Friday, October 2, 2009

what's up the pike: small steps, heavy plans

Still no power at JUTP headquarters today, so here's another post courtesy of the White Oak Library.
Takoma Park Charrette: New Hampshire Ave at Sheridan Street

- This morning, the City of Takoma Park unveils its "The New Ave" campaign to revitalize New Hampshire Avenue in the Takoma-Langley Crossroads area. Meanwhile, Safeway announced it's closing their fifty-year-old store at New Hampshire and University next next Saturday. It'll be replaced by Expo Emart, a little-known Asian grocer that Safeway regional spokesman Greg TenEyck called "a better fit" for the neighborhood's large minority and immigrant population.

- Tomorrow's the big day in Downtown Silver Spring! In the morning, head over to Fenton Street Market in the parking lot at Fenton and Silver Spring Avenue between 9am and 2pm. And from 1pm to 6pm, it's the third-annual South Silver Spring Block Party, held on several blocks around the intersection of Newell and Kennett streets. There will be live music, over fifty local vendors, an "international food court," not to mention a beer garden.

- (And in between, join myself and Paula Sternberg from Buy Local Silver Spring for a walking tour of small businesses, leaving the Fenton Street Market at 2pm!)

- Councilmember Marc Elrich posted his proposal for a county-wide bus rapid transit system to his website, laying out how the 100-mile network could look and function. Definitely check out this PowerPoint presentation with photos of successful/sexy BRT systems around the country.

- This cartoon about senior citizens' preference for park benches to watch their grandkids skateboarding reminded me of Wednesday's post about how I'm not a fan of retirement communities. I wonder if we've got an ignored constituency here - though noticing how well-represented older residents are at a typical Montgomery County community meeting, we've probably taken care of skate park-proximate benches by now.

1 comment:

WashingtonGardener said...

As long as the Elrich-proposed BRTs have truly dedicated lanes, I'm for it. If there is any lane sharing, then it will just be back to the same-ole, same-ole within a matter of days of implementation.

BTW I don;t think you have to worry about ouredlers being UNDER-represented in MoCo politics - take a look at where politicians spend most of their efforts when they campaign. It isn't where the "young folks" live or gather.