Philadelphia 2035 (Washington, Progress, Hawthorn: tile, ceramic, pickup)

[thedirtypirate]

Originally Posted by MarketStEl

Excellent points in bold: that's how we can have "racism without racists."

I assume you've heard the New York Times/Serial podcast "Nice White Parents"?



(Free-associating: Speaking of running into people on the subway, it was on the Broad Street Line that I met one of my favorite opiners, center-right New York Times columnist David Brooks — a Wayne native and author of "Bobos in Paradise: The New Upper Class and How They Got That Way," a work of "comic sociology" (2000) — on the way back home from the opening night of the 2016 Democratic National Convention.)

I had not. I will have to take a listen!

[ilovephilly79]

Philly scraps three-lane Washington Avenue safety plan, bowing to pressure

https://news.google.com/articles/CAI...S&ceid=US%3Aen

[thedirtypirate]

Originally Posted by ilovephilly79

Philly scraps three-lane Washington Avenue safety plan, bowing to pressure

https://news.google.com/articles/CAI...S&ceid=US%3Aen

If anything, I hope this whole process has awaken the urbanist community to becoming more nuanced in their politics. A lot of millennial Philadelphian's have probably voted for politicians over the years that they thought were 'progressing' their values. In reality, as I have repeated many times over the years, a large percentage of "Progressives" in Philadelphia politics are Urban Conservatives who believe their job is to protect the status quo across a large range of issues, not just street safety, which obviously is a more than secondary concern.

[skintreesnail]

^^^ yeah, this whole thing makes me feel really ill. The community overwhelmingly wants Washington Ave more pedestrian friendly and bike friendly, the city has similar goals defined by their own vision zero initiative, there have been deaths and other injuries on Washington Ave due to it's current state, and what does the city do? Cater to the auto and strive to maintain the status quo at every step, all the while trying to shift blame in the name of inclusion in an attempt to avoid criticism. They are absolutely acting like conservatives.

[thedirtypirate]

Originally Posted by skintreesnail

^^^ yeah, this whole thing makes me feel really ill. The community overwhelmingly wants Washington Ave more pedestrian friendly and bike friendly, the city has similar goals defined by their own vision zero initiative, there have been deaths and other injuries on Washington Ave due to it's current state, and what does the city do? Cater to the auto and strive to maintain the status quo at every step

Right? It's like who does council and OTIS even represent? AAA of South Jersey?

all the while trying to shift blame in the name of inclusion in an attempt to avoid criticism. They are absolutely acting like conservatives.

This is what I always find so egregious about local politics. They will "green-wash" literally any and every situation. Someone could hold the most "conservative" position imaginable (like leaving Washington's lane configuration as 4 lanes and 5 lanes at Broad, which is one of two possible outcomes to make it through the vetting process), and then wrap that opinion in tons of what I would call 'liberal language'. 'Equity' and 'Community' are used as merely words to distract away from the actual issues at hand.

I very much feel the exact same way about many things in the city: from planting trees, to addressing the very serious long standing issues with the streets dept., to PGW not fixing the many many gas leaks that basically make any block in the city a ticking time bomb. These are problems that have never been addressed but are often spoken about in this strange way like 'we have to cure cancer before we can try to treat a cold'. “If you take care of the small things, the big things take care of themselves.” is a foreign concept to the city hall machine.

[cpomp]

What does that argument even mean? Not inclusive enough? Wouldn't all people want a more pedestrian focused boulevard, why would it matter if they are rich, poor, white, black?

[thedirtypirate]

Originally Posted by cpomp

What does that argument even mean? Not inclusive enough? Wouldn't all people want a more pedestrian focused boulevard, why would it matter if they are rich, poor, white, black?

Maybe someone read one of my previous posts joking that if the street got nicer and safer, it would be a harbinger of gentrification, and Kenyatta/City Council wouldn't allow it.

Really, it just comes down to the car dealership/auto body's/asian super market double parking neighborhood mafia having controlling interesting of the politicians ear.

[MPK21]

Originally Posted by cpomp

What does that argument even mean? Not inclusive enough? Wouldn't all people want a more pedestrian focused boulevard, why would it matter if they are rich, poor, white, black?

As to the 2-part, 3rd question: Nope and it does matter in a city like Philly.

Thought this long-delayed project was all set to go...for years now.

Then the pandemic excuse delayed it (wouldn't that have been the best time to complete this project?) Now that it's showtime...it's the new go to excuse: equity and inclusiveness.

Washington Avenue is rough and will stay that way for the foreseeable future. I was actually looking forward to a new Washington Avenue as well. In hindsight it sounded ''too normal'' though.

SMH...yet again here in Philly.

[MPK21]

Originally Posted by thedirtypirate

Maybe someone read one of my previous posts joking that if the street got nicer and safer, it would be a harbinger of gentrification, and Kenyatta/City Council wouldn't allow it.

Really, it just comes down to the car dealership/auto body's/asian super market double parking neighborhood mafia having controlling interesting of the politicians ear.

It does?

Are you referencing an actual ''mafia''?

[bridge12]

Originally Posted by MPK21

As to the 2-part, 3rd question: Nope and it does matter in a city like Philly.

Thought this long-delayed project was all set to go...for years now.

Then the pandemic excuse delayed it (wouldn't that have been the best time to complete this project?) Now that it's showtime...it's the new go to excuse: racial equity.

Washington Avenue is rough and will stay that way for the foreseeable future. Wonder what the white woke Progressives will say about this now that they're bike lane dreams are gone, as in ''poof"? How they justify this one should be good.

I was actually looking forward to a new Washington Avenue as well. In hindsight it sounded ''too normal'' though.

SMH...yet again here in Philly.

Huh? There is a protected bike lane in both the final options. What's lost is the shorter crossing distance, especially across from parks like Chew and where Stanton Elementary kids cross the street.

The motorist "lifers" don't care about today's kids though.