ericbunch.bsky.social
City Councilperson in #KCMO. Posts about transit, walkability, housing, and climate. Formerly policy wonk and co-founder @BikeWalkKC. Personal account. (he/him/his)
155 posts
600 followers
83 following
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Oh đź’Ż My primary transportation mode is our public e-bike share fleet! The unexpected benefit for me (vs commuting on my acoustic bikes for the precious 15 years) was the ability to zip around in the heat of the summer while wearing a suit. Truly a game changer for so many folks.
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As a resident of a very hilly city (nobody roll your eyes, Kansas City has legit hills) I would not resist the idea of some escalators or one of those things you can put your foot on to roll you and your bike uphill.
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I can’t get around much at all right now because I sprained an ankle bouldering. So I feel this in my bones, literally.
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Yeah maintenance issues and not really an ADA accommodation because they aren’t that accessible. The building in the picture would require an elevator and/or accessible ramps which are far more inclusive. But still, my original reply was punching down and inadvertently ableist. Thanks for the nudge.
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Of course! And my apologies for coming off as ableist. Escalators can certainly improve accessibility in addition to elevators and ramps.
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Haha I realized after I replied that you likely weren’t referring to that specific street example. Sorry for the confusion!
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Same!
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"Oh, but this just shows the nerdy, detail-obsessed nature of Japanese people," you say. Perhaps. But these publications can't exist without a distribution system (i.e., newsstands). And those newsstands can't exist without *dense walkable neighborhoods.*
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Yeah I’ve thought of that but that specific street is like 28’ wide curb to curb so probably not practical in the example shown in that picture but I’m all for snow road diets on our 4 lane streets! I’ll add that to the list of ideas!
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“Sir, this is an Arby’s.”
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Yeah some of these piles blocking sidewalks are 10’ tall. They will be there until spring if left on their own.
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Legally, adjacent property owner is required to clear the sidewalk and corner ADA ramps But the offending snow pile in this case was from plowing and is right at the curb, so unclear. I’m connecting with transit authority to find out what their general practice is at accessible bus stops.
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I’m sitting here in my warm office with my heart rate elevated watching/listening to this. I know this sound well! And I know how white my knuckles get riding in that! Hope you made it to your destination safely!
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Same for north of of plaza as well.
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Thanks for posting that guide; I hadn't seen it before.
Have added it to my list of resources:
publish.obsidian.md/debbieohi/al...
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Traffic has decreased.
273,000 fewer vehicles entered Manhattan below 60 Street from Monday to Friday last week.
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Thanks for sharing your ideas and feedback. Always happy to engage.
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Awesome! Welcome to KC.
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Yes but it’s not enumerated. Just a reasonable time after the snow has ended.
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I get it… you don’t want to fine someone over this if they have limited mobility, but we do this for other property violations all the time. You still gotta mow the grass and trim the shrubs. Nobody seems to think that’s a problem.
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You should share that with him then! I sprained my ankle last week (unrelated to the snow) and the snow has made walking anywhere nearly impossible. I cannot imagine how hard it would be for folks with disabilities or have limited mobility.
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Because my suggestion that we highlight for the public that everyone is required to clear their sidewalks lest they be cited was met with almost universal rebuke from my council colleagues.
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And unfortunately, common sense enforcement (i.e selective) would probably be considered arbitrary and capricious.
Another alternative would be to just investigate 311 complaints and hope that folks aren’t ratting on their neighbors.
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What I am suggesting here is that if you actively push snow onto the sidewalk from a driveway or a parking lot, you should be cited. That would be distinct offense from just failing to shovel your sidewalk. Addressing the concern you highlight was my point.
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Thankfully this isn’t on the way to school otherwise we would never get there on time!
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this mountain next to the 39th St Starbucks parking lot had me wound up yesterday - cleared their four spot lot but blocked the sidewalk from the neighbors or anyone parking on the street
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And refereeing fights!
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Thank you for sharing this info! Now I’ve got my next wiki rabbit hole teed up!
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Referring to a serious crash as “violence” doesn’t even necessarily mean the person causing the crash is a violent person. You don’t have to reflexively jump to a driver’s defense. Crashes are traumatic and calling them anything but violent diminishes their impact on victims and communities.