Month: June 2014

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Broadway streetscape project almost done, results are disappointing

On By jamesinclair

It’s been almost three years since the project was announced, and now the Broadway streetscape project in downtown Fresno is almost done. The plan involved giving Broadway a small road diet, removing a center turn lane and one general lane to add angled parking on each side. The project included absolutely no bicycle accommodations (contrary to the master plan) but did add some amenities for pedestrians in the form of sidewalk extensions at intersections.

Sadly, the project has done many things wrong. The lack of attention to detail shows that Fresno does not have a planner that understands bicycle or pedestrian planning – or even basic ADA. Sort of shocking for a city of half a million. Let’s take a look. Click to read more!

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Fresno COG conducting (bad) survey on FAX service – deadline June 23!

On By jamesinclair

I got an interesting email today from the Fresno Council of Governments, the metropolitan planning agency for the Fresno area.

They’re conducting a study on how to improve FAX, which like most studies, includes public comment. Apparently, they put a survey online in late May, and sent out emails yesterday because the deadline is next week.

They’re paying the good folks at Parsons Brincherhoff large sums of money to do this. 

In an effort to improve the efficiency and sustainability of our existing fixed route bus systems, the Fresno Council of Governments is currently examining the metropolitan area’s travel patterns for both Fresno and Clovis through extensive surveys and analysis of area transit riders and non-riders.
Project documents are available for review on the Fresno Council of Governments website at www.fresnocog.org/strategic-transit-plan.  Please take our survey and share your preferences about the transit system. 
Public comments are encouraged and may be submitted in writing by 5:00 p.m. on June 23, 2014 to: info@theriosco.com

Sounds great right? A perfect opportunity to tell them that the area transit sucks, and they must do more to improve it.

Don’t get excited. It’s a loaded survey with a leading questions giving people a false choice. Here’s what it says: Click to read more!

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A look at construction at First 5 Fresno’s new “Lighthouse” headquarters

On By jamesinclair

I don’t think I’ve done a picture update on this project before, and it’s moving quickly. You may have heard about it in the Bee because of controversy regarding an underfunded organization spending millions on a new building. I believe their current headquarters are on Shaw.

Their new building will be located downtown on Tulare and N, just south of the library. It used to be a parking lot, so this is a plus to the area. I was disappointed when they announced it would only be two and three floors, but it doesn’t look bad in person, as each floor is pretty tall.

Here’s the render: Click to read more!

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Construction on Droge building well underway!

On By jamesinclair

When I last took pictures of the Droge development in downtown Fresno, it was February, and I was worried about how slow things were progressing. The new residential building was scheduled to replace a century old building that was demolished last year. I was concerned it would be another case of a failed project, leaving behind an empty lot. I also have a special attachment to this project because I have family members who worked for many years in a smaller building which was also demolished. My first experiences downtown as a young kid were at that building, and also parking there to go to events at the Saroyan. Click to read more!

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Two years later: Clovis crosswalk STILL not done

On By jamesinclair

How can you tell that a city prioritizes vehicles over pedestrians? Clovis might be revealing their hand with this absurd level of incompetence.

In the past two years, they’ve added well over ten miles of lanes in widened roads, installed and began operating multiple new stop lights, and resurfaced various streets.

And yet they can’t quite finish a single crosswalk that connects an elementary school, a church, and two residential neighborhoods. I guess the safety of children in no one near as important as adding new lanes in rarely used places.

You might remember back in April of 2012, when I looked at the slow construction. A year ago, in June of 2013, I went back and saw that the safety component of the project – the lights embedded in the pavement – had still not been activated. Click to read more!

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New Google satellite imagery for Fresno! (April 2014)

On By jamesinclair

Another year, another batch of fresh satellite pictures from Google, and these were uploaded surprisingly fast. The latest set of images viewable in Google Maps or Google Earth was taken on April 5, 2014. The older imagery was from March 15, 2013. Before late 2013, the images were from August 2012.

Remember that is this referring to the top-down pictures taken by satellites, not the 45 degree imagery taken by airplane, which is still many years old.

The bright sun and cloudless skies make Fresno an easy market for annual updates. Some major cities around the country only get updates every 3-4 years, and some global cities are still looking at images 5 or more years old. Click to read more!