Did You Know That Transit Does That?...
According to the report, "Downtown Denver: A Magnet for the Future Workforce," released by the Downtown Denver Partnership, 46 percent of downtown Denver commuters use "active" transportation to get to work, including biking, walking and mass transit. READ THE 16 PAGE PDF REPORT HERE
|
|
|
Hello everyone! This is Bill Spriggs and I have found several news articles, links, and blogs that I wanted to share along THE BACK FENCE & beyond in the Sunday, February 19, 2012 Edition. |
 |
West Corridor, Denver & Region
| |
[Editor's Note: With the great news that RTD is gearing up for the spring and summer bus tours of the West Rail Line within the West Corridor, it reminds us that spring is just around the corner.
It also reminds us that in just 15 short months, the West Rail Line will transform our neighborhood again by turning it from the ugly caterpillar of early construction with the excruciatingly irritating noise of moving heavy machinery and piles of dirt to the blooming butterfly of a living, vital organism of steel rails, hanging wires, and moving tubes of metal. But, most importantly, FasTracks will carry the precious cargo of new people.
These new "explorers" will disembark and will be centering their new lives within walking and cycling distances of these new light rail stations. Each transit station will expand from its humble origins like a bud on a tree limb and eventually bloom into a vital part of the whole tree.
Since late 2008, with the birth of THE BACK FENCE, we have been attempting to enlighten our neighbors about the great tree of life that will transform our sleepy neighborhood to the "messy vitality" of people intermixing with their built environments what social scientists call, "Urbanism."
TBF has been attempting to tell our neighbors that, "everything will be OK." I want to report that I have not been as successful as I had hoped -- thru my own fault -- but that I am determined to continue the educational effort.
Thus, TBF will itself be transforming this top section in from its larger, regional scope, and devoting more time focusing on local items and issues in our own neighborhood. We will still have National and International reports below this section, but, it will be a difficult challenge as change comes slowly, so expect to see this top section with many editions silent for long stretches of time. Stay tuned.
According to the Ground Hog, Punxsutawney Phil, there are only 4 weeks to go till Spring arrives and things start blooming!
See ya around the West Corridor!
Editor, Bill Spriggs
Sunday, February 19, 2012
The Very Popular RTD West Corridor Bus Tours Are Back!! The RTD Fastracks team will be resuming the very popular bus tours of the West Rail Line construction starting in April. All tours will be from 9am to 11am on the 3rd Friday of the month (April thru Sept). Each reservation that is made is for one seat only; please sign-up all attendees individually. You will receive e-mail confirmation within one week of your registration. Click here
BoulderDailyCamera.com Environmental Groups Sue Feds Over Proposed Jefferson Parkway Land Swap
By John Aguilar, Feb 15, 2012 A pair of environmental groups filed suit this week in federal court against the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service over a land deal involving the Jefferson Parkway, adding to the opposition that has formed against the proposed 10-mile tollway that would connect Broomfield with Golden.
READ MORE...
|
|
National
| DissentMagazine.org
The Tea Party's Love Affair With Sprawl By Benjamen Ross, Feb 13, 2012
The Tea Party thinks controlling sprawl is a United Nations plot. As the New York Times reported a week ago, people are flooding zoning boards across the country with opposition to transit, bike lanes, and the like. They say these things are all part of a global conspiracy against "the American way of life" codified in a 1992 UN resolution called Agenda 21.
TheAtlanticCities.com
In San Francisco, Buses Become the Police By Eric Jaffe, Feb 16, 2012
For transit-only lanes to operate effectively within a city, they must remain clear for the next transit vehicle. But many drivers, frustrated with the crowding of the car lanes, drift into a roomy transit one out of either ignorance or contempt. The problem requires a lot of manpower to enforce, and therefore often goes unenforced.
TheAtlanticCities.com
We Need 'Broken Windows' for Traffic Crimes By Sarah Goodyear, Feb 17, 2012
"We don't accept gun violence as a way to die. We shouldn't accept traffic deaths as a way to die either."
TheAtlantic.com
Why Do People Oppose Development? By Megan McArdle, Feb 15, 2012 OK, let's stop right there, because I think this is the answer to the question. I don't care what you say your objection to a new building is, about 99% of the time the real objections are noise, congestion, and traffic. That's it. Everything else is just cover.
CapNTransit.BlogSpot.com
Why do Transit Planners Love Park-and-Rides? Wednesday, Feb 15, 2012
Park-and-rides are not the answer because of the Law of Mode Inertia: people in cars tend to stay in cars. Parking lots and garages will not get people out of their cars, at least at the parking end of the line, and thus they will do nothing to revitalize walkable neighborhoods or build a constituency for walking and local transit.
