Spokane7
33°
April 6, 2010 in City
Council votes to look into ‘complete streets’
Bike lanes, improved sidewalks and other transportation amenities will get a renewed focus in the city of Spokane.
The Spokane City Council agreed Monday to direct city workers to “identify the gaps” and locate “opportunities to supplement and fund” complete street plans.
Although it’s nonbinding, the plan triggered spirited debate, with more than a dozen people testifying and council members spending more than an hour defending their various positions.
Councilman Jon Snyder, who introduced the measure, said it gets the city started on rules that could make streets more accommodating for pedestrians and bicyclists. Council members Bob Apple and Nancy McLaughlin voted against the resolution, arguing they’re concerned about the cost.
Jonathan Brunt
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Dazzeetrader11 on April 06 at 12:48 a.m.
One thing’s clear: Snyder cannot be quiet and listen. I watched this online and he always voted for a discussion period and then he took up the discussion period being defense or lecturing on the benefits of his idea. From out here, it looks like it might be best to repair the streets…and make that one thing a piority before allocating this resource ot bike and pedestrians. Although many think walking or biking will prolong lives and reduce heart disease, there is not one bit of research or data to support the concept. Less stress from potholes might though…D
riverlaw on April 06 at 8:03 a.m.
Wow Daisy! Exercise doesn’t improve health? I think any doctor will tell you that walking, biking, and exercise improves health. A google search will result in ample studies that support that. Here is just the first of many links I got on a google search on this topic — http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601124&sid=aj8sY5nKT1Vw
This begs the question — what evidence is there to refute this or better yet what evidence is there that more car riding is healthy?
liarsinnews on April 06 at 8:04 a.m.
The short time that Snyder has been a councilperson, and not dry behind his ears yet, appears to think he is smarter than anyone in the Lilac City. I agree with D. Snyder doesn`t listen but loves to hear himself talk.
Travis on April 06 at 8:54 a.m.
There has been ample of research done to show that a community that is walkable and bikeable increases physical activity, thus reducing chronic illness. Not only does it better the health of the residents, but it increases economic devleopment. I am all for bringing more money to our community. I really like the idea of an elected offical, Jon Snyder, making a decision based on research and not his own personal agenda.
spokanesausage on April 06 at 9:47 a.m.
Fix the darn streets first. This concept may end up taking more money away from new roads and put more into stripping bike lanes.
The other thing about this is that the city council assumes that walkers and bikers want to use busy arterials to get around. Maybe commuter bikers like Snyder and Rush ( bike commuters probably amount to less than 1% of total commuter traffic each day). The vast majority of bikers, parents, seniors and kids want better infrastructure in parallel streets.
This almost seems to be a special interest,self important piece of legislation being brought forward by Snyder and Rush. At the very least, it’s a decent concept wrongly applied.
Betty on April 06 at 12:49 p.m.
And how many miles of streets in Spokane are not paved ? And a lot of us still live with that dust from them and we still have students walking to school without sidewalks to walk on, but the new corner approaches have been built where the existing roads are being torn up and from my vantage point on an intersection where two arterials have been replaced, all that has been done is resurface the streets and with the larger corners, this intersection is a raceway and thank goodness it has not brought out bikers (except for motorcycles) as the cars barely stop at the stop signs except during the heavier drive times.
Perhaps Snyder takes a page from McLaughlin’s play page and feels that confounding us with vague comments that rattle on and on and the viewers would lose interest and I DO.
Dazzeetrader11 on April 06 at 2:39 p.m.
Rick…go read what I wrote..”.Heart disease or prolong life”…no amount of runing , walking, etc will do that. Health is different…all the bikes, weights, tracks, etc may improve physiology and promote some health…doesn’t reduce heart disease or prolong life. Vaccines, cleanliness in the operating rooms, antibiotics ,etc do …excercise doesn’t. Nobody ever has proved it and nobody will because it doesn’t.
