[RTC List] Telecom & County Planning Commission MeetingThursday1/17
Pat Bitton
pat_bitton at eurestopartners.com
Fri Jan 18 10:16:08 PST 2008
It really would be nice if people who have *individual* philosophical
differences could take their conversations offline from this listserv.
<sigh>
Pat Bitton
Partner, Euresto Partners
Sales & Marketing Strategies for Technology Startups
+1 707 268 8968/+1 408 464 0829 cell
www.eurestopartners.com
_____
From: list-bounces at redwoodtech.org [mailto:list-bounces at redwoodtech.org] On
Behalf Of Aaron Antrim
Sent: Friday, January 18, 2008 9:56 AM
To: Arkley, Rob
Cc: greenwheels core email; list at redwoodtech.org
Subject: Re: [RTC List] Telecom & County Planning Commission
MeetingThursday1/17
Mr. Arkley:
Recently, I read an article about a suite of pilot projects that have
received $15 million from Cisco Systems. In Seoul they are working on a
GPS-enabled "travel companion" to help commuters use transit and motorists
avoid congested roads; in the S.F. Bay Area, they are working at improving
wireless connectivity for municipal buses; and, in Amsterdam,
neighborhood-located work and telepresence facilities. More here:
http://weblog.infoworld.com/sustainableit/archives/2007/12/cisco_clinton_g.h
tml
The General Plan is a 20-year document. In 20 years, I expect to see
climate change and traffic congestion become more pressing problems in
Humboldt County. I also expect that information technology solutions to
address these problems will increase in number and viability.
Cisco is using climate change and congestion traffic challenges as new
opportunities around which to create and deploy information technology
solutions around the world We can follow suit in Humboldt County if we take
the right steps.
We both advocate for a telecom element because it will provide a planning
basis which will facilitate public and private investment infrastructure. I
posit including language in the General Plan which supports use of
information technology as a cost-effective transportation demand management
strategy may also facilitate telecom infrastructure & services development.
I don't see a reason not to work together where our purposes intersect.
In some areas our values obviously differ, but I feel very strongly
compelled to respond to your assertion that my suggestions are "at best
growth prohibiting." I believe my suggestions would help Humboldt County
grow, creating new economic and infrastructure development opportunities,
while minimizing traffic congestion and environmental impacts. Recently, I
can't help but notice a consistent rhetorical strategy to cast me and
like-minded colleagues as "no growth," which is not accurate. I believe
growth can help us redevelop our urban areas to be more pedestrian, bike and
transit friendly, whereas the flow of money out of the county to pay for
imported cars and fuel inhibits economic growth.
Here's another example of this observed rhetorical strategy at work. My
column, which you referenced, appeared in the Times-Standard under the
headline of "Don't be so hasty on harbor project decision." In the Eureka
Reporter, it appeared as "Environmental groups oppose bay container port."
It appeared on the same spread as the Eureka Reporter's official editorial
statement supporting aggressive container port development and calling
advocates of alternatives advocates of "no growth." Please stop using this
inaccurate term in regards to me and my work.
Sincerely,
Aaron Antrim
--
Aaron Antrim
Principal Information Architect, Transit Information Solutions
www.transitinfosolutions.com
Outreach Director, Green Wheels
www.green-wheels.org
707.633.4464
On 17 Jan 2008, at 3:40 AM, Arkley, Rob wrote:
Dear All,
I think that Aaron may be well intentioned, but his input goes way
beyond what I feel that Redwood Technology should go I its input. Mr. Atrim
also has a advocacy piece about the Bay and it is future. Needless to say,
he and I agree on little. However, we should all agree that we need more
telecom and IT service.
Mr. Antrim's suggestions below are at best growth prohibiting and
simply go far beyond the real issues that I believe that our group has in
mind. Let's stay focused on our goal and not become broadly advocacy based
with the exception of issues directly in our charge. If we don't stay
focused, we will lose our emphasis and power which a broad based and
coalition has.
I don't want to start a huge and vitriolic e mail chain, but rather
stay focused on our real goals, which are far more limited and surgical in
nature than the below comments suggest. I am convinced that if we stay
focused and surgical, we will have much more likelihood of success.
vty,
Rob .
_____
From: list-bounces at redwoodtech.org [mailto:list-bounces at redwoodtech.org] On
Behalf Of Aaron Antrim
Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2008 12:25 AM
To: list at redwoodtech.org
Subject: Re: [RTC List] Telecom & County Planning Commission MeetingThursday
1/17
Tina-
Thank you for your post about the General Plan Update process. I agree a
telecom element would be a good stop towards improving infrastructure on the
North Coast. I would look forward to seeing comments you or any other RTC
members have on the existing parts of the General Plan draft that relate to
telecom.
I think one area where telecom could be better addressed is in the
Circulation Element (that's planese for transportation element).
Currently, traffic flow conditions are rated by criteria called Level of
Service (LoS for short). The General Plan states that LoS should be
maintained at a C or better for roads in the county. Green Wheels would
like to see specific language added to the General Plan that specifies
mobility management or transportation demand management programs costs and
benefits should be considered and weighed against road construction projects
as a way of improving or maintaining LoS on county roads.
These transportation demand or mobility management programs are, in the
words of a Nelson/Nygaard consultant, "trip-reducing programs, policies, and
investments (such as expanded pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure,
requiring new development to unbundled parking costs provide free transit
passes to residents and/or employees, and carsharing programs)."
I'd like to add that telecommuting programs can be considered as
transportation demand management as well, and I'd like to encourage RTC
members to take this opportunity to communicate the benefits of information
infrastructure as a basis for traffic congestion reduction, and sustainable
and balanced transportation.
You can see more Green Wheels comments on the General Plan here:
www.green-wheels.org/generalplan
-Aaron
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