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Hurray for Plan B! Hurray for New Orleans!

It is good to know that you are all alright. Please let everyone know if you need help.

This may not be something you can turn your mind to just yet, but...

Bill Quigley's "Katrina Pain Index" hit my inbox about seventeen times the week of the anniversary of Katrina.

One of the alarming statistics contained in it was that 80% of the pre-Katrina public transit capacity has not been restored.

I've cycled in New Orleans in your August heat, and it was a bit much for this Canadian girl-- give me an unplowed winter street any day!

Those of you who cycle in that Southern humidity are tough!

I've walked long distances in that humidity, too, and it made

me so sad to think of people-- particularly old folks and little kids-- walking forever because there are no buses anymore.

Fixing the public transit system is going to be a challenge for you all.

That stat did make me wonder about whether or not you all or any one in your community had developed a more extensive alternative to the official New Orleans bike plan to help people who do not have cars.

If not, do you know what your people and your city needs, can we set up a wiki and help you to develop a great one?

Some of us are working with a wiki to design a bike plan for

the Detroit-Windsor region, and that model is working well so far.

We are developing a plan that contains both items that we, as

citizens and denizens, are either already doing or can just start implementing all by ourselves, and things that we can take with us to meetings with all levels of government and with church groups and businesses, etc..

 This ground up approach to city transportation plan design is

kind of awesome so far; once our bike plan is a little father along, we will formally invite groups like Tansit Riders United, anti-poverty groups, women's groups, and others, to participate with us-- some of us already members of those groups, so those view points are already informally involved.

If I can help New Orleans by helping with you develop that sort

of plan, it would make me very happy-- so many of the people on this list have mad skills and lots of experience, but not much money to help you in other ways.

Love to all of you and to your city--

have fun at Bike!Bike!

                       Sasha

On Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:04:34 -0400 plan b NOLA Bike Project nolabikeproject@gmail.com wrote:

Hey y'all!

Plan B is up and we hope to reopen tomorrow! Most of us were in Jackson, Ms. at Ethan Clark's family home when Gustav hit. Everyone is doing well and there doesn't seem to be any damage to Plan B, although I've only been around the exterior of the building; I hope to go in today. In my hurry to depart on Sunday I made Plan B my last stop to take important papers, close windows, remove money, etc. and I locked the building keys inside the bike shop. Oops!

I'll post an update when I go in today but really, everything should be fine. That building's a fortress!

There are a few of us that plan to head to Bike!Bike! so I'm looking forward to meeting you then.

Thank y'all so much for your concern!!!

All the best, Victor Pizarro

On Mon, Sep 1, 2008 at 10:58 PM, Jay Varner jay@sopobikes.org wrote:

...

Just checking in. I realize email might not be the best way to

reach

...

ya'll...but if you do get this, let us know if we can help.

In solidarity, Jay Sopo Bikes, Atlanta sopobikes.org _______________________________________________ Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@bikecollectives.org

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