In case you missed Michael Drabenstott, RenewLV Board member, discussing RenewLV’s Regional Water Initiative on Tempo PublicSquare (PBS 39) this weekend, you can watch it here:

Post any thoughts or comments below.

This weekend, Tempo Public Square, on PBS 39, will cover the state of aging water infrastructure in Pennsylvania,  as well as discuss RenewLV’s effort to mobilize community support for regional collaboration on water/wastewater infrastructure in the Lehigh Valley. Michael Drabenstott, member of RenewLV’s Water Regionalization Sub-Committee, will discuss the cost-efficency and smart growth aspects of a regional approach to water and wastewater resource management. The program will examine the potential benefits that could come from regional collaboration, as well as the challenges ahead and often-raised criticisms.

With nearly 40 different publicly-owned water and wastewater systems in the Lehigh Valley, the region could be better positioned in addressing the upgrades, repairs, and maintenance of outdated infrastructure through a collaborative approach.  Moreover, given the impact that water infrastructure has on development patterns, a regional approach will ensure that the Lehigh Valley continues to grow in a coordinated and well-planner manner.

Tempo PublicSquare: Water Consolidation airs this Friday, November 6th, at 7:30 PM, with a repeat showing on Sunday, November 8th, at 11:30AM, on PBS39, Channel 39.

Learn more by visiting RenewLV’s Regional Water Initiative page, and sign-up as a supporter on our Join Us page.

Given the Lehigh Valley’s close proximity to Philadelphia, many of our readers are following the news from the Greater Philadelphia area. For this reason, many of you are aware that the transit workers from the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) went on strike early Tuesday morning (negotiations are in process between members of the Transport Workers Union Local 234 and the authority). Understandably, this has affected commuting schedules for thousands of workers, students, and residents. But one organization has been proactive during this time.

The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia has set up additional bicycle corrals and service stations in the city.  (Just like RenewLV, the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia is a partner organization in the T4PA coalition.) The Coalition is leading the Bike the Strike Campaign to encourage bicycle use during this strike, rather than turning to vehicle use. Free coffee, bike maps, and safety handouts are being distributed by City Hall. Check out their blog for more information about the campaign and to see some Philadelphia cycling pictures. Given the tremendous impact that the strike is having, the Coalition’s resources (read: staff time) is being used to capacity, and they are currently looking for volunteers to help out with the campaign. If you are near the city and can offer a little bit of your time, contact Max Rosen-Long max@bicyclecoalition.org.

Saucon Creek

A major focus of RenewLV’s work is on regional collaboration (particularly with regard to governance). Indeed, all of RenewLV’s current initiatives aim at creating a region characterized by strong communities, which, undoubtedly, requires some type of collaborative approach between the local municipalities. As many of our readers are aware, the issues related to development and smart growth are not issues that often abide by jurisdictional boundaries. As is often the case with land and water (and, as we have seen, public health) policy, concerns related to these topics do not stop at municipal or county borders.

On Planetizen last week, Matthew McKinney discusses how regional governance is needed in addressing many of these concerns. He reports that the Center for Natural Resources and Environmental Policy at the University of Montana has been working with the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, and, from this coalition, it has become apparent that there is a clear “need to fill a governance gap…short of erasing existing political and jurisdictional boundaries, citizens and officials need to develop the capacity to work across boundaries according to the ‘problem-sheds’ of the land and water issues we face in the 21st century.”

Check out Toward an Ethic of Place: Experiments in Regional Governance to read more about some models for regional collaboration (networks, models, and institutions) and the attempts that are being made to address the gap. After reading this piece, what are your thoughts on regional collaboration efforts? What type of model of cooperation could be used in the Lehigh Valley?

