[Durham INC] Durham Coalition for Complete Streets

Sat Sep 19 07:20:03 EDT 2015

Note that there is apparently a well-funded and rising opposition to complete streets.  An e-mail I received last week said:
Steve Lopez is a well-respected columnist for the LA Times. Today, he wrote about LA’s Mobility Plan 2035. He’s pretty balance in his approach, but the anti-road diet people are clearly gaining strength. 
http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-0916-lopez-road-diets-20150916-column.html
For an idea of the opposition, check out the comments section. This comment is typical: 
"BurbankBurner Rank 1260Since this is a creation from left wing, liberal, government transportation planners, it will fail miserably. It is so idiotic that it is instructive the LA City Council voted 12-2 for it. I grew up in Burbank in the 50's, 60's when there were still some people who had brains in elected office. All of them are long gone in LA and Cali. The entire state is run by imbeciles."
we can expect our legislature (bless their hearts*) to be back with more bills against complete street.
Regards, pat
* Southern expressions are sometimes very useful -- you can look this one up.  (-:

From: pakis.bessias at duke.edu
To: inc-list at lists.deltaforce.net
Date: Wed, 16 Sep 2015 15:13:47 +0000
CC: cyounkin at atsu.edu; erik.landfried at gmail.com
Subject: Re: [Durham INC] Durham Coalition for Complete Streets

As a follow-up to Erik Landfried’s presentation to INC regarding Durham Complete Streets, below is his formal announcement:

I'd like to formally introduce Durham Complete Streets. We are a group of Durham citizens advocating for the implementation of Complete Streets in Durham. We have already presented to several organizations throughout Durham and achieved
 endorsements for a request to elected officials.

Our belief is that all Durham streets should be safe for everyone, regardless of whether they are walking, biking, taking transit, or in a car. Over 500 communities, including 10 in North Carolina, have implemented a Complete Streets
 approach. We want Durham to be the next one. 

Most of Durham’s streets are still designed solely for cars, trucks and buses to travel at high speeds. As Durham has grown, this has created safety challenges. Pedestrian crashes have grown 58% in Durham over a 5 year period. 60% of
 Durham pedestrian crash victims are African-American. There have been more pedestrian crashes per capita in Durham involving children than any other community in North Carolina.

We will be hosting a kick-off event in the next couple of months where you can learn more about our group and how you can help. We will post details about that event soon.

In the meantime, please check out our website at 
http://durhamcompletestreets.com. On our site, you can sign a petition, learn a lot more about Complete Streets, and contact us to schedule a presentation or discussion.

We also invite you to connect with us via Twitter: @DurhamComplete or via Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/durhamcompletestreets

Erik Landfried
Durham Complete Streets

-----Original Message-----

From: INC-list [mailto:inc-list-bounces at lists.deltaforce.net] On Behalf Of Philip Azar

Sent: Friday, September 11, 2015 11:01 AM

To: cyounkin at atsu.edu; Erik Landfried <erik.landfried at gmail.com>

Cc: <inc-list at lists.deltaforce.net> <inc-list at lists.deltaforce.net>; Martin Steinmeyer <martin.steinmeyer at gmail.com>

Subject: Re: [Durham INC] Durham Coalition for Complete Streets

Carol -- This was presented to Durham InterNeighrohood Council in one of the last meetings.  The Complete Streets Coalition presentation was well received, but before the InterNeighborhood Council supported the coalition, we wanted to
 see some individual neighborhoods sign on and champion it.

So, ways to help:

1.  Work directly with the Complete Streets Coalition.

2.  Work with your neighborhood or other organizations to get support for the coalition.

3.  Keep INC advised on progress with coalition support so that INC can revisit and decide whether to endorse the coalition’s efforts at a later (somewhat/slightly/different) date knowing that individual neighborhoods are signing on
 to the coalition’s efforts.

Erik -- I have had a tough time monitoring developments.  Has a link to your final presentation / coalition’s webpage been sent to INC for distribution yet and has it been distributed?  This will help neighborhoods get individual neighborhood
 approvals so that INC can make a neighborhood-based decision in the future.

Best to all/Hope that’s helpful, Philip

On Sep 11, 2015, at 9:49 AM, 
cyounkin at atsu.edu wrote:

> I wanted to express an interest in the Durham Coalition for Complete streets initiative. I recently read Erik Landfried's article in the guest column of the Durham News and was delighted to learn of the coalition.
> 
> As a healthcare professional & health educator I'm passionate about the state of our sidewalks, or lack thereof and the walkability of our community.
> 
> In light of the Surgeon General's "Step It Up"  Call to action which was just announced about making walkable communities I think the time is really ripe for action.

> 
> I've previously expressed my concerns in writing to the mayor about the walkability of our communities and general safety regarding crossing lights and had no response from anyone.

> 
> I live in he northern part of the city and walk/run daily. But I have to say that our infrastructure is not conducive to safety, health or amenable to the elderly or disabled persons.
> 
> As an active retired healthcare professional I would be thrilled if I could be of some help to the coalition. Please let me know if I might join you in this important effort. Thank you.
> 
> Here's a link to the Surgeon General's Call To Action:
> 
> 
http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/calls/walking-and-walkable-communities/call-to-action-walking-and-walkable-communites.pdf
> 
> Kind regards,
> 
> Dr. Carol A. Younkin
> 2 Brown Bark Ct.
> Durham 27712
> (919) 358-7828
> 
> Sent from Carol Younkin's iPhone 
> _______________________________________________
> Durham INC Mailing List
> inc-list at lists.deltaforce.net
> 
http://lists.deltaforce.net/mailman/listinfo/inc-list

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