Greater City Providence

News & Notes

News & Notes [Chicago] Mayor Mandates Public Transit for City Employees [NBC Chicago]

Mayor Rahm Emanuel hasn’t been quiet about his use of public transit, and he wants city employees to get comfortable using it too.

Under new travel mileage and reimbursement policies outlined Saturday, those who work for city government are required to use Chicago Transit Authority buses and trains as their main mode of transportation once they’ve clocked in.


In Little Rock, a Crosswalk That Forbids Crossing [The Atlantic Cities]

But while the city’s heart is in the right place, its head is on wrong. Upon implementing the new no-crossing sign in 2005, the city’s traffic manager, Bill Henry, offered this take: “Too often the motorists will be watching oncoming traffic to make the turn, and will not be mindful of pedestrians in the crosswalk.” Instead of punishing the perpetrators, then, the city chose to punish the victims. In all likelihood the sign was the cheapest practical solution to a legitimate social problem, but this type of auto-focused mentality ultimately hamstrings urban movement, and pedestrian safety, more than it helps.


[Video] Millions stroll in New York’s ‘park in the sky’ [BBC

A BBC video looks at New York’s Highline Park.


American Planning Association: Great Places in America [APA]

The American Planning Association picks their “Great Places in America” including Providence’s College Hill in the Neighborhood Category.

College Hill brings the past into the present. Its history reaches back to 1636 as the site of Rhode Island’s first permanent Colonial settlement. Cobblestoned Benefit Street, known as the Mile of History, is lined with 18th, 19th, and 20th century municipal structures, churches, and gracious homes. Two educational institutions | Brown University and the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) | have contributed to the neighborhood’s vitality and character together with residents and organizations, including the Providence Preservation Society (PPS).

Not sure who told them Benefit Street was cobblestoned.

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2 comments

  • If you peel up the blacktop you’d find cobblestone all over Benefit and the streets around it. In fact underneath a good part of the streets of the city there are still cobblestones.

  • “In Little Rock, a Crosswalk That Forbids Crossing”

    Reminds me of so many civil engineering atrocities here in the Capital City and beyond. Crosswalks where crosswalks shouldn’t be, traffic lights where none are needed, no crosswalk etiquette, improper signage, etc. Sometimes you need a list:

    • Intersection of Memorial, Francis and highway ramps – in desperate need of pedestrian improvements, signage and pedestrian barriers
    • Emit / Westin Square – see above
    • Benefit, Waterman and Angell Street intersection – need I say more?
    • South/North Main Street – MoARISD crossing from Market Square to museum plaza needs major distinctions, design and overhaul. Crosswalk here is insufficient in size width and prominence. Undermines both plazas and could be more
    generous to each space.

    … to name a few.

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