You would be forgiven if you missed this little blurb in the Indianapolis Business Journal on Monday. The blurb is 4 sentences long, but I believe it may say quite a bit about where we are headed. It mentions the rising price of asphalt, which is manufactured from oil. Counties are now looking at the option of returning their rural roads to gravel surfaces.
Here in Indianapolis, pothole season has been particularly brutal. The city’s administration is hamstrung by their promise of cutting spending from the budget, which means less money for services such as pothole-filling. Yet even with the trouble we are having in maintaining our roads in this state, we’re still planning new ones. It’s as if we just can’t help ourselves; and instead of easing our transition to a post-cheap oil society, we intend to drive ourselves off of the cliff.
I could get behind a light rail system that did a loop around Washington St, Michigan Rd / MLK Jr, Kessler Blvd and College. That would eliminate a lot of inner city driving, especially with parking lots convenient to interstate exits. But then it would take asphalt to make those parking lots… crap!
And if we don’t have the money to fill potholes, we probably don’t have the money to build a light rail system. Oh well, I guess we better build more roads.
Yes, it is true, it’s the little things that matter…
Bike lanes!
-Brett
Rodney, you mention light rail…I’m in. If I was a multi-millionaire, I’d donate to the cause…
Brett-Ah, glimmers of hope seep through the cracks. Thanks.
We do seem intent on driving ourselves into oblivion, and that goes for the whole country, not just Naptown.
I’m just wondering what price it will take for people to stop driving and consider alternate transport or GASP more dense, pedestrian friendly neighborhood design that doesn’t necessitate driving everywhere.
We do seem intent on driving ourselves into oblivion, and that goes for the whole country, not just Naptown.
I’m just wondering what price it will take for people to stop driving and consider alternate transport or GASP more dense, pedestrian friendly neighborhood design that doesn’t necessitate driving everywhere.
Sure, the rest of the country isn’t much better at this, save a few pockets like Portland or some college towns.
I would guess that gas prices would have to be around the $5-7mark for us to get more serious about density.
But how to grow one’s own food in a dense environment, which tends to be paved and shaded?
Yes, that may be a big quandary. Maybe grow some crops on the roofs? Is that too radical or expensive?
There are a good number of dense neighborhoods downtown, I live in one. Most of us have yards that can grow gardens too.
Unless of course you’re talking about everyone moving to condos, in which case that’s a different story.
With a denser neighborhood, farmers can bring their crops from the outskirts into the city, where people can get to a marketplace without a car and purchase those goods. Just think of how they used to live in the 1800s and earlier. Its surprising how much you can grow/raise in a small piece of land too.