La.StreetsBlog.org
Editorial: It Ain't Easy Bein' L.A.'s Green Bike Lane By Joe Linton, Feb 16, 2012
The Los Angeles Times ran an editorial earlier this week entitled L.A.'s bike lane blooper. While the Times was generally supportive of L.A. City bike plan implementation, it did come out against green bike lanes in downtown Los Angeles stating that "the green lane spoiled the shots that made Spring the perfect stand-in for Anytown, USA."
|
|
International (when available)
| CreativeBoom.co.uk
Is Street Art the New Expression? By Natalia Fernandes, Feb 16, 2012 Expression is widely used through art and music. People seek the streets to convey the urban experiences of everyday life. Graffiti has considerably moved on from the basic letter 'graffs' into a more powerful and evocative form of expression. |
|
Sunday's Films (when available)
| | |
|
Things You Need to Know Along The West Corridor
|
>Lakewood, Tuesday, Feb 21, 2012 6:30pm to 8pm. Cops, Council and Community Forum
Clements Community Center
1580 Yarrow St., Lakewood Co. 80214 The Lakewood Police Department and the Lakewood City Council members from Ward 1 & 2 will host this quarterly forum program. Discussion this month: How to volunteer and what opportunities are in the Police Department. Open to all
>Lakewood, Wednesday, Feb 22, 2012, 7pm to 9pm Clements Community Center 1580 Yarrow St. Lakewood Co. 80214 League of Women Voters is sponsoring a public discussion of hydro-fracking. There will be representatives from the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, the Oil and Gas Industry and the Colorado Environmental Coalition. After a panel discussion, there will be a question-and-answer session. >Denver, Wednesday, Feb 29, 2012
Decatur-Federal Station Area Plan
2pm to 3:30pm. and 5:30 to 7pm
Fairview Elementary School Gymnasium
2715 West 11th Avenue, Denver, CO 80204 The City & County of Denver in partnership with Denver Housing Authority are launching the station area planning process. Food and child care provided. For more information, please call Barbara Frommell at (720) 865-2973 or email barbara.frommell@denvergov.org. >Lakewood, Thursday, March 01, 2012, 6pm to 8pm? RTD will hold a public meeting regarding the Sheridan and Wadsworth Parking Garages At this meeting, Swinterton Builders, the awarded design and build contractors for both garages, will present the design progress of the two parking garages. Construction is scheduled to being in March for the Wadsworth Garage, and will be followed by about six weeks for the Sheridan Garage. RTD West Rail Line office, 10455 West 6th Ave., Lakewood, Co. 80215 (enter on the west entrance) >Lakewood, Thursday, March 01, 2012, 6:30pm to 8:30pm A community Workshop on Sustainability for the 40 West Arts District Community Room of the Lakewood Cultural Center 470 S. Allison Parkway. The workshop will be hosted by the City of Lakewood and Global Green USA.
>Lakewood, Saturday, March 03, 2012
The EVERYTHING Gallery is scheduled to open. 1492-B Ammons Street
Lakewood, Co 80214 The new gallery will offer an array of antique furniture, jewelry, paintings, photography pottery, and jewelry The new gallery will be located just 0.5 miles, or a 4 minute bicycle ride from the future Wadsworth Light Rail Line. >Lakewood, Saturday, March 10, 2012, 7pm RMCAD Rocky Mountain College of Art & Design 1600 Pierce Street, Lakewood Co. 80214 "Life is nothing if you are not obsessed"
RMCAD Presents an Evening with John Waters
Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design is proud to present An Evening with John Waters. The cult filmmaker will present his one-man vaudeville show based on his spoken word, "This Filthy World" in RMCAD's Mary Harris Auditorium. This event is free and open to the public; however, reservations are required. Reservations will be accepted online only, beginning on Monday, February 13, 2012. This event is a part of RMCAD's Visiting Artist, Scholar, and Designer Program.
Reservations will begin on February 13, 2012 On this page The RMCAD campus is located just 0.9 miles, or a 6 minute bike ride from the future Lamar Street Light Rail Stop (The Brickyard Station). 
The very popular RTD West Corridor bus tours are back!! All tours will be from 9am to 11am on the 3rd Friday of the month (April thru Sept). Each reservation that is made is for one seat only; please sign-up all attendees individually. You will receive e-mail confirmation within one week of your registration.
|
|
|
Commercial Real Estate Assemblages or Individual Sites Available on the West Corridor
Major construction is done on the RTD West Rail Line and now is the time to begin Phase 2: Creating a new image of the West Corridor by building high-quality, high-density development along RTD's West Rail Line. Let's get the party started.
Please Note: TBF does not
buy or sell real property.
|
|
Things You Need to Know in The Region (when available)
|
Applications are now being accepted for the 2012 Transit Alliance Citizens' Academy. Twice a year, the highly acclaimed Transit Alliance Citizens' Academy holds classes for citizens of the Denver Region to learn more about the many facets and huge benefits that transit-oriented living could mean. The application process is highly competitive as there are only 50 slots available and the Academy usually receives twice that amount. The Spring and Fall Citizens' Academies will be held on Wednesday evenings for seven weeks at the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce from 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM. Spring 2012 classes will be held on Wednesday evenings beginning April 4th and ending on May 16th. Fall 2012 classes will begin on September 5th and end on October 17th, 2012 Clicking here will send you to the application page. Please read the instructions closely and submit your applications from this page.
|
|
|
|
|