For updates on regional collaboration and urban revitalization efforts in the Valley, visit RenewLV’s Join Us page to sign-up as a supporter.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), in conjunction with the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) released their Smart Transportation Guidebook in March of 2008, meant as a guide for integrating planning and design of roads as a means of encouraging better development and livable communities. As background for this Friday’s upcoming brown-bag session on communities and transportation (12.p.m. NOON at the Grand Eastonian Suites and Hotel in Easton on Nov. 6th), here are a few excerpts from this document:

NJDOT and PennDOT cannot always solve congestion by building more,
wider and faster state roadways. There will never be enough financial
resources to supply the endless demand for capacity. Further, both states
realize that the “wider and faster” approach to road construction cannot
ultimately solve the problem. Sprawling land uses are creating congestion
faster than roadway capacity can be increased.

…

The needs of pedestrians, bicyclists and transit users must be considered in
designing all roadway projects. Sidewalk networks should be well connected
with opportunities for regular, safe street crossings. On collector and arterial
roadways, bike lanes or wide curb lanes can encourage people to bike rather
than drive for short and moderate distance trips. If a roadway is designed
to discourage vehicular speeding, it can be comfortably used by pedestrians
and bicyclists alike. Transit friendly design should support a high level of
transit activity. By encouraging alternative transportation, communities can
break the pattern of sprawling suburbs with rapidly multiplying vehicular
trips and congestion.

I encourage our readers to check out the full document, which includes plenty of informational graphs and provides describes some of the tools that regions and municipalities may use in planning roadways. My initial takeaway from this guide is praise for the collaborative spirit of both PennDOT and NJDOT. What are your thoughts on this document?

Since obesity prevalence is chiefly associated with both food and exercise, one of the key areas of research in obesity studies deals with the point at which those two variables intersect: the proximity of grocery stores and restaurants to neighborhoods.  The most recent study on the subject has come out of my home department at the University of Utah.  You can read about the study below:

http://www.unews.utah.edu/p/?r=102609-2

This study is very interesting because of the distinction it makes between the needs of people with different income levels.  It is extremely important for low-income neighborhoods to have easy and close access to grocery stores that offer healthy foods.  The study shows 10% less obesity prevalence in low-income people who live in communities with easy access when compared to other low-income people who live in communities without access (called “food deserts”).  At the same time, people with higher incomes may not need such easy access to grocery stores because they are more likely to be able to afford personal vehicles and would drive those vehicles to obtain groceries whether the stores are within walking distance or not.  There does, however, seem to be a significant difference in obesity prevalence among higher-income people when considering walkable access to restaurants, even fast food restaurants.  Without the need to carry bags of food home, as is necessary when walking from the grocery store, people with more disposable incomes are more likely to walk than drive to restaurants within a half-mile of their homes.

The results of this study could have a great influence on how we develop our three main cities in the Lehigh Valley.  As a Bethlehem resident without access to a car, I distinctly understand the value of accessible food.  I obtain most of my groceries from the Giant on Union and Pennsylvania, a good ¾ mile from my home; and I must walk it in the rain, snow (not yet, but soon!), or sunshine.  This is challenging in the summer because of the heat and humidity, yet it is equally challenging as the weather turns cold.  But I am not the only person in Bethlehem with an access problem.  There are a noticeable lack of grocery stores in both the downtown North side and downtown South side of Bethlehem.  There are what amount to corner stores here and there, but fresh produce literally does not exist in these lower-income areas.  In general, the people of my neighborhood are of middle- or upper-incomes, and West Bethlehem is laid out in an urban pattern that would seem to promote walkability from home to restaurants and other destinations, yet no restaurants exist within a half-mile from where I live.  This situation amounts to the requirement that, even in walkable West Bethlehem, residents must get in their cars for anything that they need.

This discussion is a good reminder that the design of our streets to promote safe and enjoyable walking is not effective when there is nothing worth walking to.  Even in Bethlehem’s two mixed-use downtowns, the mix of uses is not adequate to create the kinds of healthy and active communities that we are aiming for.  We must begin or (in the case of South Bethlehem) continue to consider how to bring food establishments to both low-income “food deserts” and high-income “restaurant deserts” (my term).  Do you live in one of these “deserts?”  What are your suggestions for improved access?

