EDO NEWS & VIEWS
Editor
Rob Dickson
Publisher
Lara Simon
The views expressed in EDo News & Views are those of the Editor and Publisher.
EDO NEIGBORHOOD ASSOCIATION
Board of Directors
President
Vince DiGregory
Standard Diner
Vice President
John Freisinger
Innovate ABQ
Secretary
Rob Dickson
Paradigm & Company
Treasurer
Lauren Greene
The Grove Café &
Market
Members
Lisa Adkins
Fat Pipe ABQ
Bill Bice
ABQid, Verge Fund
Moises Gonzalez
MarAbi Productions, Inc.
Terry Keene
Artichoke Café
David Mahlman
Mahlman Studio
Architects
Tim McGivern
Sacred Garden
Josh Rogers
Titan Development
Richard van Schouwen
QStaff Theatre
David Tanner
ContextAbq
Todd Walters
Legacy Hospitality
HUNING HIGHLAND NEIGBORHOOD ASSOCIATION
Board of Directors
President
Bonnie Anderson
Vice President
Moises Gonzalez
Secretary
Patricia Oakley
Treasurer
Salley Trefethen
Members
Ann Carson
Jen & Elijah Esquivel
Steve Grant
Kathy Grassel
Pam Leverick
Lee Spittler
Ben Sturge
David Tanner
Karla Thornton
Susan Vogle
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EDo as a Metropolitan Redevelopment Area (MRA)
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Albuquerque's City Council will consider the establishment of an MRA for East Downtown during August and September. They will also consider a metropolitan redevelopment plan for our area, the purpose of which is to attract private investment paired with public investment to eliminate blight and put unused properties to work. It is our understanding that following the adoption of the MR Plan, the City will issue a request for proposals for proposed projects in the MRA. We thank Mayor Keller's Metropolitan Redevelopment Staff and Councilor Isaac Benton for their efforts.
We urge the Council and the Administration to ensure that our Prioritized Project List of needed (and generally modest) infrastructure improvements are incorporated into the MR Plan and into the next CIP budget. Redevelopment of private parcels along Broadway, Central, and MLK won't happen if crosswalks aren't there, if bus shelters are missing, and if motor vehicles are speeding through EDo on incomplete streets! Let's get busy, Albuquerque, building one great walkable, equitable, and inclusive neighborhood.
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Creative Crosswalks Meet Government Resistance
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With pedestrian deaths at a 30-year high, neighborhoods around the country are looking for ways to protect those on foot (all of us). From NPR,
here's a great example from Rochester NY that is bringing great benefits, despite the efforts of local government to stop it. Claims by government officials around the country that highly visible crosswalks, done artistically, actually create a false sense of security for pedestrians, are not backed by the data. The data shows that these unusual crosswalks calm traffic (generally moving at speeds above the limit) and reduce accidents. Other data shows that walkable urban places are more economically successful. Albuquerque is an economic laggard, and has virtually no walkable complete neighborhoods. There is a connection!
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So You'd Like a Neighborhood Grocery Store
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Yes, we would! This
practical article from the Strong Towns Team outlines what is necessary, and having one means being a walkable urban place. As described in "Walkable City" by Jeff Speck, and as outlined in Jeff's 2014 Albuquerque Downtown Walkability Analysis, building a strong town means walkable places, and walks must be useful, safe, comfortable, and interesting, or folks won't walk. Jeff's 2014 recommendations have not been materially implemented by either Mayor Berry or Mayor Keller. We think this is a missed opportunity to improve our city.
For any grocery entrepreneurs out there, we have a great site in EDo to show you!
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Top US Cities for Nature Lovers
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Albuquerque tops the list by
Mother Nature Network. That's great news! In protecting habitat for our fellow creatures, and sharing it responsibly, we must also create great habitat for humans. From every perspective, that means walkable, complete, mixed-use, mixed-income, equitable and inclusive neighborhoods. We've got plenty of work to do there.
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But the city is still designing streets exclusively for cars. Sound familiar? Investing in walking is the most crucial investment a city can make to get people where they need to go, including onto those bikes, scooters, buses, and trains. Around the world, a movement known as walk-first cities has been embraced by places that have successfully shifted more trips to walking. Much like the way that cities spent decades designing for cars, walk-first cities work to build pedestrian-focused networks, creating accessible walking routes between destinations that are shorter, safer, and more welcoming than those made for drivers.
Los Angeles has made a laudable goal to have 50% of all trips by walking, cycling, or transit by the year 2035. The key to a walk-first city is to dictate universal infrastructural changes, according to Jemilah Magnusson, global communications director for the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy. "It shouldn't be just one street, it should be the whole city," she says. We agree for L.A., and we agree for Albuquerque!
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The U.S. Has a Fleet of 300 Electric Buses. China Has 421,000
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While we understand the problems we had with our Albuquerque Rapid Transit (ART)
electric buses, and while we understand why they were returned to the manufacturer, we were very disappointed to hear that ART will begin service, later in 2019, with diesel buses.
The EDo and Huning Highland neighborhood associations supported ART. EDo News & Views hopes the Keller Administration will not give up on electric ART buses in the near future. Why don't we manufacture them in Albuquerque?
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S60 Gallery Opening in September
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S60 Gallery is a brand new art gallery located in W Downtown Albuquerque showcasing fine art photography and mixed media artworks from local and national/international artists.
Opening Reception is 9/6, 5-9 pm, 857 Silver Ave SW in Downtown.
They are on Instagram and Facebook. Please attend and support them!
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