Government
If you ride your bike to work only one day this year, make it this Friday
Over the last several years, I’ve had the opportunity to talk with elected officials, community groups and individuals aboutthe tremendous benefits the city could accrue from encouraging more citizens and visitors to take to our streets on bicycles. While I think most people can get their heads around the general idea, there’s a disconnect for … Continue reading
April 29 community forum examines health effects of infrastructure, transportation
Healthy Savannah is sponsoring a community forum on April 29 at 6 p.m. at the Savannah Civic Center. The forum takes an important, but not often examined (at least locally) angle on community health. Instead of focusing entirely on personal nutrition and exercise, the forum will examine the health impacts of infrastructure — specifically related … Continue reading
The return of Ellis Square, Savannah’s next great public space
Standing in Ellis Square yesterday evening, it was a little difficult to remember the ugly parking garage that occupied the square for decades. It was even harder to imagine more than 1,000 parking spaces below all the grass, trees and people having fun. And there were plenty of people having fun. A ribbon cutting, staple … Continue reading
The usual blaming of the victim follows latest pedestrian death
This sequence of events is becoming awfully easy to predict: Pedestrian is killed or injured on a local street that’s dangerous by design. News media coverage of the incident uncritically repeats law enforcement warnings that pedestrians should use crosswalks. Readers and viewers of news media coverage jump at the chance to share stories about “stupid” … Continue reading
Defending the right to be irresponsible behind the wheel
Forgive the use of this obvious and overused phrase: Americans have very special relationships with their cars. But it’s true and a couple things I read this week reminded me of this. First, this letter to the editor of the Savannah Morning News (scroll down to “Safe driving a personal responsibility”) that acknowledges the danger … Continue reading
Series of workshops to imagine MLK without the I-16 overpass
As reported by the Savannah Bicycle Campaign last week, The Savannah-Chatham County Metropolitan Planning Commission and the Savannah Development and Renewal Authority are holding a three-day public workshop and charrette “to examine feasibility of removal of the I-16 exit ramps at Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd and Montgomery Street, and to address redevelopment along the … Continue reading
Study links walkability and access to healthy food in Savannah
Mary Landers’ story, Savannah examines making healthy food an easier choice, in the Jan. 6 Savannah Morning News describes a study commissioned by the Healthy Savannah Initiative, which documents the problem of food deserts in Savannah. Landers describes the study’s methodology, which uses a variety of data sources “to come up with a block-by-block analysis … Continue reading
One year later: Savannah’s curbside recycling program
To mark the one year anniversary of curbside recycling for residential customers in the City of Savannah, WTOC and WSAV aired approving segments on the program. It’s reached 50 percent participation, a level that surpassed expectations. Early in the program there was considerable grumbling about everything from missed pick ups, to the size of the … Continue reading
Project DeRenne concept provides a vision of corridor’s future
From coverage of last night’s Project DeRenne concept unveiling last night provided by WSAV, WTOC and the Savannah Morning News, you might get the idea that the mood in room was particularly contentious. I didn’t get that impression. And I was sitting a couple chairs away from a local business owner, who rose during the … Continue reading
Project DeRenne “preferred concept” to be unveiled Dec. 3
On Thursday, Dec. 3 at 7 p.m. the “preferred concept,” produced by the recent Project DeRenne charettes, will be unveiled in a former auto parts store at 131 W. DeRenne Ave. I’m interested to see what the folks from Kimley-Horne, working with city officials and citizens of all walks of life, have created. In a … Continue reading
