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.
Today’s Headlines – 8/25/10
August 25, 2010By Transportation for America
Americans are losing their appetite for the large, mass-produce McMansions that have become a staple of sprawl. (Grist)
A California judge refused to re-open a lawsuit aimed at halting the state’s high-speed rail plan. (Mercury-News)
Oregon officials broke ground on a new transportation hub in Bend. (My Central Oregon)
Ridership on Amtrak’s Keystone Line grew by 3.9 percent in the most recent fiscal year. (Central Penn Business Journal)
And, DC mayoral candidate Vince Gray indicated that he opposes some new bus-lanes. (Greater Greater Washington)
Today’s Headlines – 8/24/10
August 24, 2010By Transportation for America
The federal civil rights review of the San Francisco Bay Area transit system is unprecedented and has social justice groups feeling vindicated. (StreetsblogSF)
Not surprisingly, parking minimums encourage sprawl. (Market Urbanism)
Outgoing Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell criticized one of the candidates running to replace him for signing a no-new-taxes pledge, saying the stance would freeze transportation projects. (BusinessWeek)
If Vince Gray wins the DC mayoral race next month, he may let go of Mayor Adrian Fenty’s reform-minded transportation and planning heads. (Greater Greater Washington)
And, California Senator Barbara Boxer reiterated her support for the Los Angeles 30/10 plan. (LA Times)
Today’s Headlines – 8/23/10
August 23, 2010By Transportation for America
A Democratic Congressman and former oilman from New Mexico is taking heat back home for supporting cap-and-trade. (Politico)
A Los Angeles columnist called for immediate action on the the city’s proposed 30/10 transit plan. (LA Times)
Absent real change in America’s transportation system, green buildings alone will not save the planet, argue three architects. (CNN)
A national campaign to fix America’s roads and bridges and pass a new transportation bill launched in South Dakota. (Argus Leader)
The libertarian Cato Institute is starting to find religion on transit and urban affairs. (Greater Greater Washington)
And, new research continues to link active commuting with better health. (Streetsblog)
Today’s Headlines – 8/20/10
August 20, 2010By Transportation for America
Alaskans scorn the federal government while embracing its dollars. (NYT)
Chicago Mayor Richard Daley “refloated” a proposed upscale express train to O’Hare airport. (Tribune)
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood sees the need for a second distracted driving summit. (DOT Blog)
Increased sprawl and lack of forested land makes flooding worse, a new study found. (UPI)
And, Colorado Republicans are reportedly urging the bike-leery Dan Maes to quit the gubernatorial race. (Wonkette)
Today’s Headlines – 8/19/10
August 19, 2010By Transportation for America
Transportation officials in the San Francisco Bay Area remain under scrutiny for compliance with federal civil rights laws. (Chronicle)
A Dallas man was sentenced this week for supposedly not bicycling far enough on the right of the road. (Streetsblog)
A satirical environmental disaster featured in The Onion is not all that far from reality. (TNR)
California Senator Barbara Boxer attacked her Republican opponent for supporting offshore drilling in Santa Barbara. (LA Times)
And, Kaid Benfield explained the meaning of “net-zero” development. (NRDC Blog)
Access denied: gaining a disabled person’s perspective
August 18, 2010By Stephen Lee Davis
We’ve talked a bit here for nearly two years about the need to make our streets safe and accessible for all users — whether young, old, walkers, bikers, drivers, or wheelchair users. Almost every time we post pictures like this or this showing inaccessible conditions on our streets, it’s a reminder of how shocking it is that we build infrastructure in our communities that is almost impossible for certain citizens to use comfortably or at all.
Yesterday, we got an invite to add one of our photos to a Flickr group we’d not noticed before. Taking a few moments to scan through all 50 or so pictures can give you fresh eyes for looking at the streets and sidewalks around us.
Some of the problems in these photos are certainly systemic issues with how we build and design our streets or other public spaces. Some others, like having doors open outward, result from a lack of understanding or a failure of design. Until you’ve been in a wheelchair trying to get down the street to the movie theater or the drugstore, you probably don’t notice doors that are slightly too narrow, ramps that are too steep, or sidewalks without entry ramps.
They’re not all transportation-related, but this group’s photos are well worth a look.
Today’s Headlines – 8/18/10
August 18, 2010By Transportation for America
Free parking is a market distorting policy that comes at a heavy price, writes economist Tyler Cowen. (NYT)
President Obama said he wants a strategy for reducing carbon and called out Republicans for blocking progress. (Hill)
High-speed rail infrastructure in the U.S. continues to move forward. (CNN)
More kids biking to school would put a dent in childhood obesity. (BusinessWire)
And, Houston’s Metro system broadened access by to cyclists and people in wheelchairs by taking out seats. (Streetsblog)
-
- Livability in small towns #6: Breckinridge, Colorado
September 2, 2010 - Livability in small towns #5: Davidson, North Carolina
September 1, 2010 - Livability in small towns #4: Laconia, New Hampshire
August 31, 2010 - Livability in small towns #3: Cache Valley, Utah
August 30, 2010 - Livability in small towns #2: Menominee Indian Reservation, Wisconsin
August 27, 2010
- Livability in small towns #6: Breckinridge, Colorado
Connect with T4 America
Interactive Features and Reports
T4 America on Twitter
