[EQAB-list] Public Input: Air Quality and Transportation - with color dot voting

[Fred L Stephens]

Public input on Air Quality and Transportation
1/17/2009
City of Oak Ridge
Scribe: Fred Stephens, re-edit on 1/19/09

(re-organized under topics, color dot voting is indicated by asterisks)

[Education]
Community education for understanding CO2 emissions and global warming.

[Burning]
No burning
Open burning seasons (times of year to burn/not burn)
Reduce emissions from burning (land clearing 
waste, fireplaces, and home heaters)

[Neighborhoods]
Retrofit existing buildings for mult-use: residential/retail/office
* Comprehensive plan for community work/live urban planning values
Neighborhood retail
Live where you work/ work where you live
Complete streets 
(<file:///http://www.completestreets.org/>www.completestreets.org)
Streets with context sensitive design  (www.livablestreets.com)
Commercial zones friendly to pedestrians and bikers.

[Food]
Local food production initiative to reduce 
vehicle miles involved in transporting food and 
increasing food/economic security.
Buy local campaign
* Community gardens in new developments

[Schools]
  * Neighborhood schools
Encourage kids to walk to school
More utilization of school buses by kids
Seat belts in buses to encourage school bus use
Integrate public and school transportation.
More efficient school buses
Community integrated schools (more mix use of school buildings)

[Government vehicles]
* * Retrofit existing vehicles (government/schools) for use of natural gas
Energy efficient city vehicles
Alternative fuels for government vehicles

[Vehicle pollution]
Reduce vehicle idling (traffic light adjustments, 
reduce school pickup idling, reduce government. 
vehicle idling, drive-throughs, roundabouts)
Vehicle emissions testing and enforcement
Engineer friendly for electric vehicles: slower 
traffic/re-charge meters/time-of-day meters
Traffic engineering for energy savings, bike 
friendliness, and pedestrian friendliness.
Strategic planning with a target of reducing mile traveled.
Smart traffic control
Traffic calming, roundabouts
Eliminate heavy duty trucks short cuts through city

[Telecommuting]
Encourage telecommuting
Reduce vehicle idling via flex-time jobs
City broadband Internet and Wifi Internet to support telecommuting

[Ride-sharing]
Car clubs – zip cars (www.zipcar.com)
Jitney service for the elderly
Share taxi. (A mode of transport that falls 
between private transport and conventional bus 
transport, often with a fixed or semi-fixed 
route, but with the added convenience of stopping 
anywhere to pick or drop passengers and not 
having fixed time schedules. The vehicles used 
range from standard 4 seater cars up to minibuses)
Car-pooling, vans, etc.
Incentives for micro buses
* Computer networking for car pooling: i.e. Use 
expertise of computer networking  designers 
(packets) to participate with traffic engineers in considering options
Smart options on debris removal for development (related to burning/chipping)

[Public transportation]
Regional public transportation
More public transportation
* * * * Join causes for public transportation. 
Elderly/economic/efficiency needs joined to the need for air quality.
* Arterial shuttles
Light rail
Zero-pollution transportation (Smart technology choices)

[Parking]
Day Parking lots to support use of public transportation
Parking lots on edge of town connected to bike lanes and public transportation.
Green parking lots: lots that are environmental friendly
Parking lots with plug-in vehicle meters for recharging.
Incorporate parking into parks and recreations plans of walking and biking

[Bikes/walking/pedestrians]
* More bike lanes and bike boxes (Bike boxes: Google “Portland bike boxes”)
Strategic planning for bike paths: connecting
Strategic planning for walking pathways/sidewalks – again connecting sections
Make bikeways and off-street walkways for new developments a requirement
Slope friendly boardwalks as opposed to sidewalks 
because high slope sidewalks are unusable.
  * More sidewalks
More green belts for encouraging walking/biking
Bike racks
Community bicycles
* Pedestrian bridge over turnpike

[Trees/vegetation]
Tree planting education (appropriate trees by growth, side)
City forester
Using vegetation (trees/shrubbery) to cool air and protect bldg from winds/heat
Underground utilities to save overheard trees from pruning
Control tree cutting more
  * Control invasive plants
More native plant utilization
Less grass to mow

[Other]
Capitalize locally on local recycling
Solar attic fans
Encourage photovoltaic use
Light pollution control
Grants for green money
More pollution controls on all power generation.
Emissions containment












Fred L Stephens
email: freds7 at dancingcreek.com