the time to become familiar with the improvements and changes, and take advantage of the increasingly vibrant downtown that South Bend deserves.

Pete Buttigieg is mayor of South Bend.

South Bend, John Gilderbloom, and two-way ideas Team Gahan can't even begin to comprehend.

In 2013, we took a glance at South Bend, Indiana, where two-way discussions were underway.

Updating the two-way street discussion in South Bend: Conversions coming soon.

South Bend is rocking the two-way street discussion.

Just imagine highly placed officials in New Albany collectively taking a strong public position on complete streets, and leading.

I know, I know.

It's genuinely unimaginable in New Albany, isn't it?

RETURNING ONE-WAY STREETS TO THEIR TWO-WAY ROOTS, by Rachel Quednau (Strong Towns)

A recent article out of South Bend, IN suggests that the movement toward two-way streets is growing. South Bend plans to convert many of its downtown streets back into two-ways by the end of 2016 ...

As the thinking goes, two-way streets provide better exposure to ground-level businesses and calm traffic, contributing to a more pedestrian-friendly environment that is conducive to retail development.

 ... If your goal is a productive place with thriving local businesses, then slowing traffic with two-way streets is a much better plan. It's a tried and true method. The article continues:

A common refrain among critics of two-way streets here is that they are simply a “trend,” similar to the pedestrian mall trend of the 1970s, which turned out disastrously for many cities, including South Bend.

On that point, [Scott Ford, the city's executive director of Community Investment] strongly disagrees, arguing that the Complete Streets philosophy represents a “return to the fundamentals” of urban planning.

“This is consistent with how streets have operated as public spaces for thousands of years,” Ford said.

As we, at Strong Towns, have been arguing for years, a return to traditional development patterns with walkable neighborhoods that prioritize people over cars will lead to higher economic productivity for our cities and towns. A return to two-way streets is a big step in the right direction.

Updating the two-way street discussion in South Bend: Conversions coming soon.

Back in September, we noted that South Bend is rocking the two-way street discussion.

And what do we get in New Albany? Caesarism, a reactive, exhausted and outmoded doctrine if ever there was one. And from a MERCHANT, no less ... If South Bend can be having this discussion, why not New Albany?

Last week, I received a follow-up e-mail from South Bend's city planner -- and that's wonderful, because I didn't even ask for it. Rather, he found us. Here it is, complete with links.

While doing some online research for the City of South Bend’s efforts to convert downtown streets from one way to two way, I came across your NA Confidential blog, which includes your advocacy of two way streets for New Albany and its citation of South Bend as a good example of a city that is having a discussion on that matter. I can provide an update: on Wednesday, the City Council approved the 2014 budget, which includes funding to convert two of downtown’s four one-way streets to two way next year and to continue design to convert the other two streets, currently under the jurisdiction of INDOT.

A sampling of the news coverage: Here and Here

I hope this example will inspire your efforts -- good luck!

Michael Divita
Planner
Department of Community Investment
City of South Bend
227 W. Jefferson Blvd., Suite 1400S
South Bend, IN 46601

South Bend is rocking the two-way street discussion.

I suppose this "file photo" needs to be updated to include Rent Boy Park.

And what do we get in New Albany?

Caesarism, a reactive, exhausted and outmoded doctrine if ever there was one. And from a MERCHANT, no less.

Follow the link below and read the whole article (thanks JH), because it really touches on the relevant topics.

If South Bend can be having this discussion, why not New Albany?

Two-way street discussion moving ahead, by Erin Blasko (South Bend Tribune)

... "What I tend to go for are changes that help quality of life, business success, aesthetics, things that increase social exchange and economic exchange, things that make a place a richer place, a more dynamic place,” he added ...

... In urban areas, at least, two-way streets offer a number of advantages over one-way streets, Scott Ford, the city's executive director of Community Investment, said.
Not only do two-way streets tend to "calm" traffic, making for a more "walkable" environment, Ford said, but they increase business visibility and storefront exposure and provide more direct routes between locations.

"With one-way streets, you're rewarding long trips, through trips, which tends to export value out of town," Lockwood said. "Two-way streets are about access and direct routing and (social and economic) exchange, so they tend to support more vibrancy in a city."

‘Complete streets’

Any potential project would include streetscape improvements and embrace the concept of "complete streets," or streets designed to accommodate multiple users, from motorists to pedestrians to bicyclists to public transit, Ford said.