Rate Your Town's Walkability

WALKSCORE:  According to them Laguna is rated 98/100 for walk-ability. Then why is the town saturated with cars and everybody is seen driving? Only George Carlin knows.

BIKESCORE: Coming soon when their website is finished, stay tuned. Meanwhile you can Tweet a request for a bikescore here.

San Diego Planners are Counting Bikes

SDSU Professor Sherry Ryan

Bicycling is fun. It's also an important part of city planners' vision of our future.

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Planners and government officials think researching who is biking where is worth the investment. That's just what San Diego is doing. SDSU Professor Sherry Ryan is standing by a bike counter embedded in the pavement. Full text at KCBS San Diego.

SPRAWL

A successful street, Norquist says, must serve as: a path on which people travel, a place that facilitates the buying and selling of goods and services, and a public gathering spot. In short: a street is analogous to a city itself. Read "What Happpens When You Legislate Against Vibrant Streets", Jeremy Rosenberg, KCET, Los Angeles.

Thanks to the thousands of people who turned out en mass to take part in London’s Drive to Work Day. See how we took over the centre of London creating gridlock today. (Thank you drivetowork.org for making our point.) -LS

The Parking Squid

It’s called “Parking Squid,” and we want these everywhere because who would dare steal a bike from the tentacles of a giant squid? Those things are scary! Funded by the Seattle DOT 1% for Art funds and designed by local business Decorative Metal Arts. (made locally?)  By Sarah Laskow at GRIST

WE WANT MORE PARKING Waaaaaaaaah!!!

The Planning Commission of Laguna Beach want you the public to solve our parking problems because they can't figure out how. Read the short invitation in the Independent article for some background.

Despite four YEARS of subcommittee meetings between city officials and local residents on this topic the PC refuses to abandon a car-centric approach to mobility. Now after 4 years of paid salaries and benefits the PC is asking the public again for help with their homework.

Maybe a suggestion from outside the ‘Bubble’ will help, PEDal of San Clemente offers this:
Fact 1: Laguna’s roadways cannot be widened.
Fact 2: Laguna’s roadways cannot accommodate more cars.
Fact 3: 20th century car-dependency created Laguna’s parking problems.
Fact 4: 19th century velocipedal technology moves more people.
Conclude:   Adopt a multi-modal transport system
(LS)

Traffic Calming

Laguna Beach observes a 36-foot height limit on downtown structures to preserve 'old-town' charm - street parking, auto clutter and parking meters notwithstanding. The rest of the world observes different rules. Outdoor Cafes, Beyoglu, Turkey. (Google Image)

Half the Fun is How You Get There

Family shopping Saturday afternoon, Amsterdam style

Notice these kids don't need to be "entertained" by the back-seat television in an SUV. They are instead engaged in the Saturday afternoon process: shopping with Mom. A healthy mobility alternative with zero emissions, what better legacy to leave kids? For more street-life photos, on foot and by bike, see the photo sequence at cdmCyclist by Frank Peters.

Get Ready for More Parking Tickets

The Laguna Beach coastline is roughly 7 miles long. If little shops in high traffic zones downtown can't make it, how should businesses outside the downtown business zone survive? In a town already saturated with cars, no parking garage will rescue these businesses. Read "Little shops struggle downtown" - Joanna Clay, Coastline Pilot.

Leiden Netherlands, a Model of Balanced Mobility

Fred Swegles THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

"In some ways, Leiden is like a mini- Amsterdam with its ubiquitous canals, Gothic architecture and bicycle culture." Einstein was a guest university professor while Rembrandt was born there.

Fred Swegles THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTE

In 1620 the Pilgrims sailed the Mayflower from their brief home in Leiden to the New World. ( You might recall the Pilgrims had something to do with Thanksgiving! ) Today Leiden is a model city with a balanced transportation system including water- ways, commuter trains, buses, private autos, cyclists and walkers.  The Dutch are mobility experts, we could learn from them.   Read the historic account  by Candice Shih in the OC REGISTER.