On Foot, Two Wheels, Four Wheels, Wings, Water – How To Get There And Back
“Watching him cycle the brick streets of the evening, you could see that Leo Auffmann was a man who coasted along enjoying the way the thistles ticked in the hot grass when the wind blew like a furnace, or the way the electric power line sizzled on the rain…” – Ray Bradbury
The sky's the limit when creative solutions and dedicated efforts achieve goals for communities.
Freedom and choices. People on the move; cargo and freight, food and business. Tourism, travel, education chapters in life open and close. A Multimodal and Transit Summit, Hartford, Nov. 19, co-hosted by UConn and several participating UConn departments, includes discussions of the connections between Springfield (Mass.), Boston, New York City, Connecticut, and central Massachusetts. Complete Streets and active transportation policies have been moving ahead in some cities faster than others, and the summit will provide an opportunity to share best practices across the entire region. Transit Oriented Development (TOD) concepts may be new along Connecticut’s knowledge corridor, but the definitely aren’t novel for New York City, New Jersey, and Boston. Presenters and topics from the entire Northeast Region, with topics for both transportation and development professionals, combined with an evening program for residents, citizen advocates, and intersectional topics. Planners will be able to receive professional CM credits for attending.
Keynote luncheon: Who’s at the Table? Working with Communities and Across Sectors. Other topics include Visualizing Mobility – data analytics informing municipal and regional planning; technology and developments that increase transportation options; CTfastrak, CTtransit, and commuter rail. First mile and last Mile projects around transit and closing the gap; community engagement and involvement; pulling it all together – complete streets, zoning, and regional planning.
Evening sessions include Tactical Urbanism in Connecticut, Let’s Just Try It! Connecticut’s Greenways and River Front Trails. Community bicycle workshops and youth programs – annual meeting. Road to Zero – Community Conversation and Action Planning with Teens and Young Adults.
The Transport Hartford Academy is working with the CT Chapter of the American Planning Association and the CT Department of Transportation to plan the summit. Contact Laura Suroviak or Tony Cherolis (860) 247-3227 for more information, sponsorship, costs or to participate in the event.
Intermodal. As defined by the Collins Dictionary: “of or pertaining to the conveyance of freight or passengers by more than one carrier or mode of transportation in a single journey.” In other words, walk to your door, choose how you will get to the place in your day's goal. Is that a personal car, truck, boat? A bicycle? Then a train, walking, taxi, Uber? Does your journey today involve a water taxi, ferry, boat, freighter? For those who pilot their own aircraft, how then to get to food and lodging, destinations? Taxi! Some cities such as New York and Boston, it's better to leave a car, truck or van at home, take the train, then taxi or other short-term for-hire wheels. That could be a LimeBike – if visiting a town or city that offers this bicycle share or rental systems.
Riding a bike near the Meriden Green, minutes from the new train and transportation center.
Bike New Britain, founded in 2015 to promote bicycling in the community and a 501(c)(3) charitable organization (2017), recently finished renovations to space that the City of New Britain owns on the first floor of Szczesny Garage, transforming it into the Bike New Britain headquarters – located steps from the downtown CTfastrak station and the CTfastrak multi-use trail. The all-volunteer organization will offer classes on bicycle repair, safe urban bicycle riding, driver/rider safety programs, informational guides to cycling, and instructional and recreational programs for youth. For a downloadable bike map, here's the link. Bike New Britain is an advocacy group comprised of residents, businesses, city personnel and other participants from a variety organizations with a goal to promote safe bicycling throughout New Britain contributing to a livable, sustainable community. The group provides bikes to the community through donations and a Bike Share Program, educates riders of all ages, advises the City’s Public Works Department regarding bicycle infrastructure, and organizes group rides – including the annual Hardware City Bike Tour.
One chapter ends, another begins. Because a road and bridge must be wider, a chance encounter led to seeing these marks carved on beams inside an old house.
So. How shall we be remembered. For works? A book or books, a child; someone helped, the gift of time and talent to enrich a community. A stone, a tree, a garden. Land preserved. A business. The beautiful sound of a bell, a library founded – monies directed in ways that leave a legacy for a town, state, and so, the future. Photographs and words. Structures kept to serve another purpose. Helping hands. Teaching, passing on knowledge (and/or kindness). Leadership, showing the way with integrity in words and deeds – not lies, hate, fear of others spread by a need to feel important. That tears holes in the fabric of civilization. Sports could not be played without rules, regulations, fair play – or not for long. Freedom sags and wanes under assault of those who would deny freedom of worship, thought, freedom of the press and the right to peaceful protest to others.
“There was always a minority afraid of something, and a great majority afraid of the dark, afraid of the future, afraid of the past, afraid of the present, afraid of themselves and shadows of themselves.” – Ray Bradbury
Note: For those wondering about the image of the bicycle headed skyward – it was part of the outdoor art installations at Wild Bill's Nostalgia – two bikes together formed an archway at the entrance to the book and record store section.