In the realm of bicycle-powered delivery I thought you might appreciate this: http://www.thestar.com/news/cana...article/
659250#
On the subject of parking: we're running in to the same issues here in Toronto with merchants when it comes to things like the idea of adding bike lanes to major streets. Business owners cite the fact that "customers are already complaining about bad parking." I wonder, though, if part of it is due to the nature of parking as a "valid complaint." It's acceptable, almost encouraged to complain about parking or traffic. Complaining about drivers' attitudes towards cyclists, or general difficulty of cycling in the business' area are not generally things that are done because those are conditions that are generally considered par for the course.
Here are some "adaptive reuse" ideas for flashlights as bike lights:
http://nordicgroup.us/s78/
flashl...lashlights.html
To make this work you can't just use any cheap piece of crap flashlight.
And having a light on a bike for night riding is a good idea that might just save your ass. Just like helmets and racks are a good idea.
In my 15 years of living on the Hill, I do not think I have ever driven to Eastern Market, even back in the days when I had a car. You are absolutely correct that the merchants are doing a disservice to themselves and to their customers by not collectively offering delivery for large items/purchases. It would not cost too much and would be a real benefit to a customer base that has a large percentage of car-free households. But, as you write, the merchants are mostly suburbanites who have a car-centric view of the world. As for neighborhood residents who oppose closing the street, I am not sure what their excuse is. If they want lots of parking, they are in the wrong place. I don't ever really get out there, but I understand that there is a lot of parking along Rockville Pike. Perhaps they could move/shop out there? Rockville Pike is what you get when you provide a lot of room for cars and plentiful free parking..........
I am with RG , as is the usual case. I grew up here in DC, much of life has been in this neighborhood- and driving a car to the EM is just about most idiotic concept that anyone could possibly think up- unless, perhaps- one is going to Tunni's and someone is disabled and needs to drive to a spot on a weeknight for dinner on the way to some other place.
My GF's mom has bad knees and sometimes they will park to go to Tunni's. Talk to her and she will also support the car -free plaza concept. It works. In all of the years I have been here, there have NEVER been more people visiting EM and the surrounding areas.
My 88 year old father gets out and walks there just about every other day. He is also car-free and a DC Native. Our family has been going to the EM since the day it opened.
WTF are these people complaining about ?
I'm in the midst of a discussion on it on the Capitol Hill Yahoo Group, and it all boils down to exactly what Richard pointed out--parking. For some reason, they see 7th Street as some sort of amazing parking answer that will attract all these people that buy food at eastern market in large quantities (and thus haul it home in a car).
I can't help but notice that all your bullet points except point #4 are refutations of statements from those you describe as in the "pro-car camp," as if they had enough numbers and cogent arguments that they need refutation. Yet in the second paragraph you report, "The sentiment was overwhelmingly in favor [of closing 7th Street to weekend motor vehicle traffic], but some merchants were opposed and some residents." I had to leave early, so tell me, which is it: A close contest with good arguments and numbers on both sides, or something that is overwhelmingly lopsided in terms of public opinion?
I thought the sentiment at the meeting was overwhelmingly in favor of closing the street on weekends.
In fact, I was quite surprised that the sentiment was so overwhelmingly in favor. Of course, there weren't that many merchants present. Of those that were, half were vociferous in their preference for parking. Some, including the proprietor of Marvelous Market, which has a different audience, were either supportive of the street closure or open to it.
Its one thing to be for the street being open to cars, but another to believe so strongly that you need to organize meetings around it. Personally, I think I'd avoid the market on weekends if the street were open to cars - and I'm guessing other would as well. Someone driving from outside the area is probably just as likely to come down and park somewhere else, as they probably do already given that there aren't very many parking spots on 7th in front of the market.
the funny thing is, generally, I don't support "pedestrian malls," but that is on the definition of 24/7/365 closure. Few places with the exception of say Times Square, have enough pedestrians around to keep such places animated. Only a small handful of places that are pedestrian and/or transit malls end up working, and that is because there is a confluence of events, often including a large nearby college campus.
In DC, this block adjacent to Eastern market works well as a ped mall on the weekends, and I think that G Street from 7th to 9th Streets -- in front of the Verizon Center and the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery/American Art Museum and adjacent to the MLK Library -- is one of the other places that could actually work as a ped mall as well.
Commenting by HaloScan
