At 10:39 AM 11/23/2002 -0600, ken avidor wrote:
>Scott Persons writes:
>
>"The ellipse-about ramp that is being created as part of this is one of
>the
>truly innovative parts of the project. So much of infrastructure
>project
>work is by definition mundane, it's so nice to see a feature like this
>that
>we can be excited about."
>
>Avidor-
>
>Tom Johnson said at Horn Terrace last Tuesday that the "ellipse-about"
>may no longer be a part of Project.
>
>He also said in response to my question about bicycle access on Lake
>Street that he didn't know whether bikes would be allowed on Lake
>Street. I reminded him that one of the engineers at the Thursday Open
>House said that bikes would be banned from Lake Street. Later in
>response to another question about bicycle access to the Greenway he
>said I would have to walk my bike on the sidewalk 2-3 blocks to get to
>the Greenway entrance.
>
>This points up one of the most frustrating aspects of the debate so far.
>We don't have easy access to precise information on the Access Project.
>Smith Parker was given a lot of money to develop and sell this project
>to the neighborhoods...so why don't they have a state of the art web
>site where we can go and easily find out whether bikes are allowed on
>Lake Street or whether the "ellipse-about" is still in the project or
>how much the whole thing costs?
>
>Another frustrating aspect for me is when I or someone else voice
>objections, we are put down as naysaying Nimbys who support the status
>quo. Then we are challenged to "come up with something better".
>
>People have a right to object without offering a
>counter-proposalcritics of this Titanic should not be required to
>build their own ocean liner before they get a chance to say it has too
>few lifeboatsSmith Parker was paid a lot of money ($2 million?) to
>hire experts to develop a plan...it should be judged on its own merits.
>
>We should never approve a huge project like this until every detail is
>clear and out in the open. I recommend that the process to approve the
>Project be halted until Smith Parker can put the Access Project on the
>web.
>
>For independent information on the 35W Access Project on the Web, go to:
>
>http://www.stride-mn.org
>
Ken, I agree with you 100% -- for the $ Smith Parker is getting, they ought
to be putting out more information on the web. You can get on their
mailing list -- but having the information -- diagrams, pictures, etc. on
the web would be so much better.
They should be able to make their maps -- then export them into XML --
which allows people to zoom in, zoom out etc. and put this on the web.
The City's Content Management Software (Stellent) has custom modules that
allow for custom refining -- this would be an excellent way to use that.
Another nice way to use this would be to have a map with precincts -- then
zoom in to get election results.
Wizard writes:
My neighbors and I ( Jim Graham goes on about this all the time) are
tired of being the ghetto so that everyone else can have a nicer life.
Our only crime is that we are not as wealthy and while we know there are
those who consider poverty a crime, it is not.
EY: This is the same old, same old. Wizard doesn't speak for all Central
residents -- and in suggesting that Kingfield is somehow anti-poor is just
pure demogogery. I personally think Central could learn alot from the way
Kingfield runs. From what I read on this list -- and on Central Traffic
(discussion of 35W is now banned from Central-Chat for some wierd reason),
Central Residents are divided on their feelings about the Access Project.
Wizard continues:
I never cast aspersions on Jeanne Massey; but if she's willing to
forward a NIMBY argument against mitigation of the disaster of 35th and
36th St. exits/entrances at her own expense, then there is something
seriously wrong, not with her, but with what King Field has asked her to do.
EY: Saying that Kingfield's concerns were just NIMBY, and suggesting here
that Jeanne Massey is just a pawn to the NIMBY interests is more demogogery.
Thank you, David, for again being so supportive of your neighbors, for
hearing what we are saying, for helping to maintain the status quo at
our expense. I'm ever so grateful.
EY: Wizard - speak for yourself, but you don't speak for all who live in
Central. How come Whittier and West Phillips is against the project if
this is a low income vs middle income issue.
I think it was interesting that Basim Sabri is a big supporter of this
project. I'm curious as to why.
Eva
Eva Young
Near North
Minneapolis
"You do not have the right to never be offended. This country is based on
freedom, and that means freedom for everyone - not just you! You may leave
the room, turn the channel, express a different opinion, etc., but the
world is full of idiots, and probably always will be." --Article II of the
Bill of Non-Rights.
___
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