Recent Comments
Re: “To transform Rochester, two critical focus points”
I'd like to build on the points made here and suggest that the goals of an enhanced river corridor and better public transportation are closely linked. "Active transportation" encompasses people walking, riding bicycles, and using public transportation as an integral part of how they get around. The Genesee River Trail is the crown jewel of our river today, and if extended through downtown, could be the heart of a world class active transportation corridor. This corridor would be a great asset to residential, commercial, and recreational development on our river. Integrating this corridor with enhanced public transportation, ride sharing, car sharing, bike sharing, cycle tracks, bike lanes, bicycle boulevards, and, most importantly, well maintained (and clear of snow) sidewalks, will help make Rochester a great place for people of all incomes and ages to live, work, and play.
Re: “Negative focus on College Town isn’t fair, some tenants say”
Rochester is very much a "glass half empty" kind of town as far as developments go. Practically every project is accompanied by choruses of doom. I should write a song called "Sitting in High Falls Waiting for the Fast Ferry Blues" and make a million dollars charging royalties at community meetings. Before CollegeTown that area was an old motel and the derelict parking lot from the former Wegmans. CollegeTown is not perfect (e.g., Constantino's was a predictable misfire, Mt. Hope should be narrower, etc.), however, there are plenty of successful areas with far worse bones. It mostly takes people to make a successful place, and there ought to be enough people in that area for CollegeTown to work. The time to measure of success will come in three or four more years. Some projects are instant blockbusters, but that's the exception, not the rule.
Re: “Does Rochester really need Uber?”
Earlier this year I had the misfortune to call a cab in Rochester. I had to call three different companies (and this was a day in advance). The cab I called came on time, but the driver spent the entire trip texting (I believe it was about the next fare to pick up). Texting and talking on the cell phone while driving is unsafe and illegal. It's also standard practice for Rochester cab drivers.
I've used Uber in several different cities. It works better and I've never seen an Uber driver text or use their cell phone while driving. I've also noticed that taxi service in areas with Uber seems to have improved substantially.
Rochester taxis are inconvenient, expensive, and unsafe. The line about drivers being well regulated professionals is bunk. I'm all for uniform regulations, but the arguments on the "no Uber" side just don't hold water.
Re: “A reluctant endorsement for Hillary Clinton”
I'm going to be out of town on primary day and have already voted for Senator Sanders. That said, if, as seems likely, Hillary Clinton is the Democratic nominee, I am going to be a big supporter. More than anything else, though, I want to beg people to not think about this primary in "us vs. them" terms: leave that to Fox News, they've been doing it for years.
As for abstaining or voting for Jill Stein in the general, if you're in a "safe" state then go for it, but if there is any chance that your vote will contribute to a Trump or Cruz presidency please think about the people who may be hurt. I remember the same arguments being made in 2000 and they brought us George W. Bush, John Roberts, and Samuel Alito, and those choices brought us Citizens United, voter ID laws, and and a corruption of our political processes that will, at best, take decades to reverse. A federal government in which today's Republican party effectively controls the executive, the legislative, and the judicial branches will have ramifications long past the next election cycle.
There is a real difference between the candidates of the two parties and, perhaps more importantly, there is a huge difference between the coalitions that support those parties. My choice this year was to vote my conscience in the primary and support Bernie Sanders. In the general election I will vote my conscience again,and support the Democratic nominee. It's not about "me" and it's not about "you": it's about casting a vote to protect and support our most vulnerable citizens, our environment, and our political institutions.
Re: “Carousel panel going to RMSC”
Yes, it will be seen more. At a museum. In its ugly historical context. By people who are expecting to see it. Sounds like a good resolution to me.
Re: “Cameras will help 'stranded' cyclists”
Great news! I've been at intersections where the light, literally, never changes for a person riding a bicycle. It gets old.
Re: “To transform Rochester, two critical focus points”
As Irene Allen noted, Crossroads Park suffers from effectively being a cul de sac. It needs sprucing up and active programming, but most importantly it needs to have a purpose. I suggest better links to State Street, coordinated development across the river that utilizes the pedestrian bridge, and developing a decent way to get from Crossroads Park to High Falls. It's infuriating that one can practically throw a ball from the park to High Falls, but that there is no pleasant way to walk there! The railroad and the remnants of the former "loop" make this hard, but it's what the park needs to become a functioning, healthy, "place".