All posts from the month of August 2010
Livability in small towns #4: Laconia, New Hampshire
August 31, 2010By Sean Barry
This collection of 12 case studies helps put to rest the idea that livability is an exclusively “urban” idea. Small cities, towns and rural regions across the country are transforming themselves into more livable communities. While some of these communities face formidable threats – from job losses and shrinking populations to disappearing farmland and strained resources – their leaders have forged collaborations and created plans that are growing economies, benefiting people and protecting the land and lifestyles treasured by residents and non-residents alike.
Check back each day for a new post and read the full series of livability case studies as they’re posted. The intro can be found here.
Laconia, New Hampshire
| “I think what the EPA process did is it really got the creative juices flowing. It gave the decision-makers and citizens the energy and the enthusiasm and the excitement to move forward with those ideas on their own.” Shanna Saunders, Director, Planning and Zoning Town of Laconia |
Laconia worked with the U.S. EPA on three neighborhood plans to enhance the safety and accessibility of their streets and add more vitality to the community.
Laconia, New Hampshire is a longtime tourist destination and hotspot for vacation homes and retirees. However, the absence of a longer-term plan was putting a strain on year-round residents and had the potential to leave core neighborhoods in the dust.
In 2006, Laconia officials applied to participate in the U.S. EPA’s Smart Growth Implementation Assistance program. The EPA assisted residents and staff in a visioning process that eventually resulted in a comprehensive Master Plan.
“I think what the EPA process did is it really got the creative juices flowing,” said Shanna Saunders, Director of Planning and Zoning for the City of Laconia. “It gave the decision- makers and citizens the energy and the enthusiasm and the excitement to move forward with those ideas on their own.”
The Master Plan, titled “Three Neighborhoods, One Vision,” was designed to maintain the city’s small-town character while encouraging investment in core neighborhoods. Three major neighborhoods – Downtown Laconia, Weirs Beach and Lakeport – emerged with concrete plans as a result of EPA assistance.
In the Weirs Beach area, for instance, EPA traffic engineers helped transform a congested area that was unsafe for both driving and walking. Now, bicyclists and pedestrians have easy access and driving is safer as well.
Although the economic downturn forced Laconia to delay some improvements to downtown, officials said EPA assistance has created a foundation for future action.
“A lot of the information once we do hire professionals could easily be handed over to be used for the design,” Saunders said.
Source: Environmental Protection Agency (pdf.) Saunders, Shanna. Telephone Interview. April 2, 2010.
Today’s Headlines – 8/31/10
August 31, 2010By Transportation for America
Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell is continuing his vocal support for a new transportation bill. (Hill)
In a lengthy interview, President Bush’s former DOT Secretary cited the need for a new revenue in the highway trust fund, while calling for more “market mechanisms.” (Transportation Nation)
Portland’s success has compelled other cities to embrace streetcars. (USA Today)
Montanans struggle with a culture too lax toward drinking and driving. (AP)
And, a high-profile climate change skeptic conveys a change of heart. (TNR)
National Geographic on Dangerous by Design
August 30, 2010By Stephen Lee Davis
We mentioned this on Twitter when the issue came out back in July, but National Geographic had a nice one-page feature on Dangerous by Design, our study from 2009 ranking metro areas on their relative danger to those on foot and bike, focusing on Florida’s overall risk based on having 4 of the top 10 most dangerous metros. In the last 15 years, more than 76,000 Americans have been killed while crossing or walking along a street in their community, and it’s high time that more attention was paid to this preventable loss of life that we far too often ignore or simple believe to be inevitable.
Click the image to download a PDF of the one-page article, and while you’re at it you could just go ahead and subscribe to one of our country’s best magazines for only 15 bucks.
