Why has there been “sidewalk closed” signs on Fourth Ave between Huron and Washington?

Because it needs to be repaired.

Why is it taking so long?

Money and complications.

Click here to read more.

It’s been a pretty hot summer around here so I thought I’d through out some information on how to beat the heat when walking with your feet:

• Discovery Health has a variety of resources explaining some of the challenge of walking in the heat and humidity and what you can do to stay safe.
• About.com also has a bunch of tips for walking in the heat.

As a person who walks at least 2 miles a day (and is pregnant at the moment), I can attest to the fact that walking in the heat is doable, but there are definitely some ways to make it work better for you and your body.

According to IBM’s Commuter Pain Survey, driving in many large metropolitan cities is pretty unpleasant.

What is causing all of this pain?  IBM looked at 10 different factors:

1) commuting time, 2) time stuck in traffic, agreement that: 3) price of gas is already too high, 4) traffic has gotten worse, 5) start-stop traffic is a problem, 6) driving causes stress, 7) driving causes anger, 8. traffic affects work, 9) traffic so bad driving stopped, and 10) decided not to make trip due to traffic.

Whoah.  Not good stuff.  Cities ranking high on the commuter pain index include Beijing, Toronto, London, Paris, New York, and of course, Los Angeles.

Interestingly, some of the countries with high commuter pain also have high rates of transit, biking and walking (I am thinking of Toronto and New York in particular).

While IBM looks at commuter pain, I’d love to switch this around to check out a commuter happiness index.  What sort of things could measure commuter happiness?  Short commuting time would definitely be one of them.  But how about some of the things that make biking, walking and busing so great?  Like stronger connection to community, better personal fitness, and lower stress.  Wouldn’t it be interesting to see what cities rank high on the Commuter Happiness Index and what makes those cities work so well?  It might help understand the reasons behind the pain of these other places.

I am going to be on CTN’s Ecosense program soon.  As part of the topic of biking and walking, CTN created this short video.  Check it out below.

At a recent Ann Arbor Transportation Authority (AATA) Board Meeting, I was able to hear a presentation on the AATA’s new Transit Master Plan process.

And before you go looking for the plan with all it’s components on the new Moving You Forward website, let me emphasize that what was presented was a process, not a plan?

Why?

Because what the AATA wants to do (with the help of several consultants) is engage the community on several different levels:

1. First, the AATA wants to find out what Washtenaw County citizens need and want for the County for the next 5, 15, and 30 years.  Do we want a thriving economy?  Do we want to attract more young professionals?  Do we want more focus on the environment?  Do we just want to party?

2. These needs will then be looked at in terms of what types of transportation could help meet the needs.  If we want a thriving economy, does that mean we focus on trolleys or bus rapid transit?  Or better bike lanes?

3. Finally, all of these different types of technologies will be mapped on some different scenarios to determine how they would all fit into a particular plan.

I like this approach because it reminds me what a marketing professional once instructed me to do: You see, when you want to make a pie, you don’t just make a little dough, but you make enough so that you can make sure you’ll be able to cover the whole pie.  And then you cut that dough down until you have just what you need.  So the AATA is going to use the public’s input to make a lot of dough and then work through the process of cutting that input down into something that looks and tastes delicious.

The whole Moving You Forward process has already begun, with the head of the AATA Michael Ford, meeting with many members of the community.  There will also be lots of time for public input beginning later in the year.

If you are at all interested in seeing a plan for transit for this community (including how biking and walking fit into the picture) I encourage you to check out Movingyouforward.org and be a part of the discussion.

This just in:

From 1990 to 2009, the number of trips taken on foot more than doubled from 18 billion to 42.5 billion. Similarly, the number of bike trips increased from 1.7 billion to 4 billion. (from Ray LaHood’s Blog)

That’s according to a recent Federal Highway Administration Study. And in other good news, at the same time as walking and biking trips has increased, the number of pedestrians and cyclists killed is decreasing.

While all of this is great news, it’s clear we still have a ways to go to make it both practical and safe for people to bike and walk to their destinations.  But these numbers are encouraging!

getDowntown Chico bags were won by:

Univeristy of Michigan-Newnan Academic Advising – Derek P.

