Tracking sustainability news and events in Savannah, Georgia (and beyond)
Category
Planning
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01.18.12On bicycles and employmentCity of Savannah Mobility and Parking Director Sean Brandon has a guest post at the Creative Coast blog this morning, which makes important points about poverty, employment, planning and creative communities: "I have found repeatedly that the person that takes their bicycle on an inhospitable street is trying to do the very thing that many complain those in poverty don’t do: get to and from their job." You can read the whole post here.
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01.10.12CORE MPO seeks citizen input on Total Mobility PlanThe Coastal Region Metropolitan Planning Organization is hosting a series of meetings to solicit citizen input on the Total Mobility Plan: "The Total Mobility Plan is an in-depth planning effort which will emphasize sustainability, Complete Streets, Context Sensitive Design, non-motorized transportation and transit. The Plan will address the transportation network and specific facilities, but also the interaction between transportation and the community as a whole. The thoroughfare planning component will address facilities for auto traffic, bicycles, pedestrians, and public transit vehicles, including intersections. Workshop attendees will map context areas, creating a vision of the desired character in each community. The thoroughfare ...
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11.11.11Nov. 14 mayoral candidate forum will focus on transportation and sustainabilitySavannah mayoral candidates Edna Jackson and Jeff Felser will field questions about their positions on transportation and sustainability issues Monday, Nov. 14 at 6:30 p.m. Hosted by the Savannah Bicycle Campaign, US Green Building Council-Savannah Branch and League of Women Voters, the forum will be held at the Coastal Georgia Center, 305 Fahm St. The forum will start at 6:30 p.m., following a brief reception, and will be moderated by Jim Morekis, editor-in-chief of Connect Savannah. "As we choose our next mayor, it’s more important than ever to ensure that Savannah grows into the future and grows wisely,” said Mark Fitzpatrick, ...
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10.11.11Dawers targets exit ramp removal mythIf you read the comments on Savannah Morning News stories about the proposed removal of the I-16 flyover, you'll get a strong dose of windshield perspective. It's clear that many critics of the plan use one main criteria for evaluating its feasibility. Those who believe removal of the exit ramp will cause traffic congestion and extend their commutes by extra seconds (annoying) or even minutes (intolerable) downplay the advantages of removal or deny there are any advantages at all. Bill Dawers does a fine job on his blog of addressing this oft-repeated objection to removing the flyover: "The single weakest argument against ...
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09.26.11Sept. 27 forum will probe aldermanic candidates’ positions on sustainabilityA forum for Savannah's at-large aldermanic candidates is scheduled for Sept. 27 from 6-8 p.m. at the Coastal Georgia Center. The event is organized by the Savannah Bicycle Campaign and The Savannah Branch of the U.S. Green Building Council. Details from the Savannah Bicycle Campaign: Alderman At-Large candidates will gather to field questions regarding their positions on transportation and sustainability issues. The forum is free and open to the public, will be moderated by Orlando Montoya, news producer with Georgia Public Broadcasting in Savannah, and Jim Morekis, editor-in-chief of Connect Savannah. Candidates will answer formal questions delivered by the moderators during ...
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08.31.11Parking lots cause lots of problems, inspire lots of quotes and, once upon a time, started a movementBill Dawers has strong feelings about parking lots, which he shares in his City Talk column, "Another parking lot detracts from downtown's vibrancy" in today's Savannah Morning News: "They tend to rend the residential and retail fabric. They repel pedestrians. They generally generate far less economic activity than more intense uses. They create heat islands. They contribute to problems with drainage and polluted stormwater runoffs." And he's not alone in his thinking. Here's Donald Shoup quoting Jane Jacobs on how parking lots affect the sidewalks they border and the city at large: "The presence of open shops and people on the street encourages ...
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07.08.11Lawmakers propose disastrous, job-killing, backwards-looking transportation planIn a July 5 article called "How the Great Reset has Already Changed America," for the Atlantic, Richard Florida describes how our elected leaders are lagging behind and even moving in directions that suggest a disconnection from our current reality. He writes, "... our political and business leaders continue to look backwards, wasting precious time and resources on futile attempts to resuscitate the same dysfunctional system of banks, sprawl, and inefficient and energy-wasting ways of life that brought about the crisis in the first place." It's hard to imagine a better example of backwards-looking ideas than House Transportation Committee Chair John ...
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12.15.10Savannah Morning News columnist wonders about walkingA helpful reader pointed out Jane Fishman's Dec. 11 Savannah Morning News column, "Walking in Savannah proves to be a not-so-easy task." Having participated in an event that brings thousands of people to city streets, she wonders why they don't make walking part of their daily lives. "Don't they like to get somewhere during their walk or run? How many times can a person walk or run around the park without wanting to use that time and energy to arrive somewhere?" She quickly and astutely zeroes in on the problem, which is one pedestrians and cyclists share: Many local streets, having been ...
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09.16.10Tybee Island meeting seeks public input on U.S. Highway 80 bridgesThe idea of riding a bicycle from Savannah to Tybee Island is understandably appealing both to area residents and visitors from all over the United States. Unfortunately, the trip can be a dangerous one. Major barriers to safe travel by bicycle include the bridges at Bull River and Lazaretto Creek. A public meeting tonight on Tybee Island is part of a study of the situation. Details on the meeting are as follows: Pub Mtg 1 Press Release 090810.docx Thursday, September 16, 2010 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Tybee Island City Hall 403 Butler Ave. Tybee Island, GA 31328 The purpose of the study is to determine the ...
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07.21.10Want to improve conditions for walking and cycling in Savannah? Have your say today!What four words would you use to describe a community that is ideal for bicycling? What four words would you use to describe a community that is ideal for walking (or using a wheelchair)? You can provide the answers to these questions and others designed to solicit input for the Metropolitan Planning Organization's Non-motorized Transportation Plan. What in the world is that? Non-motorized transportation includes walking or using a wheelchair, bicycling, skating, and using pedicabs. The Non-motorized Transportation Plan, as part of the Total Mobility Plan, will serve as an update to the MPO’s Bikeway Plan of 2000 and as well as providing ...
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Transportation, land use, local farming and green building are all potential topics for Sustainable Savannah. The goal is to aggregate content about local events and projects, so there will be a central place to review everything that’s happening. The site is aimed at encouraging collaboration and information sharing between groups and individuals currently engaged in sustainability efforts. The site can also provide a snapshot of Savannah for green-minded people who are considering visiting or moving to the area.
