Transit lessons from the 'Olympic Experiment', Vancouver

 image from vancouversun.com

I was just revisiting an interesting article over at regardingplace.com.

The author explores some of the lessons learned from Vancouver's natural experiment as a 'transit city' for 17 days, with the whole Olympic situation, new Canada Line, etc. etc.

Here are a few key points that I wanted to share:

Increased transit ridership and fewer cars on the road meant that automobile drivers were happy as well. Many, many drivers told me that traffic everywhere in the city was minimal, with the exception of a few routes into the downtown core. Traffic on the Lion’s Gate Bridge moved smoothly even though it was down to only two lanes.  

Bus drivers told me that they were constantly having to slow down, because traffic delays are built into their schedules. With reduced volumes of automobiles, buses ran extremely efficiently.

When people are unfamiliar with transit, they overwhelmingly chose the easiest systems to understand, which were the rail-based systems. Bus ridership was up only a few percentage points. TransLink staff at the SkyTrain stations said that many people only wanted to hear options that involved SkyTrain. The routing of buses was often seen as too complicated, or unappealing for longer distances.

And, possibly most signifcantly to Victoria, where the bus is definitely 'the loser cruiser'.

When everyone is riding transit, it becomes more acceptable to the average person. The crowds on the SkyTrain lines didn’t discourage people from riding. On the contrary, it may have actually encouraged more riders. Regardless of what people often say, we like being around other people. But people need to feel comfortable on transit, especially those that rarely take it. Since the transit system was surging with middle-class folks going to Olympic events, it became acceptable for more people to ride.

Mega-yacht marina plan passes environmental review

Mega-yacht marina plan passes environmental review

Discuss.

A beginning...

In time, MVB will have photo galleries and other original art for your viewing pleasure.

For now, I wanted to at least begin sharing...

Danish School bus?

Credit to Schlijper.nl -- lots to see on that site!

A beautiful yet topical shot (and the first ever made-for-MVB pic):

 Credit Don Peterson (aka my dad)

Municipality using nature to scrub Shelbourne stormwater

Well, this is coincidental and very cool:

Municipality using nature to scrub Shelbourne stormwater (Kevin Vass, Saanich News)

S

Photo by Sharon Tiffin, Saanich News

 

Snippet from the article:

If you’ve travelled the northern stretch of Shelbourne Street recently, you’ve probably noticed a bit of work going on. 

If you were wondering what it’s all about, the answer is Douglas Creek.
Saanich is wrapping construction on a series of bioswales from Arbordale Avenue to Mount Douglas park.

And Bob Bridgeman is glad to see them.

“This is a real positive step forward,” said Bridgeman, who has been a leading voice in restoring the creek and reintroducing salmon to its waters.

The swales, or more accurately the plants that will live in them, will scrub pollutants from stormwater runoff before hitting the creek.

Shweet!

Mycelium and Gas Stations?

Mycelium has a unique ability to rapidly break down the hydrocarbons found in oil and petroleum... and use them as... nutrients.

image from kk.org

In an experimental challenge, a strain of oyster mushrooms overtook a pile of oil-contaminated soil, produced oyster mushrooms of 12" in diameter (pictured), which attracted flies, insects, and then birds, which brought seeds that sprouted, producing greenery..... in one month.
---

Last night, I was thinking about what the most difficult parts of Shelbourne to improve might be.

Oooh, let's go there!

My current answer is gas stations.

They are located at key should-be neighbourhood centres:

   THREE at Shelbourne & Hillside,
+ ONE at Shelbourne & Cedar Hill,
+ THREE at Shelbourne & McKenzie.
   SEVEN gas stations in 2.6km

So what?

Well, I see my neighbourhood centres as a place for people. But, besides their horrible aesthetic and complete anti-pedestrian effect, as far as I know, gas stations cannot immediately be converted into different uses. I cannot find a reference, but I believe one must wait years to build on the contaminated site (Cook & Hillside anyone?).

This means that having attractive, human-scaled streetscapes at those key intersections is a long, long way off.

So... how do get rid of the gas stations without creating a multi-year wasteland (which would actually be better than a gas station, in my opinion)?

Then, I remembered MYCELIUM.

Would it work to repair contaminated gas stations faster?

Why we are not investing millions and millions into researching this stuff, I do not know.

I will save you a longer read. If you are interested, then follow the links.

TED Talks: 6 ways mushrooms can save the world: Paul Stamets
(He's not the most engaging speaker in the world, but stick with it!)




Articles:
  
Mushrooms break down oil and plastic in bioremediation

Mushroom Power

Re-imagining Shelbourne. Part 2: Implement Progressive Ideas Now!

This is a continuation of Re-imagining Shelbourne. Part 1: Bureaucracy vs. Balls.