City of Ann Arbor – Jerry H.

TST to Central – Yancy L.

University of Michigan – LSA Instructional Support Services – Krista M.

Above the Treeline – Jeff P.

Infor Global Solutions – Anthony S.

Mitchell and Mouat Architects – John M.

City of Ann Arbor – Rich L.

Vie- 1 free salad and Free Barre Intensity Class Coupon – Google – Alicia C.

Vie- 1 free smoothie and Free Barre Intensity Class Coupon – Michigan Tech Research Institute – Marlene T.

Shannon Riffe is a getDowntown Ambassador and a walking commuter. She works at the Ann Arbor District Library as Program Assistant in Community Relations and Marketing. We interviewed her about why she walks to work:

How do you normally get to work?

I usually take the bus, but I’ve started to walk more as the weather warms up.

Why do you use sustainable transportation to get to work?

Cost – to save money on gas and parking.

Health – when I walk in, about 3 miles one way, I incorporate exercise into my day and I don’t have to set aside extra time for it.

Stress – I really dislike driving. I’m much happier to start off my day with a bus ride or a long walk than behind the wheel of a car.

Environment – I try to do my part to lessen my dependence on oil.

Any hints and tips for others looking to start walking to work?
As I mentioned earlier, I love incorporating heart-healthy activity into my day. When I walk in, not only have I had a stress-free commute and log some quality outdoor time, I’ve also gotten 45 minutes of exercise.

Any hobbies that you have?
Good thing I’m doing all that walking because I love to cook and eat. And since moving to Ann Arbor in the summer of 2008, my fiance and I have taken advantage of the great local food vendors and community.

Any other interesting tidbits?

Many of the AADL locations are accessible by bus. FInd out details for each branch here:http://www.aadl.org/aboutus/hours

Waiting for the bus in the morning, I watched a squirrel chew on the thick plastic covers on the electricity line.  I should be concerned for the expense it is going to cause my company which it will in turn pass on to everyone.  But I was more concerned for the squirrel though.  Shouldn’t this little guy know what is good and not so good for its body?  I was under the impression that all animals possessed this natural instinct.  I assumed humans were the only kind that required “teaching” to take care of itself.  But really, is it normal for a squirrel to chew on plastic?

On another note, there is a boy who rides the same bus as I do in the morning.  He almost always makes my day just by being him, the way he jumps down the steps, jumps down from the bus, and skips on the sidewalk on his way to school.

This post is from Commuter Challenge Ambassador S. Kutty

Another driver asked me for directions last week. This isn’t headline news, but considering I was on my bike fighting traffic on North Main and he was blocking traffic in his sports car, it was a tad unusual. As I pedaled thinking, ‘That Mazda is getting awfully close’, he rolls down the passenger side window, slows to about 15 mph and asks how to get to Arborland Mall.

Taken off guard (and still trying to avoid potholes) I take quick inventory of how I would get to Arborland (scenic bike paths along Huron River Drive to Washtenaw sidewalks), translate into vehicle capabilities, and tell him to go US 23-S and get off at Ann Arbor’s exit for 17. He zooms off, causing me to swerve before getting things back under control.

And then it happened again a few days ago. A couple in a Taurus pulled up while I was walking along Longshore Dr., asking how to get to Depot St. Minutes later, they were on their way before I realized you can’t take a Taurus across Argo Dam. Pedestrian OnStar FAIL.

Motorists, please. Don’t ask a sustainable commuter for directions. Yes, we often have elaborate mental maps of the city, but we’ll also tell you mistakenly to cut through the Arb to get to Geddes. Can’t be done.

And yes, we are more accessible than stopping at a gas station and we’re generally happier than that attendant in telling you how to get places. We’re not walking around to sell Unleaded and Fritos, after all. But JOIN US, where possible. We’ve got great infrastructure to commute sustainably in the area. You’ll get to see your neighborhood through new eyes and build your own mental map of shortcuts.

This post is from Commuter Challenge Ambassador Kate R.