Chuck Marohn with Strong Towns brings the Curbside Chat to California

Chuck Marohn of
SmallTowns.org

Yesterday amidst late-season hail, lighting, and blustery rain, Chuck Marohn of the non-profit Strong Towns visited the city of Rancho Cordova, California. Chuck is making a (big) swing through California, starting in Redding and finishing up in San Diego to promote his "Curbside Chat".

The Curbside Chat (companion booklet) is a presentation, followed by a community-specific discussion, about the financial health of our towns and cities. Some of the questions discussed are;

• Why are our cities and towns so short of resources despite decades of robust growth?
• Why do we struggle at the local level just to maintain our basic infrastructure?
• What do we do now that the economy has changed so dramatically?

Chuck is a Professional Engineer (PE) licensed in the State of Minnesota and a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP). He has a Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Minnesota's Institute of Technology and a Masters in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Minnesota's Humphrey Institute.

Like James Kunstler, another noted planning critic he studies our post World War II suburban experiment, which is now over 50 years old. But unlike Kunstler who attacks the experiment based on urban design and its effect on its residents well-being, Marohn views it from a financial sustainability and resiliency standpoint.

Chuck's words ring well with me. As a former commercial banker I agree in his analysis of how cities evaluate infrastructure projects. Many times, cities are more than willing to absorb the low upfront costs of a project (offset by grants, developer fees and mitigations) without carefully considering what the future costs of maintenance and repair.

Without revenue generating business tied to many streets (street, sidewalk, lighting, street furniture, signage, curbs and gutters) many projects will never pay for themselves given the usefull life of a street is rarely more than 30 years. His financial analysis is similar to that of Joe Minicozzi out of Ashville,  North Carolina. I also plan to do a post in the future on Mr. Minicozzi.

But without giving to much away about Chuck's mission and presentation, check out his webiste, blog, and podcast. Start at http://www.strongtowns.org/.

San Jose Trail Program Status Update

Trail Program Update 4/1/2012

The San Jose Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee received an update on trail status at their last meeting from Yves Zuetty, Trails Manager. Here are some visuals to convey the progress that the trails department is making.


Here is a link to the Green Vision 100 mile status goal in pdf format.

Strong Towns Chuck Marohn presenting tomorrow in Rancho Cordova

Chuck Marohn of Strong Towns

Tomorrow I'll be heading to Rancho Cordova, near Sacramento to hear a presentation by Chuck Marohn of the non-profit Strong Towns (strongtowns.org). I have featured Chuck's TED talk on this blog titled "The Important Difference Between a Street and a Road". His presentations often center around capturing value from our streets in the form of net tax revenue over the useful life of the project. I'll explain more on this when I get back in a later post.

He often mentions Joe Minicozzi, who also talks about the type of development and its relation to value capture in the form of property and sales taxes. I know locally, here in the Silicon Valley the talk is always about the fiscalization of land use. However, this talk is always centered around a real simple discussion of shops vs. homes, commercial vs. residential. Their argument centers on the type of development; traditional commercial development, mixed use buildings, increased density are promoted as a way of creating a fiscally sustainable community.

Anyway hope you have a great weekend.

San Jose Bike Party BIRDS meeting

Selecting themes for the next three months Bike Party rides tonight at Stanley's Sports Bar at Logitech with a curling exposition going on down below. Curlers sure use a lot of brooms.

Themes to be announced later.

San Jose city council approves downtown bicycle project

City of San Jose file photo

This afternoon San Jose set in motion the first among several new bicycle projects that will make downtown a convienent, safe, and easily navigable business and residential district.
With a unanimous vote; the council approved actions that will involve the addition of eight miles of new bikeways in support of implementing a Downtown Bike Share system in 2012 using various grant funding sources.

The following streets will now see the installation of new bikeways in accordance with California Vehicle Code section 21207.

(1) Almaden Boulevard between Grant Street and Santa Clara Street;
(2) Notre Dame Street between Santa Clara Street and St. John Street;
(3) Third Street between Julian Street and Reed Street;
(4) Fourth Street between Julian Street and Reed Street;
(5) Tenth Street between Hedding Street and Keyes Street; and
(6) Eleventh Street between Hedding Street and Keyes Street.

In addition the project will authorize the removal of vehicle travel lanes on specified segments of Almaden Boulevard, Third Street, Fourth Street, Tenth Street and Eleventh Street and installation of bicycle lanes consistent with Envision 2040 goals for developing "complete streets" as described in this memorandum.