Part 2 will present five (example) ideas that could be implemented immediately in the Shelbourne Corridor. Parts 3-7 will explain and justify them. Future parts will discuss long-term phases.


(No, that is not Shelbourne nor my vision of it, but it sure looks a lot like Tuscany... Village -- a terrible place that somehow got approved by meeting maybe 3/50 good design principles, which happens to be 3 more than every other development on Shelbourne!)

A wise man recently told me that there are two kinds of people:

- those who think in 'black and white' and adhere to proper protocol

- those who think in 'grey' and believe "where there's a will, there's always a way."

MVB thinks in grey, and so ideas will be presented as concisely as possible, here, under the assumption that the tangled pathway from ideas to action can be overcome with will power and, as discussed, bravery/balls.

Moving on.

Here are those five off-the-top-of-my-head ideas that I promised.

1. Bike lanes
2. Obstacle-free or wider sidewalks
3. Higher service and residential densities
4. No parking lots in the front setbacks (space between road and building)
5. Improved aesthetics and streetscape

Not exactly re-inventing wheel.

Saanich Planning would probably tell us that they already have guidelines for most of those items.

If they do, then they are not doing a very good job of using them:

Don't worry, I see the token attempts at making Tuscany people-friendly.

If they don't, then google can provide a vision much faster than the underwhelming public opinion will.

Click here to visit the cool interactive version of this Good.is image

Or, with $$$, they could hire a consultant: Melbourne's turn-around via Gehl Architects is a favourite case of mine. Check out the cool stats via the link.

Bourke St., Melbourne, post-Gehl (photo from streetsblog.org)

But, let's get real: Saanich already knows what needs to be done. The problem is when and how, not what.

The current approach is going to tip-toe its way to gradual change in the next half-century. That way, our descendants can dislike Shelbourne a little bit less than we do. Hooray!

I want to begin phasing in progressive ideas now.

Increased densities and filled-in parking lots will not happen over night. But, the seeds to a better Shelbourne can be planted immediately without great cost or effort.

Again, New York's closing of parts of Broadway is a great example. Initially, in addition to will power, all they used was some coloured paint, traffic cones, patio chairs, and planters. How much money and time did it take to block of sections of one of the most traffic-burdened streets in North America? Not much.

 credit zimbio.com

Therefore, without further ado, here is a list of example ideas for immediate implementation. These are ideas that require minimal built environment change, could be implemented tomorrow, and should evolve over time.

(Keep in mind that these are example ideas and put together with justifications in about 20 minutes. If Saanich hires me, then I may tweak things.)

1. Add bike lanes (yes, at the cost of vehicular lanes)

2. Create pedestrian uses at parking lots

3. Eliminate minimum parking standards

4. Improve transit service

5. Plant trees, improve aesthetics, add public art.

I'll leave you with some food for thought:

Bettering Shelbourne. Part 1: Bureaucracy vs. Balls

Shelbourne @ Mckenzie with cyclist (source: google street view)

I would hazard a guess that I am not the only Victorian with a strong aversion to Shelbourne Street.

What's to like? It's four or five lanes of loud, aggressive traffic with narrow sidewalks, no bike lanes, and unforgivably unappealing stripmalls hidden behind seas of parking.

Shelbourne should be home to at least three lively neighbourhood centres (Hillside, Cedar Hill, McKenzie, and potentially Feltham). Instead, it's home to a bunch of drive-up/drive-through crap.

Recent events, discussions, and articles like the recent Shelbourne Community Celebration and Family Bike Ride (see previous MVB post) are attempting to enact change.

In fact, in August 2009, Saanich Council approved the Shelbourne Corridor Action Plan to be undertaken by the Saanich Planning Dept.

Great! Action!

Wait:

The 'Action' Plan is to develop a vision of the corridor for -- wait for it (literally) -- 20-30 YEARS from now. So, in 2040, Shelbourne is going to be on its way to good things! 'Yes We Can!'

Now, to clarify, I am still supporting this (action) plan. 'They' are trying. They need reports and a plan in order to apply for grants and funding in order to make things happen. I understand that.

However, (generalization warning) the difference between places like New York and Portland, which get innovative things done, and Los Angeles and Victoria, which don't, is exactly this kind of thing: studies, assessments, discussions, and red tape vs. pushing great ideas through, trying them out, and adjusting them as you go.  

I call it 'Bureaucracy vs. Bravery' (or, if you like, balls).

Bureaucracy:

The City of Winnipeg has been studying and discussing rapid transit for decades. Since 2004, they have set aside $2.7M to study transit. Still, the shovels are yet to hit the ground and the money keeps coming for more studies and discussions. 

Balls:

New York wanted to try closing parts of Broadway (no small matter) to vehicular traffic. Within a year, a trial phase was complete and the change made permanent.