Today’s Morning Call has an article on how the current H1N1 crisis is placing a huge burden on local school districts. The article points out that while schools are doing their best with the available resources, a key problem is that Lehigh Valley school districts in areas without a local health department (that is, all districts located outside of the cities of Allentown and Bethlehem) are having to respond to a flood of calls seeking information and referrals; up-to-date data on H1N1 cases (data that generally is not available); and vaccines themselves. As the article states, this is not a role that school districts should play.

Schools do have some help from the state Department of Health, which has offered to staff H1N1 clinics for schools that want to host them. Some schools have decided to offer the vaccine. Others, such as Easton, have decided cost, staffing and other factors would keep them from doing so for the time being.

[Bangor School District Superintendent John] Reinhart said Bangor registered for the vaccine, but he doesn’t know when it will arrive or how many doses are coming. Once the district gets a shipment, setting up the clinic will take a major deployment of school personnel, Reinhart said.

That deployment will cost taxpayers, who will pay for a refrigeration unit to preserve the vaccine and for staff overtime to guard the vaccine and run the clinic, he said.

For Reinhart, it’s a clear example of why the area needs a regional health department. The joint Lehigh-Northampton county health department, formed earlier this year, is still not completely operational.

”This absolutely should not be the responsibility of school districts,” Reinhart said. ”I think that everyone who pays taxes in Lehigh and Northampton counties really has to look this over and see this as a rehearsal to perhaps a bigger health scare and problem that could be coming.”

You can read the full article here.

Transportation for Pennsylvania’s blog yesterday featured a report back from Monday’s summit in Washington, D.C., entitled Rebuilding the Corridors of Prosperity: High Speed Rail and Transportation Investment in the Northeast and Midwest. The summit was put on by the Northeast-Midwest Congressional Coalition, in coordination with the Northeast Midwest Institute, 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania, and Smart Growth America. The purpose of the meeting was to bring high-speed rail advocates together from the Northeast and Midwest states as a means of determining which steps will have to be taken to bring rail into these areas (as part of an interconnected network). Here is an excerpt from the T4PA blog:

Judy Schwank, President of 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania described why this effort is important for Pennsylvania. “Pennsylvania has the important and strategic distinction of straddling two mega-regions, the Northeast and the Great Lakes. Linking to these markets is a critical component for the state’s economic prosperity. Investment in rail systems, both passenger and freight, has been and will be important to the cities and towns of Pennsylvania. As we determine the next federal transportation authorization we need to ensure that investments support communities and integrate with existing networks.”

Karen Rae, Deputy Administrator of the Federal Rail Administration, and Roy Kienitz, Under Secretary for Policy at the US Department of Transportation, talked about the role of rail to create more transportation alternatives across the country.

“There needs to be an intersection between rail planning and activities occurring on the ground. Having city to city connections will drive ridership,” Karen Rae added. She emphasized that creating an integrated high speed rail system is a challenging project; however, a step by step approach is needed to build the will and momentum to make it a reality.

…

To continue the momentum of the event, 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania plans to identify and convene key leaders in critical transportation corridors within Pennsylvania that connect the Great Lakes and the Northeast. The organization will continue to educate and build awareness and support for advancing a federal transportation reauthorization that links regions and builds better communities.

To read more about this effort, visit the T4PA blog, and check out the Northeast-Midwest Congressional Coalition website.

What are your thoughts on channeling rail development into these states? How should the government (or any other decision-making body) prioritize which corridors should be first in line for receiving funding for high-speed rail development?

Given that the  long, budget-impasse-dominated summer of 2009 in Harrisburg only recently drew to a close, it’s hard to imagine that we’re already hearing that next year’s budget deliberations may be even more contentious. But that’s the way it looks to play out. Consider what’s in store: State revenues are not expected to rebound much, and there won’t be another large federal stimulus package available to help paper over some of the spending cuts. Add to this an open governor’s race and the whole House and half the Senate facing reelection,  and the potential for another budget stalemate is great.

