On May 3, it is in our hands to make a positive impact in our community by voting yes for expanded public transportation.
Few elections matter more than the one that will, in many ways, directly impact our region for years to come. It may even determine if your children or grandchildren will decide to remain here or move on. All data points that this is what hangs in the balance.
Of course, there are plenty of other items on the ballot that are equally as important to our future. Who will sit as a trustee at the Grand Rapids Community College?
Will it be a person with true education experience? Or someone who just wants to push a short-term agenda that is severely anti-diversity -- an unwelcoming move in our region that is not a part of the education excellence we have crafted in all of our institutions of higher learning in our region for decades.
This is also a period when school boards will elect new leadership. Again, a very timely and critical issue that demands our full attention if we truly desire to help shape the future of our kids' education (and to once again prove Newsweek wrong.)
But the bus transportation issue should not be underestimated. Voting yes for the increased services to our region's premier bus service, The Rapid, will serve the needs of all in our community.
As gas broke the $4.00 per gallon threshold, the topic on everyone's lips was how is this going to impact our lifestyle? So, this millage vote for expanded public transportation also arrives in a timely manner.
Yes, higher gas prices always means many, including myself, will cut back frivolous car trips. Because I live near a bus stop, as I weigh the costs, I will simply elect to take the bus to destinations around the city. It is a smart move in many ways.
And for those times when a bus may not get me all the way to where I want to be, I can simply toss my bike on the front of the bus as it completes my transportation equation.
I feel very strongly that public transportation reflects upon the kind of city we want to be in the future.
To vote for a millage that will gradually increase with time, is simply the right thing to do as the cost of automobile transportation is steadily going to rise. Already as we go to print, I have listened to people complain about having to pay upwards of $85 to fill up their gas tank. For most in our city, the cost of this increase is equally to giving up three Founder's Brewery beers a year per household (tip included.)
As gas prices go up, more people will chose to ride the bus in our region. This always happens. An increased demand for bus service is not the only thing we can expect as we enter an era of higher fuel costs.
We will see more bikes and even scooters hit the streets in even greater numbers than before. (Anyone remember the summer of 2009 when the streets were alive with transportation alternatives zipping by us?)
The biennial
Grand Rapids Bicycle Summit will roll back into town on May 6, just days after the election and mark the beginning of National Bike Month. The timing is impeccable in many ways.
This one-day event complete with world-renowned speakers will provide the best opportunity for city planners as well as area businesses and community members to hear the exciting trends in creating bike-friendly cities. People will be coming from all over to attend this amazing event in our city.
The first event two years ago was more informational in its scope and truly served the urban planner. According to Kevin McCurren of the Greater Grand Rapids Bicycle Coalition, this year's theme of Inspiration to Action "is directly addressing the reality that we can no longer rely strictly on the government sector to support and fund the infrastructure of an emerging bike culture in our cities."
For this reason, McCurren adds that this year's summit with 15 sessions and workshops is focused on how we can get creative in moving forward to make the changes that are necessary in becoming a more bike-friendly city.
Public education needs to move beyond just placing a "Same Road, Same Rules" bumper sticker on your car. If Josh Leffingwell and Tyler Doornbos, the creators of
BikeFriendlyGR, have their way, a strong fashion statement may just be the ticket to get people talking and acting safer on their commutes. I applaud wholeheartedly their shift in thinking because it is a vital part of the equation that gets us to a solution.
Recently, their stylish "Bike Friendly" or "I Bike GR" T-shirts were all the rage at the SiTE:LAB Art Downtown event. Folks snatched up the apparel as fast as Citizenshirt could print them. The tees became a fashion item that actually helped to spark constructive and creative conversation about riding on our streets.
According to Leffingwell, when we look at what other cities have been able to do, our city is not as bike-friendly as it could be "clocking in with only .4 miles of striped bike lanes." But he quickly says, "It is a start nonetheless and this summer we will see 5 more miles of bike lanes added to Grand Rapids' inventory."
This week, there are plenty of choices that are before us and some seem like no-brainers for those who want to embrace and welcome a future that seeks to provide everything from affordable transportation options to healthy and safer streets for those who go out on foot.
Education is at the core of almost all of them. You need to take a few minutes and ask, 'what kind of city do I want to live in?'
The entire staff of Rapid Growth endorses this important millage and urge you to Vote Yes on May 3. Get on board!
The Future Needs All of Us (To Vote The Future Forward.)
Tommy Allen
Lifestyle Editor
[email protected]
Click here to continue to this week's G-Sync events. Lifestyle Editor's Note: National Bike Month seeks among many things to promote Bike-to-Work Week May 16-20 and Bike-to-Work Day on Friday, May 20.
Photo provided by Terry Johnston of
Terry Johnston Photography