When affected by personal events, politicians are confronted by reality. The phony speeches about trendy subjects that tickle people’s ears and raise campaign coffers actually create a realism of changed attitudes when those in a governmental position of power are pushed by personal motivation.
Mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio Villaraigosa, had a revelation that Los Angeles is designed for cars. Last Saturday Mayor Villaraigosa took a bike ride to the beach. While he was riding in the bike lane on Venice Boulevard, a taxi pulled out in front of him. The Mayor swerved, fell off the bike and broke his elbow.
Will this lead to sweeping change to motorist’s laws regarding bicycle safety?
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Friday, July 23, 2010
US rail
An article from The Economist:
http://www.economist.com/node/16636101?story_id=16636101
The article begins by talking about LA's Union Station being a fine example of rebuilding architecture; which is true as a remarkable show of craftsmanship. The need, however, is to build a modern transportation system that adheres to society's mobility demands in the year 2010.
http://www.economist.com/node/16636101?story_id=16636101
The article begins by talking about LA's Union Station being a fine example of rebuilding architecture; which is true as a remarkable show of craftsmanship. The need, however, is to build a modern transportation system that adheres to society's mobility demands in the year 2010.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Fresno's history
Fresno's history is steeped in agriculture and transportation; in the early 1870's Leland Stanford designated a train stop in the center of the San Joaquin Valley to be called Fresno Station. The area exploded in wealth and population, making Fresno the 4th largest area in the State of California during the 1920's. The history of Fresno's vibrant life, financial strength, and success as the regional commerce hub for Downtown Fresno was found in the ease of its mobility. Photos of Downtown Fresno in the 1920's show Fresno covered in pedestrian traffic.
The missing piece of all the downtown attempts to recreate a vibrant commerce hub is the mobility component which makes it convenient and easy to get around. In the early 1930s the transit system was removed. That piece has never been replaced. In the early 1930's Fresno's phenomenal growth stopped. A study of old photos and maps reveal Fresno was designed as a big city destination. Fresno County was the 'Ag' center of the universe.
The privately funded Edison hydro-electric facility that fed Los Angeles power was built in Fresno County. Fresno was huge; doorway to three National Parks, halfway between LA and San Francisco, close to the mountains and a couple of hours away from the ocean, it is conveniently located in the middle of everything.
The missing piece of all the downtown attempts to recreate a vibrant commerce hub is the mobility component which makes it convenient and easy to get around. In the early 1930s the transit system was removed. That piece has never been replaced. In the early 1930's Fresno's phenomenal growth stopped. A study of old photos and maps reveal Fresno was designed as a big city destination. Fresno County was the 'Ag' center of the universe.
The privately funded Edison hydro-electric facility that fed Los Angeles power was built in Fresno County. Fresno was huge; doorway to three National Parks, halfway between LA and San Francisco, close to the mountains and a couple of hours away from the ocean, it is conveniently located in the middle of everything.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Friday, July 16, 2010
global HSR
According to this article: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-07-15/vinci-wins-order-to-build-7-8-billion-euro-high-speed-railway.html ; a 200 mile HSR system will create 60,000 new and permanent jobs. Okay, why does the CA HSR authority say their project will produce 100,000 temporary and 450,000 permanent jobs?
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Here now
When will Fresno hear now? Soon they will listen and even pay attention to the words being spoken.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Downtown Growth
Another story about the validity which supports the concentration of Downtown commerce as being an economic benefit for a community:
http://bit.ly/d7UFTa
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
blogging for the future
There is something to be said for the future and electric vehicles. Society's quest for urban growth towards automobile oriented sprawl is unsustainable. A clean air electric car does nothing to minimize road rage, wrecks or traffic fatalities. Highway patrol units will still issue traffic tickets. Without reigns, the Valley's farmland will disappear under the disc of stucco development. The BIA uses it political might to prepare statewide doubling of housing densities for its tunnel visioned tract developers lower land costs; with zero insight to the consequence to existing infrastructure and travel arteries. Urban growth is changing and profitability is available in large quantities with new growth patterns of high density TOD building. The BIA has to discover this insight to survive.
California's AB32 targets mandate environmental justice that can only be obtained by urban growth away from unsustainable automobile centric sprawl. The real estate development industry has to consider the same building methodology that allowed phenomenal growth percentage rates of the 1800s with privatized mass transit. These techniques are tried and proven for sustainable city expansion. High density multi-use development creates social equity, economic success and is environmentally clean with modern building techniques.
Electrically powered or clean fueled vehicles alone, with traditional automobile oriented real estate development, are inadequate to provide sustainable land-use urban growth. Transit corridors which provide alternative forms of mobility and mass transit are necessary to provide economic, environmental and social success. History shows growth along these corridors stimulates local and regional economic strength with high density development at transit station sites.
The root of California's economic demise is the un-sustainability of the automobile. According to the CEC, $110million per day is consumed at the pump in California to pay for gasoline. That money is extracted from California's economy due to the function of real estate being designed only for an automobile instead of people.
There are many solutions.
California's AB32 targets mandate environmental justice that can only be obtained by urban growth away from unsustainable automobile centric sprawl. The real estate development industry has to consider the same building methodology that allowed phenomenal growth percentage rates of the 1800s with privatized mass transit. These techniques are tried and proven for sustainable city expansion. High density multi-use development creates social equity, economic success and is environmentally clean with modern building techniques.