Bus driving violinist or violinest moonlighting as a bus driver

Saw this amusing moment at the Palo Alto Station. Sorry the picture quality on my iPhone at night is not that great.

A San Mateo County Transit Bus Operator was taking a break. So he just shut the doors and started playing his violin. #youseeitallonthebus

Bikes on Board Caltrain - 1935

Opening Day at Diridon Station
1935

If you are travelling through San Jose's Diridon Station stop inside. Not is it one of the few stations with staff to assist you, but there is also a wonderful display of San Jose transportation history as well. Housed within several display cases are mementos and memorabilia from the early days of San Jose Airport, the ferry from Alviso, and opening day at Diridon Station in 1935.

In the case near the entrance leading to the platforms is one that highlights opening day at Diridon Station (although it wasn't called Diridon back then) in 1935. Gathered around an incoming train are some excited residents waiting to board. Within the group you see in the picture are some of the first cyclists to board the train to San Francisco with their bikes. That's right Bikes on Board goes all the way back to 1935. Also if you look closely you will see numerous bikes parked outside the station on the north side; the side which leads to the transit terminal.

Encouraging to see bicycles well represented; even in 1935.

Is Best Buy a leading indicator of the future of Big Box Retail?

"Small Box Retail"
Willow Glen Business District
Four restaurants in this building",
the Willow Glen Town Center

Today Best Buy announced today that it would shutter 50 of its Big Box stores to focus more on opening, well let's just say Little Box stores. According to Bloomberg News,

"The retailer is closing big-box stores and cutting jobs to reduce costs while boosting online sales and opening smaller locations. The company said it would add 100 of its smaller-format Best Buy Mobile stores in the U.S. in the current fiscal year."

This after news yesterday from U.S. Public Interest Research Group, that younger Americans are leading the trend by driving less, waiting to earn drivers licences, and putting off the purchase of an automobile. The report titled "Transportation for a New Generation", states that for the first time since the end of World War II (yes over 65 years ago), the number of miles travelled by Americans has dropped (as expressed in terms of Vehicle Miles Travelled or VMT). The report gives many reasons why, but emphasized that even when the economy rebounds the trend is expected to continue. I will be addressing the report in more detail in a later post.

Big Box Retail Restaurant

As the Big Box model of retailing begins to break down you begin to see it the shift from a large store format to small shops that can be squeezed into traditional Commercial Business Districts (CBD). In the Willow Glen Area of San Jose, the beer, wine, and liquor retailer Beverages and More has been managing their small footprint store BevMo for a couple of years now. This month Petco will open their small format store "Unleashed" on Lincoln Ave.

So the question is;

• if the Big Box format is possibly on its last legs,
• VMT has been decreasing in the U.S. for the last six years,
• and, the City of San Jose is planning to further reduce VMT in the near future.

Why has the City's Planning Department in recent years approved Big Box format centers such as @First, San Jose Market Place, the Plant, and now has approved a new 45 acre Mega-Mall on one of the busiest expressways in the region? The land, located just north of Highway 85 is one of the last large undeveloped parcels left within the city. Let's not leave a retail dinosaur as a legacy for future generations.

Customer leaving "The Plant" after
waiting 8 minutes to cross
Monterrey Highway

My new phrase for the day - Drive-Thru Highway

Now entering Drive_Thru
Highway. No Bicycles or
 Pedestrians allowed.

Since I don't go to (choose from below):

1. Big Box Stores
2. Auto Oriented Retail
3. Strip Malls
4. Concept Malls

I don't get out to these places much but today I came across a double lane McDonald's Drive-Thru; right next door to a Pollo Loco Drive-Thru. We sure are innovative here in the Silicon Valley.


Just to prove that it is just like a real highway this highway on ramp comes with real traffic monitoring cameras. I can just imagine at rush hour they might even issue a Sig Alert. 




3 Cameras to cover the pile up
on the Drive-Thru Highway.
Two on the left, 1 on the right.

 As you can see from the photo taken from one of the lanes of the DT Highway there are no fewer than three cameras following the action down below. Maybe there are even sensors in the roadway.









Wait, too many fry pits.
 Is this the Drive-Thru for
Panda or Pollo Loco?

 The Plant - Curtner and Monterrey Rds., San Jose, CA


View Larger Map

Sometimes bike locking techniques are like wrestling holds

Spotted at the Palo Alto Caltrain this morning. If you look carefully you can see that a secure U-lock was locked around the bikes stem. Needless to say the front tire was removed. This locking style might be called the 'stem wrap around' technique.

