RE: Campus parking, was Re: The City this week, July 9-16, 2001 An Occasional View from a

["Jeff Goebel" <goebel@palouse.net>]

There are several purposes for paid parking.  Some of those issues are
symptoms of a fundamental challenge we have in our culture, our need to be
attached to our cars.  I am wondering how do we create a culture where more
people walk or ride bikes to their place of employment or study?  Creating
conditions that make it easier to walk and ride bikes such as developing
sidewalks, roads ands paths that are friendlier to pedestrians and
bicyclers.

While working recently with the Moscow School District and the facilities
issues, a perception arose to keep "high schoolers" in town because it would
allow the students to continue walking to school.  However, it was said that
only about 30 students walk to school now, out of 600.  Do so many students
at U of I need to bring their cars to school?  Do so many faculty, staff and
administrators need to bring their cars to work?  Do so many high school
students and business people need to bring their cars to study and work?

Perhaps the adults in our communities could be a model and start walking or
riding bikes.  If the young people see that example, than perhaps they will
do the same.  Is it "cool" to have a bike or walk?  Is it "not cool" to
drive in our communities?  I, of course, do my fair share of driving.
However, I am also learning to adjust my schedule each day to walk around
town.  I can certainly use the exercise.  And I use my walking to do other
tasks, like going to the post office or bank.

I live in Pullman.  We have similar issues with parking.  Pullman is
considering building a new parking structure to support downtown businesses.
We are also considering extending the walking / biking path through
downtown.  Our main street is a major highway which makes crossing from one
side of the street to the other like stepping off into a torrential river.
You take your life in your hands.  Moscow has had the wisdom to create a
"friendlier to pedestrian" downtown.

I noticed walking has become easier with some of the new paths that were
created through town.  It's more convenient to walk straight to campus
across the Palouse River now, rather than follow the roads which often add
an extra 15 minutes because they don't always go straight.  I notice when I
walk to the post office, I have to walk an extra five minutes when I come
down my hill.  I can see the post office directly in front of me, down a
vacant hillside, but I have to stay on the contour of the road designed for
cars.  A simple stairway would make that walk a little more convenient.

I once learned about treating symptoms versus treating problems.  If someone
had you sit down at a table.  On the table were a glass of water and a
bottle of aspirin.  If this someone started hitting you on the side of the
head with a stick until you developed a headache, then asked "do you want
some aspirin?", how many of us would take the aspirin and not even think
about stopping the blows?

The parking issue and many other issues around our communities seem to be
like focusing on the headache.  Of course, in the short-term, if you get a
headache, take the aspirin.  But it would make sense to also think about
what's causing the headache in the first place, and treat that issue as
well.

My two sense today, Jeff

Carl Jeffry Goebel
Goebel and Associates
Website: http://www.aboutlistening.com/
Phone: 509.334.4767