Pinthouse Pizza
Ways We Can All Fight Pollution
RECEIVED Mon., March 31, 2008
Dear Editor,
It's not surprising that Austin's air is heavily polluted. Blaming Houston will not help. There are many very simple things we can do.
How about an anti-idling campaign? Idling motor vehicles put out heat and poison gas. What if motorists switched off their engines while sitting in traffic jams?
How about a ban on gasoline-powered leaf blowers? Even Los Angeles has banned these monstrosities.
And how about treating people who aren't in cars as full citizens? Ten years ago, the City Council announced that it would vastly increase the percentage of Austinites who walk and bicycle for transportation. In this time, Bogotá, Colombia; Paris; and London have succeeded wildly at this. And Austin has done nothing.
Austin supports increased population density without increased pedestrian space. If we can't have sidewalks, how about pedestrian lanes? Austin talks big about “walkability” and treats pedestrians like dirt.
Why don't we have midblock crosswalks on busy streets in places where people actually cross? Every weekday, state office workers walk across Lamar to eat lunch in the Triangle. No crosswalks. No recognition that pedestrians even exist.
Get off the train in Chicago, and you'll be on streets lined with bicycle racks. You'll see plenty of bicycles, too, both parked and in motion. Why isn't Congress Avenue lined with bicycle racks? Why aren't bicyclists clearly welcome on Austin streets?
Austin's drive-by New Urbanism is just like its clean-air policy – empty talk by hopeless car addicts. Without car-free leaders, I fear that nothing will change.
It's not surprising that Austin's air is heavily polluted. Blaming Houston will not help. There are many very simple things we can do.
How about an anti-idling campaign? Idling motor vehicles put out heat and poison gas. What if motorists switched off their engines while sitting in traffic jams?
How about a ban on gasoline-powered leaf blowers? Even Los Angeles has banned these monstrosities.
And how about treating people who aren't in cars as full citizens? Ten years ago, the City Council announced that it would vastly increase the percentage of Austinites who walk and bicycle for transportation. In this time, Bogotá, Colombia; Paris; and London have succeeded wildly at this. And Austin has done nothing.
Austin supports increased population density without increased pedestrian space. If we can't have sidewalks, how about pedestrian lanes? Austin talks big about “walkability” and treats pedestrians like dirt.
Why don't we have midblock crosswalks on busy streets in places where people actually cross? Every weekday, state office workers walk across Lamar to eat lunch in the Triangle. No crosswalks. No recognition that pedestrians even exist.
Get off the train in Chicago, and you'll be on streets lined with bicycle racks. You'll see plenty of bicycles, too, both parked and in motion. Why isn't Congress Avenue lined with bicycle racks? Why aren't bicyclists clearly welcome on Austin streets?
Austin's drive-by New Urbanism is just like its clean-air policy – empty talk by hopeless car addicts. Without car-free leaders, I fear that nothing will change.
Yours truly,
Amy Babich
Amy Babich