Given all this–and the prospect for the budget as a whole to dominate political discussions–is there a chance to inject the issue of transportation into the governor’s race? There’s certainly the need to put this issue into play. Even if Pennsylvania’s resubmitted application to toll I-80 is approved by the federal government, the Commonwealth faces challenges as to adequately funding transportation for the long term and in ways that keep existing infrastructure in a state of good repair while also advancing a balanced, sustainable approach to transportation.  And if the I-80 tolling proposal is not approved down in Washington, then the state transportation funding situation next year essentially goes off the cliff, with a $500 million hole on the revenue side.

A recent post on Streetsblog Capitol Hill discusses what transportation advocates can learn from the experience in this year’s governor’s race in Virginia, where transportation policy has become a major issue. For those of us in Pennsylvania, a key part of the story rings true: Virginians  recognize the need for a viable way of funding transportation, yet there is no appetite for transportation-related taxes as means of paying for it. (We constantly hear that an increase in the state’s gas tax has no chance in Harrisburg.)

Still, Streetsblog report Ryan Avent stresses that transportation advocates shouldn’t back down from pushing for new levels of support for transportation. The key, he suggests, is mobilizing public support (or at least enough to get the attention of elected officials or those seeking to be) by linking increased transportation investments with tangible improvements in how people get around. Relatedly, it is crucial to connect specific local/regional needs and priorities–for instance, related to economic development, environmental conservation, or quality-of-life issues–to what the transportation-funding picture looks like at the state and federal level.

Transportation for Pennsylvania (T4PA), a statewide coalition being facilitated by 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania (and a partner in the national Transportation for America campaign), is working on both these fronts: linking stronger state policies on transportation funding to a real-life vision for transportation in the Commonwealth, and involving regional partners (RenewLV among them) as a means of building grassroots support while understanding what’s needed at the local level.

The key for 2010 will be generating enough public and media interest so that the question that has surfaced again and again during this year’s gubernatorial race in Virginia–”What is your plan for the state’s transportation system?”–can be put into play here in Pennsylvania. Were transportation to become an issue here in 2010, a number of more Pennsylvania-specific questions for the candidates would naturally follow: What is your vision for how Pennsylvania can work with USDOT to implement an integrated rail system in the Commonwealth? (Note: PennDOT’s state rail plan will be completed by early 2010.) Will you continue the important work of the  “Smart Transportation” initiative started by PennDOT Secretary Biehler? How can Pennsylvania promote transit-oriented development as an economic driver in older core communities?

In the end, putting transportation on the gubernatorial agenda next year will be–as ever–a challenge. But the experience of Virginia this past year suggests that it’s not only possible, but in fact necessary given transportation’s deep impact across an array of issues, such as urban revitalization, economic growth, jobs, climate change, health, and others.

To get involved with RenewLV’s work on transportation issues–including our Sustainable Transportation Initiative–email us at smartgrowth@renewlv.org.

On NRDC’s Switchboard blog today, contributor Kaid Benfield (Co-founder of Smart Growth America) discusses the planning concept of the “20 minute neighborhood.” This type of community design creates a place where one’s needs (meaning, access to services and amenties) can be met in 20 minutes by walking. Benfield speaks to the positive (even enviable) aspects of such a neighborhood – for example, increased productivity and savings. This is significant, as the Texas Transportation Institute recently reported that Americans waste an average of $87 billion a year on lost time and fuel.

Mike Larabee is cited within the entry, stating, “The people who design your streets, transportation systems, parks and sewer hope to bring the concept of the 20-minute neighborhood to areas outside the city core.” The goal is then to create neighborhoods and a sense of community within the outerlying region of the center cores – places where, often, the car is king.

I invite you to check out the full blog post on the topic, with more detail about where the concept was created and what brought the firm to create it. Do you think that a 20-minute neighborhood concept could be implemented into the Lehigh Valley’s townships and boroughs?