Local Bikeway

Bike trails are a key ingredient in the recipe for cooking up a livable city.

The Longleaf Trace, name inspired by the indigenous longleaf pine, runs along an abandoned freight rail track from the university out 39 miles through a handful of small towns. Right now, it is utilized primarily as a recreational bike and walk path, although some outlying apartment complexes are catching on. Shy little concrete paths are popping up to connect the (mostly student) apartments to the trail. No celebrations of neighborhood-meets-bike-trail yet - every new development so far along the trace has been planned solely around the car as the only means of transportation with the trace as a distant afterthought - but the few miles just beyond the university is prime for bike-centered student and young professional housing.

Plans for extending the trail from the university into downtown (about 3 miles) will transform the trace into an integral part of the city's transportation infrastructure. Situated alongside a major east/west corridor, this bike and walk path will offer a quick commute for students living downtown, cultivate downtown street activity (the lifeblood of public space), and create a stronger connection between the city's two main urban centers.

I live near the current mouth of the trail so it's very easy for me to pop on for a nice bike ride; most mornings I do go out for some peaceful yet-your-blood-flowing exercise. I took these pics this morning.

The Longleaf trace is a Rails to Trails project. There are several of them around the country. Local civic leaders and bike enthusiasts joined forces, and worked diligently over a number of years to bring this about, and the fruits of their efforts are bountiful.

Here's a link to the national Rails to Trails program. Find one near you...or build one.

http://www.railstotrails.org/index.html

Park It !

Is it possible to go an entire day without driving your car and go about "business as usual"?

I am happy to report that Tuesday, Earth Day, the answer for me was yes.

A dozen blocks on foot began the day - breakfast with Ed at IHOP. Ed is a long-time friend and running buddy, an Episcopal priest (who single-handedly revived my faith in his profession) and "ombudsman" extraordinaire. You should hear his sermons. Very inspirational, full of insight and love and woven with razor-sharp wit. I call it "stand-up homily."

Took care of an errand along the way.

After a hearty breakfast, and several hearty laughs, we carpooled downtown and took care of a few "necessaries". Employing some cerebral strategic planning (ok, we were really just driving and yacking) we breezed through our to-do lists in one car, not two.

Ed dropped me off at my place and I rode my bike for the rest of the day. It helps that I live only a couple of miles from my office.

So there you go; I did it.

It wasn't easy. The walking infrastructure has deteriorated over the past two generations as sprawl-centered development ignored anything but the car. And there are no bike lanes, so urban jungle rules apply. A rails-to-trails project will soon link the university with downtown with a walking/biking trail and that is a very positive initiative.

But it is possible.

What if every other day, we leave our cars at home. The result: half the cars on the road. Faster commutes, fewer traffic jams, less stress.

I understand that these options are not open to everyone. Some live in the county, and there, the car is really the only way to get from here to there. I live in a city, so I have options. Even though there are few sidewalks and no bike lanes, you can get around without a car. Sure the bus line could have longer hours, and could run more frequently, but with some personal planning, that's an option as well.

The more people insist on alternative modes of transportation, the easier it is for politicians and community leaders to move forward and initiate policies to fill in the gaps.

If we all look for options and engage in our community's effort to expand and enhance transportation alternatives, we can move in the direction of more livable, more humane existence and reverse the destructive trend of sprawl.

What can you do?

A Breath of Fresh Air

Green space is the life and breath of a community.

Intuitively, we know it.

Who can compare the beauty of a majestic canopy of local hardwoods with a clear-cut, treeless sea of asphalt?

Numerous scientific studies document the the thing we already know: Green Space lifts the quality of life and well-being of everyone in the community. The beauty of Nature may be difficult for an accountant to quantify, but on a human level, it has great value. We all know that on some level. Green space is, in the New American Village, a community asset.

With a bit of planning and cooperation, green space can be preserved, cultivated, and integrated into the fabric of the built environment for all to enjoy. Here are a few examples.

Urban squares. At the village center, green space provides a natural gathering place for individual or community activities, and green space in the densest part of town mitigates the hard edges of the built environment.

Neighborhood parks offer outdoor recreational opportunities to surrounding residents. A walk in the park, with the dog perhaps? A playground for neighborhood kids. A park bench in the shade for rest and reflection.

Put a little "park" in the parking lot. Trees balance out the starkness of large stretches of paving. And parking under a nice shade tree in the summer is always nice.

Greenways. Green space along waterways and drainage areas are perfect opportunities for a network of walking and biking paths throughout the community. Right of ways - roads, power, etc. - can be lush and green. No need to sacrifice beauty for necessity.

Here's a link to a "Rails to Trials" greenway. Take a look and see just how far a greenway can go in fostering a sense of community.

http://www.longleaftrace.org/

Are there more inspiring examples out there?