Livability in small towns #3: Cache Valley, Utah
August 30, 2010By Sean Barry
This collection of 12 case studies helps put to rest the idea that livability is an exclusively “urban” idea. Small cities, towns and rural regions across the country are transforming themselves into more livable communities. While some of these communities face formidable threats – from job losses and shrinking populations to disappearing farmland and strained resources – their leaders have forged collaborations and created plans that are growing economies, benefiting people and protecting the land and lifestyles treasured by residents and non-residents alike.
Check back each day for a new post and read the full series of livability case studies as they’re posted. The intro can be found here.
Cache Valley, Utah
| “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”
State Rep. Marc Gibbs, R-Idaho |
Through a unique community planning process called Envision Cache Valley, residents in Cache Valley, Utah established strong benchmarks for preserving farmland, maintaining clean air and welcoming new development and housing.
Envision Cache Valley is modeled after Envision Utah, a similar statewide process widely praised in planning circles that operates under the banner “how we grow matters.”
Valley residents were motivated to take charge of their future in response to estimates that 2040 population levels would likely double to a quarter-million from present day 125,000. Air quality, a healthy economy and smart use of existing resources were identified as key priorities. The Cache Valley Regional Council, an agreement between Cache Valley jurisdictions and officials from both Cache County, Utah and neighboring Franklin County, Idaho, constituted the beginning of the visioning process.
According to the Envision Cache Valley website, “participants tackled such difficult issues as growth locations and patterns, private property rights, transportation, air quality, water quality, economic development, job growth, agriculture, land consumption, housing, environment, critical lands and recreation.”
Working off a baseline scenario that outlined the future of Cache Valley absent clear goals, residents asked themselves how they would preserve what was best about their community while embracing inevitable change.
During a 2009 Envision Utah meeting, Idaho State Representative Marc Gibbs, a Republican, said of the effort: “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”
Participants found that many of their goals – preserving farmland and open space, promoting recreation and community and maintaining air quality – would be best achieved through a more connected transit system. To that end, the final vision statement calls for higher capacity development to reduce infrastructure costs, enhanced peak-time bus loops, a potential bus-rapid-transit line and streets that accommodate walking and biking.
Source: Envision Cache Valley
Today’s Headlines – 8/30/10
August 30, 2010By Transportation for America
High-speed rail has put California in the spotlight. (NYT)
A Kentucky-based child advocacy group is pushing for complete streets policies. (Public News Service)
Students in Salem, Oregon seek a more sustainable city. (NYT)
Michigan public transit needs a major push and greater attention in this year’s election, the Detroit Free Press editorialized. (Free-Press)
And, USDOT gets high marks for small business contracting. (DOT Blog)
Livability in small towns #2: Menominee Indian Reservation, Wisconsin
August 27, 2010By Sean Barry
This collection of 12 case studies helps put to rest the idea that livability is an exclusively “urban” idea. Small cities, towns and rural regions across the country are transforming themselves into more livable communities. While some of these communities face formidable threats – from job losses and shrinking populations to disappearing farmland and strained resources – their leaders have forged collaborations and created plans that are growing economies, benefiting people and protecting the land and lifestyles treasured by residents and non-residents alike.
Check back each day for a new post and read the full series of livability case studies as they’re posted. The intro can be found here.
Menominee Indian Reservation, Wisconsin
| “We’re very proud of our transit system and the work it does everyday in helping people get to places like the doctor or to the shop.”
Lisa Waukau, Menominee Tribal Chair |
The Menominee Tribe in rural Wisconsin partnered with local schools and health providers to help residents navigate its sparse reservation while maintaining good stewardship of the land.
The Menominee Indian tribe’s reservation includes almost 250,000 acres of largely rural and forested land near Green Bay and has a rich history in the state of Wisconsin, with a treaty dating back to 1854.
With hundreds of miles of rivers and streams and dozens of native plant species, transportation was a significant challenge. Menominee Regional Public Transit was established in 1982 because people needed help getting around the reservation and accessing services, according to Shawn Klemens, Menominee Transit Director.