Not one article or shred of research has said it. Not one. FInd one and we’ll argue if you want. Health (define that) chanes..because physiology changes. Moreover having “health insurance” doesn’t protect your health or make you live longer ( flaw in the Obama argument). It may protect your pocketbook…but not your health.
Synder can’t listen. He has his plans and “that’s that”…watch his eyes on the monitor sometime. He actually begins to be uneasy in his seat…eyes dartings around…he cannot sit quietly and listen….looks like he cannot wait to pounce on the speaker…whether it’s a fellow councilman/woman or a citizen who’s conerned about somethng. Amber listens…as does Corker….Snyder simple cannot.
riverlaw on April 06 at 9:11 p.m.
Wow! Daisy — antibiotics benefit heart disease? No, check out the science —
It’s no secret that exercise has a positive impact on heart health, and recent studies have shown just how large its effect can be. Gravelin (2003) has asserted that aerobic exercise prevents heart disease by strengthening the heart muscle. He also cites a study done by the New England Journal of Medicine, which found that five hours of walking a week reduced heart disease risk by 50 percent. Herder and Demmig-Adams (2004) have mentioned similar benefits of exercise, stating that it lowers heart disease risk by contributing to multiple factors, such as weight maintenance, decreased stress, and lowered blood pressure. The proven benefits of exercise make it a crucial part of a heart-healthy lifestyle.
Read more at Suite101: Preventing Heart Disease: The Impact of Diet, Exercise, and Smoking Cessation http://heartdiseasediabetes.suite101.com/article.cfm/preventing-heart-disease#ixzz0kNsWqphH
misjustice on April 06 at 9:40 p.m.
@ Rick, don’t bother, Dazee won’t read your evidence in support of your claim, she just likes to argue…Thanks though, I found it interesting.
Dazzeetrader11 on April 07 at 9:04 p.m.
Misj has the IQ of a minnow…on her good days. Don’t let her interrupt Rick…oh yeeee of the C4J.
If you knew the data from the large clinical trials on risk factor modification and if any therapy prolongs lifespan, you’d be shocked. Nothing works!
Health is different from prolongation of life…and if you go read again, I didn’t say antibiotics affect the heart…but they are primarily responisble…that and sewer management, clean water, OR sterilization practices, etc…are the primary causes for lifespan increasing in men 10 years longer than in 1970.
To the point though…treatment of severe htn, extreme values of cholesterol (in the 350 to 600 mg/dl range do make a difference. Those are acute studies though. When blended with the normal population, they don’t affect lifespan.
Health is a different issue from helping heart failure pts or eclamptic women. IN general, there is no..NO..data to support the concept that having “health” ( define it please) prolongs life…and none from walking,, running, weights, etc. Mr Fit, in the 80’s didn’t show it…and neither has any larger scale trials. CIte one!. The investigators would be given a Nobel. None so far…..and there won’t be.,
The only hope is genetics that might be modified. No trials on that field either since we are now only beginning to define genes of organs…and none for therapy…including walking, etc.
Rick…I and my group fund buildings, large trials and I used to manage such at NIH. We waited and waited for what you want. None showed up. We can make hearts beat more effectively and change physiology all we want…but nothing has shown to reduce mortality…morbidity maybe…but not mortality.
In heart attacks, one Dr from your community showed a reduction of death in hospital and at 1 year. Big time guy…New Ngland Journal Editor now. He’s big news…and at UCLA now. Heart attack pts aren’t healthy though. We can change disease outcomes but not the occurence of a disease.
Ask yourself if healthy lifestyles prevent cancer. NOPE. or heart diesease? NOPE. Your citations were read and they are editorials that quote each other.. No independent data though. I wish it were the case…but it’s not there yet. Need a 60-70 year longitudinal study involving children…none out there yet.
Exercise and diet do help physiology…no doubt..but don’t generate longer lifespan. They may effect morbidity but they don’t prevent disease…ask Jim Fixx…multiple MI’s and heart failure at his autopsy. He’s the “healthiest” guy in the cemetary.
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