[DVBC] Fw: Greenway Plan for the Darby Creek Watershed

[david c bennett]

Doug,

Great Question:  Safe Routes to School has been one of the main positions promoted by Bike/Ped advocates for several years.  It is precisely what it sounds like and has been accepted and endorsed by both our State and Federal Government.  As we speak, there are appeals out right now to get parent volunteers to plan and arrange escorted walks to school for groups of neighborhood kids.  The response from local school districts in the greater Philadelphia area has been underwhelming.  Perhaps it is a reflection of the two working parent society we live in, but frightened parents, as well as bad neighborhoods, and dangerous traffic conditions have created our dependence on School buses.  It is an effort to combat obesity.  There's nothing like a brisk walk in the morning to get one's metabolism going.  We bikers, who used to ride to school each morning uphill both ways, want to share our pleasure with our youth.  But between paranoid parents, justified fears of crime, the Supreme Court's solution to segregation by busing, and the loss of neighborhood schools, some proactive action needs to be done.  
I'm just talking off my head here so I promise to research your question and produce a more comprehensive answer later on.  In the meantime our battle cry will be" Put Bob LaDrew out of a Job"  

D Street
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Doug Bower 
  To: dvbc-list at dvbc.org 
  Sent: Wednesday, September 20, 2006 8:11 AM
  Subject: RE: [DVBC] Fw: Greenway Plan for the Darby Creek Watershed


  David,

   

  Thank you for doing the work you do for our sport and the environment.  Promoting bicycling as an acceptable form of transportation and recreation is very important.  

   

  I wonder if you can enlighten me about the concept of "Safe Routes to School"?  I never thought I would sound like my father but here it goes.  I have seen a shift in the past 20 or so years where kids are bussed to school even when they live within sight of the school.  Kids don't even walk to the bus stop anymore.  Are they still allowed to ride their bicycles to school as we did in the old days?

   

  Doug

   

   

  -----Original Message-----
  From: dvbc-list-bounces at list.dvbc.org [mailto:dvbc-list-bounces at list.dvbc.org] On Behalf Of david c bennett
  Sent: Tuesday, September 19, 2006 10:44 PM
  To: dvbc-list at dvbc.org
  Subject: [DVBC] Fw: Greenway Plan for the Darby Creek Watershed

   

   

  ----- Original Message ----- 

  From: david c bennett 

  To: delcobikes at yahoogroups.com 

  Cc: Maura Williams 

  Sent: Tuesday, September 19, 2006 9:42 PM

  Subject: Greenway Plan for the Darby Creek Watershed

   

  A group of us attended a focus group discussion at the Springfield Twp Municipal Bldg this evening in order to learn about the Greenway Plans and to give our input about including bicycling in the plans.  The short meeting was a big success.  It was hosted by Robert Kriebel and Philip Hunsberger who are the consultants from Urban Research & Development Corporation.  Our local host was Stephen Beckley, Environmental Senior Planner with the DELCO Planning DEPT.  The meeting was attended by Justin Dula, Emily Linn, Maura Williams, A bike officer from Haverford whose name I did not get, Dom Zuppo, and myself.  

  After a brief slide presentation about what Greenways were, we had the opportunity to share our pros and cons about the region in question and the concepts of "Complete the streets" and "Safe Routes to School".

   

  There will be a big completely public meeting next Tuesday nite at the same place and time and I urge all you advocates who have done so in the past to attend.  We must make a good showing in order to counter the negative and doubting general public that is bound to show up.  This will be the second time in 19 years a plan to develop a greenway in this watershed will be proposed.  I think it has a better chance of success this time.  The last time this plan was presented, the only advocates were the Darby Creek Valley Assoc.  Now we have the bike riders to join in on the alliance.  

   

  There will be reminders between now and then from me and Steven Beckley.

   

  David Bennett, DCCC Chairman

   

   



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