By: Diane Benjamin
http://bloomingtonil.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=1118&Inline=True
In a perfect example of government believing individuals have no responsibility but government does:
The McLean County Regional Planning Commission will make a presentation that includes this:
Eliminate fatalities and life-changing injuries from our transportation system by 2030
That is the most absurd statement ever written with tax dollars. I can’t wait to hear how much bubble wrap will be required for vehicles and of course the people in them. Bikers and walkers will need it too.
If MCRPC thinks everybody will be riding a bus they are insane. If they think self driving cars will be the norm they are equally insane. I remember going to a Ford dealership with my dad in the 60’s where a self driving car was on display. Trusting a car to drive itself is like expecting every time you turn on your computer it is going to work perfectly, computers have been out for 40 years and still aren’t 100% dependable.
Maybe they want “everybody walks”. Maybe they want everybody on bikes, equally insane during Illinois winters.
Also in the documentation is this statement:
Data‐driven transportation infrastructure policy and management.
If data was used Complete Streets wouldn’t exist. FEW bikes ever use the bike lanes. I do see bikers crossing against stop lights, laws don’t apply to them evidently.
Is the real goal crappy roads so government can have money to redistribute instead? Lots of potholes does slow traffic!
ONE MORE NOTE:
From the documentation:
What is Go Safe? https://mcplan.org/calendar/event/2021/03/20/community-conversation-1—draft-gosafe-mclean-county-action-plan
Proving yet again local government has no concept of “conflict of interest“, the MCRPC hired Hile Group to do the Go Safe study. Owner Julie Hile sits on the Connect Transit Board. In May Connect Transit managed to lose over $1,000,000. Congratulate Julie Hile for the loss and steering tax dollars to herself with via MCRPC. So much for public servant, Hile is closer to self-serving. https://drive.google.com/file/d/14LUojqx9sSmrx2HcTYWeMICdv9Ix4uas/view
CT still can’t find a new manager. Maybe Mark Peterson likes the big bucks or maybe nobody is far enough left to take the job. Or, maybe nobody wants to live in Illinois.
If riding the bus is part of the plan presented tonight the MCRPC should be abolished as incompetent self serving boobs. Side note, ridership in May was down from April.
Next:
I couldn’t find a reference to Info-Tech in the June 2020 meeting documents. See PDF page 17, sounds like a huge budget item coming. At least cyber-security is mentioned.
Finally,
Solid waste is back for the thousandth presentation! Get the popcorn ready
(Of course privatizing service won’t be mentioned)
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Where to begin? MCRPC is another central planning proxy for the local governments and their puppetmasters. More taxpayer money to implement politically ideology absent marketplace realities and, quite often, in complete opposition to what the marketplace tells us. (These quasi-government organizations are also cash cows for friends of government, including certain businesses and consultants.) With extremely limited exceptions, no one with a choice when it comes to transportation will take the bus over their own car. One operates on a government-set schedule and takes longer, the other is fully customizable to the needs of a commuter and is direct, door-to-door. Further, taking the bus is unconducive to commuters that pick up or take their kids to activities (ex. sports). Bikes are great for exercise and recreation…4 or 5 months out of the year. But again, can’t pick up the kiddos and take them to practice in the basket of your Schwinn. MCRPC’s plan defies common sense and logic. The fact that no one is willing to call them out on the obvious speaks to the community’s continued trend of looking the other way so your neighbor or pal in the local Kiwanis can have a makework, do-nothing job. Regarding the CT manager position, no one locally wants it because it’s a no-win, headache-inducing position. The riders are mad at the continued decline in quality of service, while the politicians ideologically micromanage it against the best interest of the riders.
“gathering transportation safety stories.” So, the data is based on “anecdotal evidence?’ This is how the Hile group provides consulting?
As a board member for CT, Julie Hile has been pushing for “attracting riders of choice” but ignores accessibility & efficiency. The “hub-transfer-station” model is the least efficient and most costly model as opposed to the grid model.
Julie Hile is on the search committee for the CT General Manager. As a resident of Normal, of course she’d be happy if Mark Peterson to remains in the position.
I remember back in the early 70’s when MCRPC was in the Illinois House hotel, and their “BIG deal” at the time was to make the downtown streets one, for better traffic flow, now years later they reversed that boondoggle. Planning is NOT their speciality!
Vasu wasn’t even the first choice when she was hired by MCRPC. According to those in the know, she was a bit down the list and only got the nod after two or three others turned the job down. Her claim to fame in Decatur was spending a couple of years of redesigning two or three blocks in downtown Decatur. Once in BN, she was just itching to return to a municipal government position and spent most of her time at MCRPC angling to do just that while staff did most of not only her job but their’s as well. She would do real well in politics.