“We had so many people without vehicles, and with long distances to travel just to get to the nearest grocery store, transit made sense,” Klemens said.
More than 90 percent of the tribal population of 3,200 use Menominee Transit, and the service makes more than 80,000 trips every year. Partnerships with the College of the Menominee Nation (pictured above), as well as local schools, veterans’ services, Menominee County Human Services and other institutions help residents meet their unique needs while preserving precious natural resources.
“Good, efficient public transit is something that you don’t realize how important it is and how much it can help until you have it,” says Menominee Tribal Chairman Lisa Waukau. “We’re very proud of our transit system and the work it does everyday in helping people get to places like the doctor or to shop.”
Source: Community Transportation Association of America
Today’s Headlines – 8/27/10
August 27, 2010By Transportation for America
High-speed rail has the potential to create 127,000 permanent jobs in Southern California, according to a UC Irvine study. (LA Times)
USDOT launched its “Over the Limit, Under Arrest” campaign to halt drunk driving. (DOT Blog)
The candidates for Governor of Texas talked transportation with a local reporter. (Dallas Morning News)
In Illinois, both major Senate candidates have very similar transportation goals, although Republican Mark Kirk is more skittish about spending. (Daily Herald)
Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell thinks ending his state’s monopoly on packaged liquor sales could provide a transportation revenue boost. (FABB)
And, Tea Party activists visiting DC this week were warned to “not use the Green line or Yellow line.” (Yglesias)
Livability in small towns #1: Huron, South Dakota
August 26, 2010By Sean Barry
This collection of 12 case studies helps put to rest the idea that livability is an exclusively “urban” idea. Small cities, towns and rural regions across the country are transforming themselves into more livable communities. While some of these communities face formidable threats – from job losses and shrinking populations to disappearing farmland and strained resources – their leaders have forged collaborations and created plans that are growing economies, benefiting people and protecting the land and lifestyles treasured by residents and non-residents alike.
Check back each day for a new post and read the full series of livability case studies as they’re posted. The intro can be found here.
Huron, South Dakota
| “Transit service is a critical element in our infrastructure. Without People’s Transit, there would be a lot of people here living a lower standard of life.” David McGirr, Mayor of Huron, South Dakota |
In Huron, many older residents are able to access groceries and services because of People’s Transit, and the town today is home to its first-ever transit center.
Huron is the county seat of Beadle County, at the midpoint of eastern South Dakota. The city, whose motto is “it’s a brand new day,” was named after the Huron Native American tribe and is home to the South Dakota State Fair, held annually five days before Labor Day. Its population was about 12,000, according to the 2000 Census.
Temperatures in Huron can drop as low as 25 degrees below zero, and with a large senior population, many residents were worried about how their older neighbors in this rural community could access life’s essentials without transportation options. This led, thirty years ago, to the Huron Area Senior Center’s purchase of a cargo van from a federal surplus warehouse. The Board had to round up passenger seats from a car dealer in Aberdeen just to ensure older residents could actually ride it.
People’s Transit, as the system is called, started as a pilot program for the state of South Dakota in the mid-1970s, receiving most of its funding from the Older Americans Act, until 1981 saw the beginning of federal dollars for rural transportation. The service quickly expanded, bringing seniors to meals, recreational activities and health services. In 1975, Huron officials added the first wheelchair-accessible van to the fleet.
In the late 1990
s, a building committee was established. Then-City Commissioner and current Mayor David McGirr worked with community members to locate a site for today’s transit center, called Huron’s Great Station. Given South Dakota’s frigid winters, the center had to be energy efficient just to pay the bills. It takes a lot of work to shovel through the parking lot and thaw buses before they go out on the road, but the community has come to heavily rely on the system.
“Transit service is a critical element in our infrastructure,” McGirr said. “Without People’s Transit, there would be a lot of people here living a lower standard of life. If ever they went away, I don’t know how we’d replace them.”
