Streets for People

RantWoman is having one of her RantWoman moments having to whine and grumble, complain, moan and generally rain on the parade of something she would really like to support .

RantWoman was thinking of going to something called the Streets for People Kickoff Forum tonight. Well RantWoman was thinking about it until she was overcome by inertia, possibly irrational skepticism of things she cannot find info about anywhere but Facebook and healthy desire for pedestrian self-preservation.

This event hosted by The Seattle Great City Initiative and sponsored by The Cascade Bicycle Club Feetfirst , and the Sierra Club is just oozing with worthwhileness. It is all about cheerleading for campaigns to make cities more friendly for pedestrians and bicyclists. See Streets for People
Oops. Finally. RantWoman finally interacted with enough of the Facebook entry to find the link Streets for People Kickoff Party link.

The inertia needs no excuse. It's just inertia. RantWoman is not crazy about it, but it happens.

The problem finding the link is illustrative of RantWoman's general problem about relying on her eyeballs which she already has ample reason to realize are highly unreliable and her general hurry and impatience with reading whole webpages with her screenreader. Whine.

But the real problem as far as RantWoman is concerned is that an event all about pedestrian and bicycle friendliness was held at the The Armory on Lake Union which is a strong contender for most pedestrian-unfriendly venue in Seattle. There is a bike trail there. RantWoman thinks, from having encountered railroad tracks there once previously in the summer time when evenings are long that The South Lake Union Streetcar may go nearby in at least one direction. Once one gets TO the building across a giant parking lot and other impedimentia, there is a lovely gentl park with some frontage on the lake. The building itself is a tolerably pleasant venue with nice wood floors and a nice feel.

Unfortunately, The Armory on Lake Union isllocated right in the middle of the Mercer Mess, a vast exercise in getting cars on and off various freeways, state highways, city streets. This area is long on cars doing God knows what in all directions and short on sidewalks, marked crosswalks and pedestrian-friendly traffic signals. Except for the The South Lake Union ...(never mind) all of the bus routes that stop nearby involve at least one alarming street crossing either going or coming from the venue. In other words, despite the obvious defacto exhortation to work harder for one's cause, careless pedestrians face severe risk of... while on their way to cheerlead for pedestrian-friendliness.

Or they stay home and whine in their blogs.

Upon sober and better-rested reflection, RantWoman admits that imagining anything about pedestrian friendliness in the same sentence with the Mercer Mess may define quixotic. That is what imagination is for!