 Photo from Inhabit.com

In Victoria, we need more balls.

"This isn't time to study rapid transit. This is the time to build rapid transit" -- Paul Hesse of the Winnipeg Rapid Transit Coalition on the Winnipeg debacle.

The Shelbourne Corridor is a terrible place. This is a time to improve it, not study it. We need a vision of Shelbourne for 2-3 months and 2-3 years from now -- not 2-3 decades!

I can list 5 things off the top of my head that they could start on NOW to improve Shelbourne exponentially.


And, for those things, will come Part 2 of Re-imagining Shelbourne.

-----


In the mean time, I would recommend that you take part in this quick survey regarding improving the Shelbourne Corridor. If you need some ideas to suggest, then stay tuned for Part II.


You can read more about the Action Plan here.

New HST is not good enough.

I may be chiming in a little late, but I thought that I would share my thoughts in brief.

 -

I do not have a comprehensive understanding of the HST. When it comes to policy and politics, most people react with emotion and then create reason to match it. You can be the judge in this case.

Presumably, good reasons exist for instituting the HST in BC and Ontario -- such as potentially reducing the financial burden on the poor. I will leave that debate for others.

However, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure (a MVB motive operandum).

And, with that, the following is ignorant, laughable, and, as far as I can figure, inexcusable:

1. HST will be applied to bicycles and cycling equipment.

2. HST will be applied to kids' summer camps.

3. The GST portion of the HST will NO LONGER be applied to gas and diesel fuel, as it currently is.

(4. More contentiously, the PST portion of the HST will NOT be applied to fast food purchases under $4.)

Huh? Come again?

The BC Government calls BC 'The Best Place On Earth' (which I find embarrassing), and the following are key initiatives of theirs to make our futures better:

1. Building the Future With Clean, Sustainable Energy

2. Building the Future in Green Communities

3. Building the Future For Healthy Living

Huh? Come again?

Price is a major determinant of consumer choice. This means that the HST, to varying degrees, encourages driving and fast food eating, while discouraging cycling and active, social developmental opportunities for children.

In addition to that, the government is missing the boat on saving huge amounts of health care money via preventative active living and positive developmental opportunities.

This makes no sense, particularly for the Best Place on Earth.

The provincial and federal taxation structure should should be reformed in order to stimulate preventative behaviours that have economic, environmental, social, and health benefits not only for individuals but also for the province/country as a whole.

How? Well, as broad, oversimplified examples:

- reduce taxes on and/or subsidize cycling and other forms of clean, active transport
- increase taxes (more) on driving and gasoline

- reduce taxes on and/or subsidize healthy eating
- increase taxes on junk food

Unfortunately, the government seems to be too short-sighted to make actual policy changes that have long-term effects; they are, however, good at naming initiatives that convey foresight. And (or?), us voters are too trigger happy for instant gratifications like lowered income tax and tax credits.

If an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, then the HST is far from what it should be, and that's not good enough.

'Green' vs. Green (Happy Earth Day)

Having moved across Canada for the summer, my posting schedule is not exactly how I planned it. So, I missed the chance to tell you about Victoria-related Earth Day events (such as composting in Beacon Hill Park).

We'll survive...

For my Earth Day post, I wanted to look at the difference between what is advertised as 'green' and what is really good for the Earth.

My case in point is hybrid cars.

Currently, hybrid cars are in no way, shape, or form good or even better for the environment than conventional, gasoline-guzzling vehicles.

There was a report by CNW that suggested that the Prius is, in fact, worse for the environment than a Hummer H1.

Since then, various experts have refuted the study's conclusions and methodology -- and then subsequent experts have refuted those experts. (Use google or see the comments below this cnet post for more on the debate.)

The true 'winner' between the H1 and the Prius is completely trivial.

Why?

Logic tells us that the Toyota Prius and Hummer H1 have similar environmental footprints across their lifespan (otherwise, the debate would not exist). Repeat that sentence in your head.

Hybrids are not green. Cars are not green. New products require a whole lot of energy, water, and resources to produce and, these days ('back in my day...'), usually have a very finite lifespan.

I highly doubt that, in our lifetimes, there will be a motorized, privately-owned vehicle that approaches anything resembling 'green'.

On the other hand...

The 'greenest' car -- as far as I can tell -- is a used, fuel-efficient one that  you maintain and keep for a long, long time.

Let me know your (least) favourite not-so-green product/technology.

New Yorker's saving big money on transportation

They're calling it New York City's 'Green Dividend'.

You can check out the full report (pdf) or a condensed article over at streetblog.org.

On a related note from my own brain (thank goodness for a relevant job), New Yorker's also have the lowest BMI in America (or at least out of the 448 counties studied).

Vote on a site design!

What site design to you like best?

