Share and Voice: Volunteer!

Hey guys!

I came across a good article in the Duluth News Tribune this morning and thought it was worth sharing! The first part of the article talked about the 14th annual "Clean and Green Duluth" city wide cleanup day this coming Saturday, April 25th.

The second part of the article, however, is the part I really wanted to share. For those of us who will be staying in Duluth this summer, here's an easy way to help keep our city looking good while enjoying the summer sunshine:

(The following paragraphs were copied directly from the April 23, 2009 edition of the Duluth News Tribune.)

Want to Help this Summer?

Details aren't finalized yet, but the city of Duluth has a plan for the public to help maintain city parks and gardens this summer after funding cuts.

People can help once, a few times or on a regular basis, said Amy Norris, the city's public information coordinator, who came up with the idea with Tom Kasper of parks maintenance.

From Memorial Day through Labor Day, the city will seek volunteers at specified sites Mondays through Saturdays to help with cleanup and other projects. Certain days will be dedicated for certain sites, such as the Lakewalk on Mondays.

"It's an exceptional way to get the community involved in a consistent program of volunteering and helping with keeping our parks beautiful," Norris said.

The tentative lineup is:
Mondays: Lakewalk. People will meet at Leif Erikson Park and head out from there.

Tuesdays: Rose Garden at Leif Erikson Park. Meet at the gazebo to help maintain hundreds of roses.

Wednesdays: Trail cleanup and repair. A different trail will be cleaned each week.

Thursdays: Enger park. Assist in maintaining the gardens and park area.

Friday: Park Point beach cleanup.

Saturdays: Special projects.

City staff will be on hand to assist volunteers. Work probably will begin at 10 a.m. Volunteers can call a "Volunteer Hotline" at 730-4301 to receive more details.




Just something to keep in mind - keep an eye out for more details if you're interested! Thanks for reading!

(Photo taken by me.)

Advocacy Project: Issue Overview

What is the issue?
Bike path connections are often interrupted by bridges without adequate accommodations. Lack of bikeways and pedestrian walkways, in addition to the inconvenience and lack of safety of existing ones, can discourage people from utilizing these alternative forms of transportation.

What current legislation has been proposed to address this?
H.F. 1705: Bicycle and pedestrian accommodation inclusion required as part of trunk highway bridge improvement program.

This bill requires the inclusion of accommodations on certain bridges that are repaired or replaced under the trunk highway bridge improvement program established in 2008. The bridge improvement program requires MnDOT to identify certain fracture-critical and structurally deficient bridges and prioritizes them for repair or replacement.

Who is affected by the issue?
Cyclists, walkers, motorists, and any other commuters who use the trunk highway bridges are affected by the issue. It also affects business owners and homeowners in close proximity to the bridges.

The people that may lose something from the inclusion of bicycle and pedestrian accommodation are business owners who may see a decrease in customers while bridges are under construction, homeowners who may experience an increase in traffic if detours during construction are necessary, and taxpayers who may see an increase in taxes.

Cyclists and pedestrians, however, can gain safer and more convenient transportation.

What are the consequences of the issue?
Improving bikeways and walkways will allow people to use these forms of transportation to get where they need (or want) to go in a safe and timely fashion. Families will be benefited if these accommodations enable a family member to get to work, and the option of alternate transportation may also free up a vehicle for a family member who needs it more. Society would experience a reduction in carbon emissions and other air pollutants because less cars would be on the road. Also, biking and walking are good means of exercise, and when a population increases its overall heath, a decrease in health care costs may be observed.

What is the economic impact of the issue?
The inclusion of bicycle and pedestrian accommodation is on bridges that will be repaired or replaced under the trunk highway bridge improvement program so no bridges will be redone solely for this purpose. Adding these accommodations, however, could cost between $500,000 and $6 million per bridge. Taxpayers and city and state budgets would most likely bear these costs.

On the other hand, people who can bike or walk will have decreased costs associated with vehicle maintenance and gas or other forms of transportation. Also, less emergency medical care will be needed to respond to accidents. Construction companies will have an increase in projects which can prevent layoffs.

What is the social impact of the issue?
Bridges under construction can be a pain because alternative routes become necessary. Businesses may suffer if it is inconvenient for consumers to get to them. Also, neighborhoods may see an increase in traffic (and the resulting noise and air pollution) if the traffic is routed through them.

Social benefits include less bicycle-automobile and pedestrian-automobile accidents. More individuals would be able to bike and walk for recreation, and the proposed bicycle and pedestrian accommodations would meet the accessibility requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

What are the barriers?
Major barriers include the bill being dropped from consideration and the large costs associated with redoing infrastructure. The first barrier can be overcome by encouraging congresspersons to vote yes on this bill. The second one is a little more involved, but adjusting state and city budgets and putting higher taxes on corporations could help provide funding.

What are the resources?
The resources needed to address this issue include an increased awareness among the general population and money for the construction and repairs. Citizens can be made aware of the issue through tactics such as billboards, newspaper letters to the editor, and radio PSAs. The concerned citizens can then be encouraged to persuade their representatives to vote yes on this issue. Additional funding may be tapped from grants from organizations such as the Bikes Belong Foundation. Also, the U.S. Department of Transportation - Federal Highway Administration may have funds set aside for such purposes.

What is the history of this issue?
MnDOT already incorporates bicycle and pedestrian facilities, but this bill would ensure it happens with all qualifying bridges.

Existing state statutes relating to this issue include:

Minnesota Statues, Chapter 174, Minnesota Transportation Goals:

• Promote and increase bicycling as an energy-efficient, non-polluting and healthful transportation alternative.
• Provide safe transportation to users throughout the state.
• Provide multimodal and inter-modal transportation that enhances mobility, economic development, and provides access to all persons...
• Increase transit use in the urban areas by giving highest priority to the transportation modes with the greatest people moving capacity.
• Ensure that the planning and implementation of all modes of transportation are consistent with the environment and energy goals of the state.

Minnesota Statues, Chapter 160.264: Replacing Bikeways and Pedestrian Ways

Whenever an existing bikeway, pedestrian way, or roadway used by bicycles or pedestrians, or the sole access to such is destroyed by any new, reconstructed, or relocated federal, state, or local highway, the road authority responsible shall replace the destroyed facility or access with a comparable facility or access. Replacement is not required where it would be contrary to public safety or when sparsity of population, other available ways, or other factors indicate an absence of need for such facility or access.

Minnesota Statues, Chapter 160.265

The commissioner shall establish a program for the development of bikeways primarily on existing road rights of way.

Allies and Opponents
Possible supporters of this issue include bikers, pedestrians, and hospitals. Formal groups that would be in favor of this bill include the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Bicycle and Pedestrian Program, the League of American Bicyclists, and the State Nonmotorized Transportation Committee (LINK).

Possible opponents of this issue include business owners and homeowners that would be affected by the bridge construction and any citizen concerned about tax increases.

My Recommendation
I want Rep. Thomas Huntley to vote YES on this issue!

(Sources:

http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/sessionweekly/art.asp?ls_year=86&issueid_=39&storyid=1186&year_=2009

http://www.dot.state.mn.us/bike/bikepolicy.html)