One of the reasons I write this blog is to demonstrate why I want an Eagle Rock that favors expanding opportunities for safe, pleasant walking and cycling around town– even if that means “taking away” space from motor vehicles.
Writing is a great device for communication of ideas but sometimes nothing compares to the power of pictures. When I visited Eagle Rock over the weekend I was lucky enough to snap two pictures of the same location showing completely different views of our neighborhood.
Want more of this?
Or do you want more of this?
One of these snapshot shows us a lively, vibrant community where residents know how to enjoy good weather. The other photo shows us, unfortunately, what the typical street life looks like in Eagle Rock– a sea of cars clogging up the street.
Of course, the reason why so many residents drive around Eagle Rock is because we dedicate the overwhelming majority of our space for cars. But it doesn’t have to be like this. Despite our road design which far favor cars over people, we have opportunities to make walking and cycling more pleasant and safe. One of those opportunities is to support and volunteer time to TERA and its new project ‘Taking Back the Boulevard‘. If you are not familiar with this new initiative, here’s an except from the most recent TERA newsletter describing the community effort:
The Colorado Boulevard of tomorrow can be a safer place for everyone. It can be a street that is inviting for bike riders, buses, cars, and pedestrians of all ages and abilities. In addressing the planning and engineering design choices of the past, and patterning Colorado after some of the most successful core community streets in the nation today, we will bring a renewed sense of pride and enrichment to Eagle Rock.
Colorado Boulevard should be a humane place that is inviting, scaled for people and reflects the rich history of Eagle Rock as well as the diverse culture that has drawn us all here. Colorado should be a place to sit with our friends over a meal or walk with our kids for ice cream or ride our bikes to the store. It must be a street that is no longer dominated by the automobile, but be a place for people.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
If ‘Taking Back the Boulevard’ sounds like something you’re interested in, read the full newsletter here and consider volunteering to help make the initiative a reality. You can make a difference.
