long-range planning
I just sent the following to the Chapel Hill Town Council:
I see that on your agenda tonight is a recommendation to expand the Central West committee by one member and to appoint a specific person to that committee. I haven't seen anyone make the case that the original formulation of the committee was faulty. The number and type of constituents as well as the specific individuals that you already appointed have been publicly discussed and agreed upon.
I believe the Town should either work hard to find someone from the public housing community, or leave the seat vacant until you do. I see no reason to make this change other than to oil a very squeaky wheel. I hope you have a higher standards for policy changes than this.
Thanks for your consideration.
The recommendation in question is this: http://chapelhillpublic.novusagenda.com/Bluesheet.aspx?itemid=2076&meetingid=195
Learn more about the Central West Focus Area at http://www.townofchapelhill.org/index.aspx?page=2020
I love newspapers and news blogs. I love reporters. I used to be a reporter. I come from 150 years of men – and one grandmother, Cyrene Bakke Dear – who published local community newspapers from Jersey City to Sedalia, Mo.
In the '60s my mom and dad got a lot of late-night, threatening calls from the Klan in my hometown of Elizabeth City, NC for what my dad did through the Daily Advance. David Dear informed the community with courage. He was also an equal opportunity employer before the phrase existed and he got threats for that, too.
I miss reporters. We need reporters here in Orange County. And everywhere. But you know that.
What you may not know is that something really big just happened here, something that may grow in significance for our community for the rest of the century.
And you probably have not heard a thing about it.
Thanks
to this flyer I spotted on the bus last week, I went to the first of
two public hearings held by Chapel Hill Transit this week. The second one
is tomorrow (Tuesday) at Chapel Hill Town Hall.
I was running in and out of the meeting after my son who also likes buses, but isn't very patient with meetings. I did get a chance to say my piece, which included advice about making the time between buses ("headways") more consistent and supporting longer service hours. But it wasn't until chatting with Loren Hintz after the meeting that I learned that part of the purpose of the meeting is to get feedback for a major study that Chapel Hill Transit is undertaking,
The town website says that "The Comprehensive Operational Analysis (COA), a joint effort of CHT and its funding partners, Town of Chapel
Hill, Town of Carrboro and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
will lead to recommendations for service improvements for overall
system efficiency and effectiveness." Apparently this includes major realignment of the routes, which is probably a good idea. Many of the routes haven't been updated for over a decade, and I think the community might be better served by rethinking how to create a web of service that includes more of a service grid (think: east-west connector along Estes Drive and linear routes on Greensboro, MLK, and Franklin, for example) and reduces the number of franken-routes like the J bus where you could ride for half an hour to go a distance that could be walked in 20 minutes.
Apparently this week's meetings are just the first in a series of events to collect and share information. If you can't make the hearing tomorrow, Chapel Hill Transit would still like your input via one of these methods:
1. Call CHT at 919-969-4900, press 1
2. Email us at coa@townofchapelhill.org
3. Fax to 919-968-2840 (Attn: COA)
4. Mail to CHT, Attn: COA, 6900 Millhouse Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27516-8175
What will you tell them?
Date:
Tuesday, October 26, 2010 - 2:00pm
Location:
Chapel Hill Town Hall, 405 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Chapel Hill
Tomorrow is the second public information session on the Town of Chapel Hill's Long Range Transit Plan.
James Carnahan wrote a great opinion piece in the Carrboro Citizen last month about the LRTP and the importance of public engagement with the questions it raises. Here's just a bit, I recommend reading the entire thing:
This document will play an important role in future investments we
make in transit infrastructure, and thus in our ability to reduce our
greenhouse gas emissions, increase the walkability of our towns and
enhance the vitality of our local economy.
Via e-mail announcement:
Dear NRG neighbors and supporters:
Mark your calendars for December 10, 2008! Chapel Hill 2020: where are we headed?
Neighborhoods for Responsible Growth will hold a public forum on growth, density, and the future vision for our community on the evening of Wednesday, December 10, 2008, in the Chapel Hill Town Council Chambers, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
As our community has grown, the need for a community-wide discussion on how we want our town to look has become acute. More and more citizens are expressing uncertainty and concern about what degree of density is most appropriate for our community, and where the best locations for it might be.
NRG believes that our region will develop best if it develops based on a comprehensive vision that is understood and endorsed by informed citizens. The goal of this forum is to kick off a community-wide discussion of these issues. NRG will be broadcasting more information as the agenda and speaker list firms up. But for now:
- Mark your calendar for this event
- Please forward this e-mail to any and all potentially interested friends and neighbors
- Please send any questions to NRG by return response to info@nrg-nc.net
Thank you, and please watch for more details on this important event!
Julie McClintock and Kristina Peterson
Co-Chairs, NRG
www.nrg-nc.net
info@nrg-nc.net
Date:
Wednesday, December 10, 2008 - 2:00pm
Location:
Council Chambers, Chapel Hill Town Hall
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