Re: [nndl] The compassionate conservatives of Hyde Park strike again

Hmm...I'm not sure the Hyde Park NA deserves all this criticism.  Hyde Park has better-maintained and more numerous sidewalks and bike lanes than Northfield.  It might be wrong to assume the forces of xenophobia or paranoia are the reason for this decision.  I read another post on the austinzoning website suggesting that the real reason is because of parking/egress issues.  Apparently, Rowena residents asked the HPNA to save them from excessive parking and traffic on their street, being the only one in and out from the new development.  Perhaps it was simply a developer compromise/financial decision that needs to be reevaluated.  There's plenty of proof that MORE sidewalks reduce crime, so I seriously doubt the HPNA
is trying to keep out the riff raff.  Frankly, the idea that the HPNA is controlled by irrational and intolerant folks is laughable.
 
For what it's worth, here's a clarification someone posted on http://austinzoning.typepad.com/austincontrarian/2008/04/this-is-pretty.html: "the reason why the neighborhood is demanding no pedestrian access is that *the developer is not agreeing to put in enough parking for guests*. Thus people will have to park on Rowena when they come to visit this new large housing development. They want to pack the thing with houses, without including room for the necessariy facilities. Rowena is a very narrow street. If the developers included enough parking, then the complaints about access would go away. I agree that the situation is insane, but I think its evolved to a lose-lose situation because both sides are at fault. Its too bad that the underlying reasons weren't made more public."
 
Bicycle advocates who automatically accuse wealthy neighborhoods of prejudice and xenophobia are shooting themselves in the foot.  In any case, I agree that our City leaders should be encouraged to support pedestrian and bike access wherever possible.  
 
Michelle  ----- Original Message ----
From: Sebastian Wren < [at] >
To: NNDL < [at] >; NLPT Chat-line < [at] >
Sent: Saturday, April 26, 2008 9:00:17 AM
Subject: RE: [nndl] The compassionate conservatives of Hyde Park strike again

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Fancy rhetoric aside, this is not a smart maneuver, and I'm ashamed of
our city leaders for their lack of foresight.  The residents of Hyde
Park may be xenophobic, but our city leaders should not be influenced by
their irrational paranoia.  Denying access for pedestrians and cyclists
to a residential street is quite unforgivable. 

When people think of
pedestrians and cyclists, they often think of fit
and healthy adults, but in fact, there will be children living in this
new development; there will be mothers pushing baby-strollers; there
will be elderly citizens.  Forcing these people to walk or ride their
bicycles along 51st Street is potentially very hazardous.

It is made worse by the fact that there are no neighborhood streets to
the north of this development --  just a big cemetery -- so there is
absolutely no alternative but to travel along 51st.

And 51st, as we all know, is a dangerous drag-strip.  Remember a few
years ago when a car flew off the road and landed on a neighbor's ROOF?
I don't want to see children on that street if it is easily avoidable,
and in this case, it is.

SO, if you, like me, believe that children should not be forced to ride
their bicycles along 51st Street, or if you believe that parents with
baby
strollers should not be forced to walk along 51st street, then
please take the time to write a very brief note to the City Council
members and let them know that they SHOULD maintain the access that
already exists to Rowena for pedestrians and bicycles.

You can easily write a note to all of the council members by going to
this website and clicking on the link at the bottom that says, "Send an
email to all the Council Members with one email"

http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/council/

Simply tell them that it is NEVER okay to block access to pedestrians
and bicycles. And it is NEVER okay to endanger the lives of children.

Thank you.

____________________________________________
Sebastian Wren, Ph.D.
Director
http://BalancedReading.com------------------------------------------------------------------------
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