2014 - Page 2 of 4 - Stop and Move

Now you can help fund the future of distracted driving!

On August 18, 2014February 19, 2018 By jamesinclair

Last week, I ran across an article at Engadget about a new crowd-funded product that the tech world is excited about. Thanks to the magic of cookies, the product has followed me to my Facebook timeline in the form of an ad, which reminded me to write this post.

They’re talking about Navdy, a product that makes you “feel like you’re driving in the future,” or at least a future where distracted driving is taken to new and exciting frontiers.

What the product does is project information from your phone onto your windshield. Some of that information is relevant to driving, such as map navigation, and possibly in the future parking information from SF Park. The rest? Not so much. Click to read more!

Categories : UncategorizedTags : developers fresno general plan infill public comment sprawlLeave a comment

One week remains to comment on Fresno general plan update

On August 11, 2014February 19, 2018 By jamesinclair

All the information you need is on this page, but a quick summary here.

Last general plan update was November 2012
This proposed one is controversial because developers dislike how it mentions focusing on infill vs sprawl
The draft General Plan is available for a 45-day public review period commencing on Wednesday, July 2, 2014 and ending on Monday, August 18, 2014.

The middle point is why public comment may actually be important. Don’t let the developers sabotage the plan, let the city know you support infill development.

Mind you, the developers have already managed to water it down:

“The Council’s modified (plan) shifted more development to
single-family housing and with more focus on growth west and southwest
of State Route 99, but maintained a strong commitment to Downtown and
major corridor revitalization, Complete Neighborhoods, and more compact
development.” Click to read more!

Categories : UncategorizedTags : bike trail Clovis construction update dry creek trail enterprise trail photo tour shepher sunnyside trailhead2 Comments

Quick look at new trailhead construction in Clovis

On August 4, 2014February 19, 2018 By jamesinclair

It’s embarrassing how long it has taken me to get these pictures up, but I’m almost done! What that means is that construction will be much further along than noted, but thee pictures give a good idea of the space being taken up.

I’m talking about a new trailhead being built for the Dry Creek Trail, and eventually (maybe), the Enterprise trail.

This map shows the existing Dry Creek Trail in blue, and the enterprise trail in purple. The dotted section has a property in the way, so we may be looking at 10+ years for that to happen.

The trailhead parcel is quite large

We start across the canal Click to read more!

Categories : UncategorizedTags : bike trail canal trail Clovis construction update design fail enterprise trail fail photo tour temperance trail2 Comments

Pictures of newly extended Enterprise Trail in Clovis

On July 29, 2014February 19, 2018 By jamesinclair

I’m still making my way through a backlog of pictures. These were taken last month.

I’m looking at a new section of the Enterprise Trail in Clovis. I previously looked at it before here.

Construction happened very quickly, but it’s a very odd trail. Goes absolutely nowhere. In this map I showed before, the green was the existing, and the orange is new.

There was one modification, a section of trail was built from the end of
the orange line to the west, where the road dead ends. Thats a shopping
center with a Mcdonalds, Starbucks, etc. I believe that section is temporary.

We start at that little shopping thing, looking west. It’s just a sidewalk. Click to read more!

Categories : UncategorizedTags : construction update echo ave fresno high fresno high school p de q photo tour weldonLeave a comment

Changes to Fresno High campus look good (photo update)

On July 20, 2014February 19, 2018 By jamesinclair

I wasn’t familiar with Fresno High until P de Q opened a couple of years ago across the street. They’re a bakery that makes delicious Brazilian cheese bread, or Pao de Queijo. Aside from enjoying delicious bread, visiting the bakery introduced me to Fresno High, which has a beautiful main building. I also noticed major construction underway.

The project involved blowing up two bunker buildings, that ruin the architecture, and build new ones off to the side in a complementary architectural style. The bunkers used to block the view of the historic building.

You can see the buildings overhead here Click to read more!

Categories : UncategorizedTags : bicycle campus pointe Clovis design fail fail fresno state pedestrian pedestrian lighting roundabout shaw sidewalks street light3 Comments

A quick look at Campus Pointe Development – Pedestrian oriented? Not really

On July 15, 2014February 19, 2018 By jamesinclair

If you’ve been past Fresno State on Shaw any time this year, you’ve seen construction underway at Campus Pointe. It’s yet another shopping center for Fresno, in a part of town that isn’t exactly lacking in retail options. The project is a joint development between Fresno State, and the people who brought us River Park.

The “selling point” is that it is directly next to Fresno State, so it’s being advertised as a place for students to visit, and somewhere they can do so walking or biking. Sadly, the fundamentals are missing which make it a real walking or biking destination, and parking is a huge center-piece, as expected. As is the case in every Fresno development, the main street (Chestnut in this case) is fronted by parking. Click to read more!

Categories : UncategorizedTags : ADA angled parking broadway broadway redesign downtown fresno fresno gv urban parking road diet sidewalk extension sidewalks streetscape12 Comments

Broadway streetscape project almost done, results are disappointing

On June 26, 2014February 19, 2018 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!

Categories : UncategorizedTags : Clovis Clovis stageline cogs council of governments FAX frequency fresno fresno area express parsons ridership service stageline transit study Visalia1 Comment

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

On June 19, 2014February 19, 2018 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!

Categories : UncategorizedTags : construction update downtown fresno first 5 first five headquarters lighthouse picture tour1 Comment

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

On June 16, 2014February 19, 2018 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!

Categories : UncategorizedTags : apartments downtown fresno droge droge development fresno fresno housing authority fulton mall redevelopment spiral garage urban renewal van nessLeave a comment

Construction on Droge building well underway!

On June 10, 2014February 19, 2018 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!