Electrically powered or clean fueled vehicles alone, with traditional automobile oriented real estate development, are inadequate to provide sustainable land-use urban growth. Transit corridors which provide alternative forms of mobility and mass transit are necessary to provide economic, environmental and social success. History shows growth along these corridors stimulates local and regional economic strength with high density development at transit station sites.
The root of California's economic demise is the un-sustainability of the automobile. According to the CEC, $110million per day is consumed at the pump in California to pay for gasoline. That money is extracted from California's economy due to the function of real estate being designed only for an automobile instead of people.
There are many solutions.
Job Fair for solar industry
Time: July 16, 2010 from 9am to 2pm
Location: Real Goods Solar, Fresno Office
Organized By: Cheryl Hansen-Abshere
Location: Real Goods Solar, Fresno Office
Organized By: Cheryl Hansen-Abshere
Event Description:
Premier Fresno Solar Installation Company: Real Goods Solar to provide new jobs immediately
Real Goods Solar-Central Valley has announced its intention to stimulate the local economy with immediate employment opportunities. Real Goods Solar is expanding their organization with over 20 new positions. Opportunities are available for installation crews, as well as sales and management positions.
A job fair is being held on Friday, July 16, 2010 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Real Goods offices at 3109 N. Miami #101, Fresno, CA 93727 (Shields and Sunnyside Avenues). They will be taking resumes, conducting on site interviews. They anticipate putting the successful candidates to work in the month of August.
Contact: Cheryl Hansen-Abshere
(559) 650-2555
Cheryl.Hansen-Abshere@RealGoods.com
About Real Goods Solar
Real Goods Solar is a leading solar energy integrator, having installed over 5,000 solar electric systems for both residential and commercial properties. Real Goods Solar offers turnkey solar energy solutions, and has 30 years of experience in solar energy, beginning with its sale of the first solar photovoltaic panels in the United States in 1978. With offices in San Rafael, Richmond, Campbell, Fresno, Santa Cruz, Murrieta, and Hopland, California, as well as in Boulder, Colorado, Real Goods Solar is one of the largest residential solar installers in the United States. For more information, go to www.realgoodssolar.com or call 1-888-507-2561.
Premier Fresno Solar Installation Company: Real Goods Solar to provide new jobs immediately
Real Goods Solar-Central Valley has announced its intention to stimulate the local economy with immediate employment opportunities. Real Goods Solar is expanding their organization with over 20 new positions. Opportunities are available for installation crews, as well as sales and management positions.
A job fair is being held on Friday, July 16, 2010 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Real Goods offices at 3109 N. Miami #101, Fresno, CA 93727 (Shields and Sunnyside Avenues). They will be taking resumes, conducting on site interviews. They anticipate putting the successful candidates to work in the month of August.
Contact: Cheryl Hansen-Abshere
(559) 650-2555
Cheryl.Hansen-Abshere@RealGoods.com
About Real Goods Solar
Real Goods Solar is a leading solar energy integrator, having installed over 5,000 solar electric systems for both residential and commercial properties. Real Goods Solar offers turnkey solar energy solutions, and has 30 years of experience in solar energy, beginning with its sale of the first solar photovoltaic panels in the United States in 1978. With offices in San Rafael, Richmond, Campbell, Fresno, Santa Cruz, Murrieta, and Hopland, California, as well as in Boulder, Colorado, Real Goods Solar is one of the largest residential solar installers in the United States. For more information, go to www.realgoodssolar.com or call 1-888-507-2561.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Saturday, July 3, 2010
More about the CA HSRA from the Oakland Tribune
California salivates as Obama administration offers $2.3 billion for high-speed rail
Posted: 06/28/2010 11:21:10 PM PDT
Updated: 06/29/2010 06:40:35 AM PDT
The Obama administration will award $2.3 billion in high-speed rail money this year, a boost to California's dream of capturing annual funds to build a bullet-train project that critics say the state cannot afford.
Unlike the one-time nature of the federal government's $8 billion high-speed rail stimulus program in January — which gave California $2.25 billion — the funds announced Monday are included in the Department of Transportation budget for the current fiscal year ending Sept. 30.
The federal government's first major budget appropriation to high-speed rail, backed by President Barack Obama's push for fast trains to create jobs and stimulate the economy, signals that federal bullet-train money could be available on an annual basis.
The California High-Speed Rail Authority hopes to reel in at least $12 billion more in federal funds by 2016 to bankroll its $43 billion project. Some critics, most recently the state auditor, say the agency's funding plans are unrealistic.
Although the figure announced Monday is more than twice the $1 billion first proposed by Obama, it is less than the $4 billion that legislators in the House had asked for.
California will have to compete with Florida, the Midwest and other regions hoping to build high-speed rail lines. The state received 28 percent of the high-speed rail stimulus money announced earlier this year, and if that formula holds, California will get less than $650 million from the most recent grants.
The state could match its grant using part of the $9 billion in high-speed rail bond money voters approved in November 2008. The bond money can be unlocked only by matching other funds.
States would need to match 20 percent of the grants using nonfederal sources, which could give California a leg up in the competition. In a statement, rail authority Chairman Curt Pringle said the state will "compete aggressively for our share of these funds."
States have until Aug. 6 to submit applications. The DOT's Federal Railroad Administration, or FRA, will award the grants by the end of September.
Specifically, the FRA will award $2.1 billion "to continue the development" of high-speed rail corridors, and another $245 million for individual construction projects within those areas.
Construction on California's 800-mile project could begin as early as fall 2012, with bullet trains whisking along the Caltrain line on their way from San Francisco to Los Angeles by 2020.
Contact Mike Rosenberg at 650-348-4324
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