Some links to interesting articles that recently caught my eye:
A Short Guide to Tulsa’s New $465 Million Park
This Citylab article by Nicole Javorsky highlights the cool things a public park can be with a little creativity (and admittedly, a significant amount of funding.) The 65-acre Gathering Place features gardens, multiple themed playgrounds, pathways, outdoor dining, a spray park, a pond, boat rentals, skate park, plus courts for volleyball, soccer, basketball, and hockey. The park was primarily funded by donations from the George Kaiser Family Foundation, plus donations from corporations and other foundations. Admission is free.
As the City of Alexandria considers long-range plans for the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority‘s leased Cameron Run Regional Park, home of the seasonal Great Waves Waterpark, it’s useful to consider other creative uses that could give the park new year-round vibrancy–potentially attracting greater use by Alexandrians. Perhaps the Tulsa example of creative playspaces funded by philanthropic contributions could serve as a model here.
Dockless scooters, bikes to get trial run in Arlington for nine months
This Washington Post article by Patricia Sullivan describes a new pilot program adopted by Arlington County to manage the spread of electric rental scooters, which emerged in early July. Two companies, Lime and Bird, plan to operate in the county. According to the article, the new policy prohibits scooters on sidewalks and trails. The policy establishes speed limits and a minimum age for users. Companies must pay a franchise fee to the county and agree to share data regarding usage, travel patterns, and parking locations.
A similar approach was debated by the Alexandria City Council on Tuesday night. The city is considering a regulatory framework for commercial scooters that could include a cap on devices, safety features, parking and use regulation, an approach to reporting and resolving problems, and a permit fee. Any policy would be adopted following a public engagement process.
Because motorized scooters are legal in Virginia, localities cannot ban them outright, but can regulate their activities. As I noted in a recent post, cities should seek to manage scooters to mitigate the negative externalities (e.g., require them to be properly parked and yield the right of way to pedestrians) but should not regulate these services out of existence. We need mobility options, and scooters provide an important addition to our toolbox.
PlanAlexandria 