I've got something on my mind that I want to share with all of you since you've been reading my stuff for a while (hopefully). I'm thinking about slightly shifting the focus of this blog to a more general "carless commuting" theme.
I'm still a fan of the bicycle, don't get me wrong. And I don't intend to stop writing about bikes. The main focus of this blog will still be the bicycle. I believe that the bicycle is the most perfect form of transportation ever developed. It's fast, lightweight (even my bike), inexpensive, and it promotes health. Nothing can beat that. I wouldn't have gotten a League of American Bicyclists Instructor certification if I didn't like the bicycle.
And the focus of the blog will still be Columbus. I live here, I'm raising my family here, and I love it here. And I want to see this city thrive and grow, not only financially but in regards to the happiness and health of its citizens.
But I have other interests in the world of transportation as well, and I think all of them have a part in the arsenal of the commuter who decides to shun the tyranny of the automobile. Part of this has to do with the recent post I did on the EcoBike and Segway of Ohio. I saw there that bikes are not the only great alternative to the car - there are a lot of other options.
And obviously, Ohio is in the news recently for its efforts to improve rail transport and get a passenger line back into this state. And the streetcar issue, though minimized right now, is still a neat idea that I think deserves merit.
A lot of this has also come from my recent position as the Alternative Transportation Examiner for Examiner.com. I want to spread out a bit and cover more stuff on both sites - with the Examiner.com model being more news-focused and professional, and this blog being more of my personal feelings about these matters.
So perhaps next week, perhaps the week after, this blog's name will be changing slightly. I've got some ideas, but until I come up with something concrete I won't be changing it.
I'd be honored if you'd drop a comment on this post and let me know how you like the idea and if you have any suggestions for things you'd like to see me cover.
People, not speed.
Gosh, Jamie, there's a host of alternative transportation things to cover: walking events, public transit, scooters, electric vehicles, and the like. How about a walking tour connecting historical sites and buildings, or one covering architecture? (Tulsa has lots of Art Deco, for instance.) Rail-to-trails, popular destinations, museums, art galleries, and more.
ReplyDeleteExactly! It's really a chance to spread my wings a bit and talk about more stuff. I'm pro-bike, as I said, but I'm also pro-bus, pro-train, pro-walking... basically anything that's sustainable and puts the streets back in the hands of PEOPLE, not cars.
ReplyDeleteColumbus has Segway Tours, a continuous streetcar and light rail issue, the Bicentennial Bikeways Plan, all sorts of sidewalk and pedestrian plans, and more. It's really fertile ground - and it provides me the opportunity to tie the Examiner role with my blog a lot more as well.
The other side of this is that ANY transportation plan needs to include consideration of ALL options. I'm a firm believer in looking at the big picture, and I think it behooves us all to do so. Bike lanes and Sharrows will affect how buses work in town, and all of them will affect pedestrian traffic. I want to look at things from the big picture!