Click here to view the test site design

MakeVictoriaBetter.com is a twit -- follow MVB on Twitter!

http://twitter.com/bettervictoria

Government St. 'Closure' Proposed

Lower Government Street is a prime destination for tourists and locals alike in downtown Victoria

Recently, this letter to the editor of the Times Colonist caught my attention.

"I know -- close Government to through traffic for the summer, so residents and visitors can truly enjoy a traffic-free experience. Local businesses will flourish as drivers cannot shop anyway -- there's no parking on Government Street."

I have been thinking about this same idea for a long time. Such closures have proven to be economically, environmentally, socially, and culturally beneficial for cities all over the world.

A local group has been pushing for this idea, already. John Vickers and the Citizens for the Government Street Pedestrian Mall are organizing a 10-day international busking event for the summer of 2011. Their intention is to use the event to convince local business owners to give the pedestrianization of lower Government a chance.

To me, such a 'closure' would actually be an OPENING and could only be a good thing. In the words of (I think) street reclaimer David Engwicht, "No one goes to Paris for the traffic."

The idea of closing part of Gov't St. has been discussed since the 70s (so I read). No amount of discussion or study will tell us whether or not it's a good idea. The City should try it this summer and let it grow with success.

I recently read an article (can't find the link, sorry) about the difference in the speed-of-change in New York vs. LA when it comes to such 'innovations'. In LA, they conduct analyses, drawn-out case studies, and assessments that take weeks, months, years, or decades and nothing ever happens. In New York, a good idea is pushed through the red tape, given a try, and, if it works, they stick with it. For example, the closure of parts of Broadway in Manhattan went from proposal, to trial, to permanent in one short year!

It's about time Victoria tried this.

Cycling in Victoria -- extreme not mainstream

On April 11th, the Shelbourne Community Celebration conducted a 'Family Bike Ride' (pictured above). Now, I generally have positive feelings about this event. However, I would like to address something that you will notice about the participants -- spandex, reflective vests, mountain bikes, brightly coloured cycle-specific clothing, helmet, and police escort.

This something is the difference (recommended link!) between a cycling subculture and cycling as part of culture.

---

Last year, in a a Times (UK) entitled Cycling should be dull, not an extreme sport, author Janice Turner called for Londoners to overthrow the 'cult of the car' before they can expect more people -- other than lycra-clad superheroes -- to ride.

I feel as though this sentiment could be applied to most of North America, including our fair city.

"And yet last Sunday... cars were banned from [some central] London streets... Around 65,000 people gloried in our city, rode beside our pink-cheeked children... Oh, if only it were like this every day, we all cried, as if ordinary citizens... just getting around safely on two wheels wasn't a fantasy."

The article goes on to emphasize how cyclists in other countries -- such as Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands -- represent a cross-section of its citizens: unaccompanied children, the elderly, and women as much as men.

While Victoria is the bike capital of Canada, with a whopping 5.6% of its residents cycling to work, this number pales in comparison to the bike capitals of the world: In Copenhagen, 36% percent of residents cycle to work, and 55% of commuters in the inner city are on two (non-motorized) wheels. In Amsterdam, nearly 40% of all trips (not just work) are made by bike. In both cities, cycling trips exceed car trips and bike ownership exceeds car ownership.



People will cite a variety of reasons as to why those cities might be more conducive to cycling than Canada (e.g., density, topography, demographics); however, we'll debunk all of them in time.

That said, both Amsterdam and Copenhagen, among other cycle-friendly cities, were overridden with cars in the second half of the 20th century. Yet, a combination of policy, innovation, and infrastructure (all to be covered) have allowed cycling to become part of everyday life -- not some 'special' or neglected subculture.

                                           Image from Amsterdamize.com

This bring us back to Victoria. Victoria is the Cycle Capital of Canada! Yet, that doesn't take much.

We need less superheroes and more people on bikes. The more people cycle, the safer cycling is -- its an inverse relationship.

  Citation: Pucher & Buehler (2008) http://policy.rutgers.edu/faculty/pucher/Irresistible.pdf 

Unfortunately, similarly, the less safe cycling is (or is perceived to be), the less people will be inclined to cycle.

I believe that Victoria is far, far, far from reaching its potential as a cycling city.

So, how do we encourage cycling in Victoria?

How do we make it less extreme and more 'mainstream'?

And, why is cycling good?

Well, that is one of many things that MakeVictoriaBetter.com is about. So, stay tuned...

MakeVictoriaBetter.com — open for business!

Ahoy-hoy!

This is the inaugural post on makevictoriabetter.com.

Many kinks are still to be worked out — logo, appearance, images, domain name, etc.. However, no time like the present to get started!

Check out the ‘About’ sections to find out more ‘about’ MVB and me.

I hope you like it.