Just a heads up. If you do park in the outdoor racks at the Palo Alto Caltrain station. Several cable locks have been cut recently and the thieves have not been polite enough to throw away the evidence. Be careful out there.

Bikes Belong announces six focus cities for their Green Lane Project

Bikes Belong announced the selection of six focus cities to participate in their Green Lane Project. These six cities were choosen out of a pool of 42 applicants. The cities are:

• Austin, Texas
• Chicago, Illinois
• Memphis, Tennessee
• Portland, Oregon
• San Francisco, California
• Washington, D.C.

Bikes Belong a nationwide organization based in Boulder, Colorado that has the goal of putting more people on bicycles. The organization is sponsored by the U.S. bicycle industry. Their members total nearly 400 and include bicycle suppliers and retailers whose goal is to combine their resources to improve bicycling in America.

In a statement released yesterday, Martha Roskowski, Green Lane Project Director stated  “We are delighted to be working with these forward-thinking cities. They are a range of sizes, spread across the country, and at various stages in terms of developing networks for bicycles. What they share is a strong commitment to rethinking how city streets are used and making room for bicycles.”

During the next two months, the Green Lane Project will work with elected officials, staff, and community groups in each city to finalize details, solidify the vision, and identify the unique story each city can tell. Details will be released at a national kickoff in late May in Chicago. The Green Lane website, greenlaneproject.org, will act as a hub where all U.S. cities working to install these types of facilities can share and learn from each other.

The Green Lane Project campaign incorporates the NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide, models from European cities, and the growing body of U.S. experience in applying innovative approaches.

The campaign will set clear and achievable goals which include the following:

• Track and publicize the installation of new facilities
• Understand their impact
• Identify and address obstacles to implementation 
• Expand the knowledge base through research and best practices

For more information see the video below or go to the Green Lane Project site.

Upcoming Bicycling Events in the Silicon Valley, April 4

Upcoming Events in the Silicon Valley

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

San Jose Bike Party -Sharks Ride
Friday, April 20, 2012 8:00PM

Route will be posted on Thursday, the day before the ride at
http://www.sjbikeparty.org/

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The Sharks Test/Fun Ride #3
Thursday, April 5th, 7:00 pm
Location: Meet at San Pedro Square, Downtown SJ.
We will be riding at about 15 mph. If you can ride, no one will be dropped.
It's a Thursday Night .. and we'll stop at 4th st Pizza to finish.
It's also perfect if you'd like to find out who we are, how we do test rides and how much fun they are!
ALL WHEELS WELCOME!!!

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San Jose Fixed  SJF
15-25 mile Bike Ride
Every Tuesday 6:45 @
Meets @ IMinusD Fixed Gear Boutique
112 Paseo de San Antonio (See Map Below)

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San Francisco Bike Party
Friday April 6, 2012
Animal Kingdom Ride
http://sfbikeparty.wordpress.com/


San Jose Bike Party Volunteer Mixer (BIRD)
Tuesday, April 10, 2010 6:45PM - 8:30 PM 
Build community by learning & chatting with other SJBP volunteers!
Come out to our monthly volunteer meeting!
This is the place to meet & chat with other amazing Bike Party volunteers, learn how to be a better volunteer and better cyclist in general, and help play with ideas to make Bike Party better!

East Bay Bike Party
Friday, April 13, 2011 7:30 PM

http://eastbaybikeparty.wordpress.com/


SJBP BIRDS & Friends: A Party Night to Remember in SoFA
Saturday April 14, 2012,  7:00 PM - 1:00 AM
South First Billiards, 420 S. First St., San Jose, CA

B I R D - P A R T Y ! ! ! Let's all relax and hang out together.
But you don't have to be a BIRD to attend, this party is open to everyone.
So grab your friends and come on down!
This is not just any ol' Pool Hall...
A DJ Spinning music or a live band, Killer food menu, Full Bar with 15 beers on tap, Lounge area, 29 Pool Tables, Ping Pong Tables, an art gallery. (21+ only)

Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition Second Annual Advocacy Summit
Tuesday, April 17, 2012 2:00 pm - 8:00 PM
Oshman Family Jewish Community Center

3921 Fabian Way, Palo Alto, CA 

For those cyclists who want to get more involved with Advocacy this is the perfect event. Their is a $20 fee for this event. For more information: http://bikesiliconvalley.org/bike-summit-2012

San Jose Bike Party - The Shark's Ride
Friday, April 20, 2012 8:00PM

Route will be posted on Thursday, the day before the ride at
http://www.sjbikeparty.org/

