some nupta-related items
Schiller, Barry
1. FYI the RI Green Building Council is working with the Center for Neighborhood technology to develop a way to measure transportation efficiency of buildings, this expanding the "green building" concept to our area. They say worker commutes use 30% more energy than the building itself.
2 Building with low such effiency must include the state's - at a Sustainability Festival workshop Mark Therrien noted that only 35 state employees take the bus (out of about 13,000) As result of the legislation we helped pass, there is a committee dealing with this but has faced delays, useless surveys, and the state employee unions and others are resisting any attempt to get them to use public transit (something for the ATU to work on?) It makes me feel less sorry for Council 94 (especially as their "free" parking lots also add to the runoff that leads to the expensive CSO tunnels paid for, not by parking lot users, but by residents of the cities in the Bay Commission district) Mark indicated the state was supposed to implement a half-fare policy for employees next year, but wasn't sure anyone would actually make them do it. Mark also indicated that the metro are study was now considering the streetcar line to run from the Hospitals to brown, and that Brown would help pay for it. A public workshop would likely be held around Dec 1. Finally, Mark noted Friday was Tim's last day. I heard they hadn't posted his job yet, one that I hope is filled soon with someone as good.
3 On the other hand, a story out of Texas (Chris should be proud) is that a big grocery chain in Houston, H E Butt, is offering discounts to customers who don't drive - $5 off $50 or more, if they walk, take transit, bike, vanpool. And unlike RI, Texas profits from oil consumption and still has someone with this vision.
4 The Feds are in town Wed Sept 30 for a routine recertification of the RI transportation planning process including our public participation system. Anyone with suggestion on improving it can attend a public hearing on this at 5pm Wed Sept 30 at the Dept of Administration conference room.
Barry
Chris Wilhite
First, the big grocery chain is out of San Antonio and is called H.E.B., not
H E Butt, as it has been reported lately. Kind of funny that the big grocery
store from Texas is now known as the Butt.
I did here about this story and I have to say that I was shocked. HEB isn't
exactly the most progressive of grocery stores - though I guess it's a lot
better than Albertsons or some of the other big chains.
I'm also delighted that the Green Building Council is beginning to address
transportation efficiency for green buildings.
--wilhite
www.ri.sierraclub.org
james celenza
--
James Celenza
RICommittee on Occupational Safety & Health
751-2015
jasce...@gmail.com
Chris Wilhite
I’m looking at the agenda for tomorrow’s meeting. It’s more of a presentation of the draft outline for the draft report. I understand that they have pushed it back to a December release date. Also, there is some discussion as to whether this should be couched as a Providence thing or part of RIPTA’s statewide plan. There are pros and cons either way. Essentially, if this is a Providence thing, then we might push it for a Providence-only referendum in 2010, thus having a smaller net to cast in terms of advocating for a referendum. If it is a statewide thing, it is likely that it won’t go on to the ballot until 2012 with the mid-term next Governor backing it. This is just my analysis and not to be thought of as the full picture. Actually, I think Jerry can add to this as well.
John Flaherty
Also, unless someone already has this info, we’ll need to do some research on the steps and timing of getting referenda on various ballots.
JF
james celenza
Jerry Elmer
Here is the answer to John’s question about bond referenda. Bond referenda must be put on the ballot by the General Assembly, but do not require gubernatorial signature. Proposed bond referenda go to the Finance Committees of both houses of the General Assembly. The staff and relevant committee chairs are already deeply immersed considering the the bond referenda for the 2010 ballot. It may well be already too late for CTC to try to coordinate with DOT to be a part of DOT’s 2010 bond issue. The hurdle for getting our own, separate, free-standing bond issue is the political one rather than the mechanical (time issue) one. Chris Wilhite and I have already started discussions with Mayor Cicilline’s office about the advisability of a Providence city bond issue (as opposed to a statewide one) for major transit expansion. This possibility would present certain political questions/issues to the City as it would to CTC. No one has decided or committed to anything yet; various folkis are contemplating the options.
Hope this helps.
Jerry
tom sgouros
Jerry Elmer <JEl...@clf.org> wrote:
> Proposed bond referenda go to the
> Finance Committees of both houses of the General Assembly. The staff and
> relevant committee chairs are already deeply immersed considering the the
> bond referenda for the 2010 ballot. It may well be already too late for
> CTC to try to coordinate with DOT to be a part of DOT's 2010 bond issue.
They are immersed, but as Jerry says, it's a political hurdle, not
mechanical. This last time around, I believe the horse-trading on
various bond issues was still going on right up until the budget passed.
If DOT or Finance *wants* to put something on the 2010 ballot, they will
be able to do it until next June. If they don't, then not.
-tom
--
--------------------------------------------------------
Check out "Ten Things You Don't Know About Rhode Island"
http://whatcheer.net http://sgouros.com