Could San Jose learn from New York City?
Bus rapid transit, colored bike lanes, bus arrival video screens, offboard fare collection, elevated linear parks, open streets. No matter where you go in this valley one word that gets bandied about in abundance is the word "innovation." Yes this is true we are innovative, when it related to bits, data packets, efficient coding, etc. But when it comes to urban transportation, public spaces, and bike infrastructure we somehow slap ourselves on the forehead and let out a big d-oh.
To Valley geeksters public space usually is nothing more than free food at the company canteen. Walking is the 400 foot straight shoot from the car across the lot to the secured door.
Yeah I know New York is a big city and much of what works there probably won't work here. Look carefully in this video from New York and you will be amazed at what can be done here in San Jose and the Silicon Valley.
So when transportation planners, city staffers, board members tell you that white paint on potholed eight-lane arterial is innovative, show them examples from New York, Portland, Melbourne, Chicago, or Bogota.
Join us at City Hall
The San Jose City Council will accept the Draft Diridon Station Master Plan at their next meeting on January 25. This is an evening meeting and will begin at 7:00. Agenda item 9 (pdf) covers both the Good Neighbor Committee Recommendations and the Draft Diridon Station Master Plan.
If you can't make it to the meeting, contact you council representative and voice your support for the plan. Also please sign our Diridon Station Bicycling Manifesto.
photo: Dan Burden pedbikeimages.org