Cupertino Bike Swap
Sunday, April 29, 2012 10:00AM - 4:00 PM

104949 S DeAnza Blvd, Cupertino

Save the date. It's one of the best swaps in the area
60 bucks for a space (if your selling) or $2 to enter

And in the not too distant future
May 10, 2012 - 18th Annual Bike to Work Day
May 12, 2012 - SJBP Bike the Limits Ride
May 15, 2012 - Amgen Tour of California San Jose to Livermore
May 15, 2012 - King of the Mountain Challenge
June 21, 2012 Bicycle Music Festival 2012
July 14, 2012 - San Jose Bike Party Ladies Ride - (Sorry guys, ladies only)

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Also note the Guadalupe River Trail will be closed for paving construction soon. The closed portion will extend north of 880 all the way to Gold Street in Alviso. check Twitter for more details.

Too see all rides on the map click the link just below the map. Thanks.

View Upcomming Bay Area Bike Events in a larger map

VTA to hold a bicycle guidelines workshop

The Santa Clara County Valley Transportation Authority is hosting a workshop covering updating Bicycle Technical Guidelines (BTG) with newer infrastructure topics. The Workshop is scheduled for Wednesday, April, 11, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. The workshop will be located in the Auditorium at VTA offices; 3331 North First St., San Jose. See Map Below.

The VTA's BTG is well known in the area as being an excellent resource on bike infrastructure that many cities outside of the area refer to this excellent resource.

The (BTG) was first adopted by VTA in 1999.  In December 2007, VTA re-adopted the revised and updated version of the BTG.  The BTG manual is a set of optimum standards and best practices for roadway and bikeway design.  Typical issues covered are topics such as Sharrows, Traffic Signal Detection, and Bike Boulevards.

Topics currently under consideration are:

• Roundabouts and bike lanes
• Bollards or rather alternatives to bollards
• Woonerfs (shared bike/ped spaces), both residential and commercial and parklets
• Bike corrals
• Rural options for bike paths and shoulders
• Bulb-outs and bikes
• BRT and bike Lanes
• Contraflow bike lanes
• Cycle tracks
• Green bike lanes
• Freeway four-leaf clover interchanges

Sorry for the close up shot but the VTA auditorium is located in the middle of this embedded photo.

View Larger Map

Good Monday Morning to you. Just thought I would share some interesting thoughts I found on the web this weekend.


Competitiveness and the Creative Class

While reading an article this morning on global competitiveness, Michael Bloomberg, New York City Mayor and founder of Bloomberg L.P., a financial news organization stated:

“For cities to have sustained success, they must compete for the grand prize: intellectual capital and talent,” Bloomberg wrote. “Talent attracts capital far more effectively and consistently than capital attracts talent.”

 As I read this I couldn't help but remember San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed's State of the City address earlier this year when he gave a completely opposite take on things in saying that if you bring the Ciscos and the eBays here the talent will follow. What do you think?

"New York Tops London as City With Most Global Clout, Index Shows"

Designing our streets for obesity.

For a moment forget Climate change. Scientists are focusing more these days on studying the link between physical inactivity, obesity, and other chronic health problems such as diabetes. In a post on The Atlantic Cities website, Kaid Benfield talks about this alarming health trend in a country where now over 60% of the population is either overweight or obese. As Dr. Howard Frumkin states in the article, ""we have engineered walking and bicycling out of our communities" with community design oriented almost exclusively to driving."

"The True Costs of Unwalkable Streets"

Stepping up to save our streets.

Many of you who read this blog are aware of the dire straits that our Bay Area roads are in. Well it's not just a Bay Area phenomenon, it's nationwide. With the inability of federal gas taxes to pull the highway trust fund from chronic deficits, and voters vociferously against gas tax hikes (let's at least call them inflation adjustments) cities and states are looking for creative ways to keep our transportation system going.

"Georgia's transportation system running out of gas"

Stepping up to save Bay Area transit

While attending a SPUR event in downtown San Jose the other evening I had the chance to meet Egon Terplan, the Regional Planning Director for the organization. Egon wrote a very insightful piece in Spur's publication, "The Urbanist".

"Six Ideas for Saving Bay Area Transit"


And lastly,

The Better Block

For the last week I have posted a great video featuring Jason Roberts on "Building Better Blocks". The talk was given at a TED conference near his home city of Dallas, Texas. In this video he describes all of the great and interesting wasy he was able to get things done on the quick and on the cheap. 

Its definately worth a look.