Source: Community Transportation Association of America
Next: Menominee Indian Reservation, Wisconsin
Today’s Headlines – 8/26/10
August 26, 2010By Transportation for America
If Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski loses her primary as expected, the next Republican in line on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee would be a bit to her right. (Hill)
The purist libertarian approach to infrastructure does not hold up to scrutiny. (Infrastructurist)
Maryland Republican Bob Ehrlich, seeking to return to the Governor’s mansion, promised more transportation investment, but Democrats wonder how he’ll pay for it. (Gazette)
The federal government estimates that 8 percent of drivers – or 17 million people – drive drunk at least once in the course of a year. (AP)
And, the Great Lakes region is moving toward a diversified economy that does not rely solely on automobiles. (TNR)
Livability in rural and small town America
August 26, 2010By Stephen Lee Davis
What does “livability” mean in a smaller town or city? Some would have us believe that livability is a foreign concept for our small towns or rural areas or that it’s exclusively an urban idea; a pernicious plot to eliminate car ownership.
The reality couldn’t be farther from the truth.
For the next two weeks, we’re going to publish one of a collection of 12 case studies each day that provides a different example of how small cities, towns and rural regions across the country are transforming themselves into more livable communities.
The exact definition may differ place to place, but there are core values that ring true in communities of all sizes. Livability is about providing people, including seniors and those who cannot afford to drive everywhere, better choices for traveling throughout their communities. It’s about encouraging growth in historic small town Main Streets across America and a high quality of life with ample green space, biking or walking paths, and shopping, restaurants or health care located nearby and easily accessible.
While some of these communities face formidable threats – from job losses and shrinking populations to disappearing farmland and strained resources – their leaders have forged collaborations and created plans that are growing economies, benefiting people and protecting the land and lifestyles treasured by residents and non-residents alike. And no matter what skeptics in Washington say, livability is a value that rings true in these communities.
Policymakers have taken significant steps to support coordination among transportation, housing, environmental and agricultural planning. Of particular importance is the Partnership for Sustainable Communities, a joint effort between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Transportation. In his 2011 budget, President Obama proposed $830 million for collaborative projects between these key agencies to improve quality of life in our communities and increase transportation options, affordable housing and economic opportunity – together.
Similarly, the Livable Communities Act, sponsored by Senator Chris Dodd, would build upon this concept by authorizing $4 billion in competitive grants to support communities with promising plans and projects — communities making efforts like those outlined in these case studies. Without this kind of funding assistance, many small towns and rural areas lack the financial resources, planning capacity, or authority to implement forward-looking solutions to deal with the challenges they face.
The intention of this partnership is to support investments in one area that promote goals in the other. For example, highway investments in a small town should strengthen the existing Main Street rather than undermine it — and we believe it takes a whole lot more than just a highway to keep our economies sustainable and our communities livable. Whether that highway helps or hurts is very much determined by where it goes, whether it is safe for older residents and children, whether it brings jobs or pushes them away, whether it protects or destroys agricultural land and whether it increases or denies access for those who cannot drive.
If any part of the country is in need of a comprehensive, cross-departmental approach, it is America’s small towns and rural areas. Many communities have already adopted these principles and seen great success, as demonstrated in these 12 case studies.
Stay tuned for the next two weeks for a new case study each day from the full set of 12, starting with Huron, South Dakota, post 1 of 12.
The Case Studies on Livability and Transit in Rural and Small Towns were written by Communications Associate Sean Barry.
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- House committee ignores broad opposition, decimates transit funding anyway
February 3, 2012 - Massive letter opposing House leadership attack on transit sent to Capitol Hill
February 3, 2012 - House leadership making unprecedented assault on public transit
February 2, 2012 - House Ways and Means proposal to end guaranteed funding for public transportation undoes bipartisan agreement since Reagan
February 2, 2012 - Pedestrian deaths, blaming the victim: headphones edition
January 19, 2012
- House committee ignores broad opposition, decimates transit funding anyway
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