Urban Crossroads, Inc.’s Post

On Friday Australia’s state and territory transport ministers will meet with Federal transport minister Catherine King. 💬 They will discuss Ms King’s plan to require states and territories to share data about the causes of road trauma, so it can inform more effective road-safety policies. Ms King wants states to agree to data transparency as part of the next five-year federal-state road funding agreement, commencing on July 1. States hold data about causes of crashes, the state of our roads and the effectiveness of police enforcement. But most of it is kept secret. With 100 Australians killed on the road each month, Friday is our politicians’ chance to do the right thing and end the secrecy. This would save lives and allow Australians to see whether their representatives fund roads to make roads safer, or to win votes in marginal electorates. 🚸 See more at https://lnkd.in/g3MKxwse Carol Brown Jo Haylen Bart Mellish Hon Tom Koutsantonis MP Eva Lawler David Michael Michael Ferguson Chris Steel

Not often do you see local people deciding to get involved in transport, but Better Street for Birmingham is doing exactly that. After getting fed up of a series of deaths on our local roads - they decided to do something about it. A few examples: a citizen survey of red light running (and the numbers are scary from such a small sample!) https://lnkd.in/esvQpADe Encouraging drivers to sign a pledge to drive better*: https://lnkd.in/eAnM2ge6 Encouraging third party reporting to the Police: https://lnkd.in/eVjhjVDJ

A year on from the introduction of a default 20mph and the data is showing what we expected - deaths and casualties on our roads are down. It was always anticipated that after a year Councils would want you to look again at their local network to see if changes needed to be made. That’s now happening. Some 1,000 roads have identified for review by local people. But we know that many people who live on those streets will disagree. Councils have a difficult job interpreting the flexible national guidance to meet the character of individual communities. And there will often not be consensus locally. There will be ongoing tweaks as this big change beds in, and there may be a need for targeted infrastructure changes in a few places to alter driver behaviour. People will adapt to a different driving style over time, and police enforcement will focus on areas where compliance is low. This is all standard road safety practice. But…for all the angry push-back from a vocal minority there will be no wholesale change to the policy because it is succeeding in saving lives and reducing injuries

https://lnkd.in/enV8sdZM This is unsurprising. Councils are finding that their current deterrent of £50 or £70, reduced by 50% if paid within 14 days, isn't working. And yes, I made councils plural. While this article is only about one, others will follow the lead if Norfolk is granted an increase. This is not down to greed or lack of money. It is, instead, as the article shares, down to repeat offenders ("persistent offenders") and an insufficient deterrent. We know that inflation has had a significant impact on the spending power of a £. We know that non-compliance doubles when a parking charge is issued at £70 vs £100. It is a logical step to assume the same applies to a penalty charge. What do you think about the level of the parking charge? What do you think about the level of the penalty charge?

In modern America, it takes political courage to promote the critical pieces of public policy required to help manage the negative impacts generated by our way of life.

Want to learn more about the county’s commission districts? In the below video, visit District 9, which includes parts of the City of Pontiac, Michigan USA - Government and Bloomfield Township and is represented by Commissioner Angela Powell.     #DistrictSpotlight #OaklandCounty 

Last Thursday on 2ser, I explained that renters in NSW can be evicted without reason and why our current laws allowing ‘no grounds evictions’ need to change. Being evicted for no reason is distressing, unfair and unreasonable. For many landlords, a rental is just an investment property. But for a tenant it’s a home – a place where they can create roots, connect with their community, share experiences with friends and family, and live their lives. Housing as a home should always come before housing as an investment. Landlords should have to have a genuine reason before forcing someone out of their home. No grounds evictions make renters wary of asserting their rights. There are many stories of people who have been evicted after asking for essential repairs or maintenance. The possibility of eviction means tenants often stay quiet and go without basic things they need. Although there are some protections against retaliatory evictions, they’re rarely used and hard to prove by renters. Removing no grounds evictions is important and necessary. NSW Labor has promised to do this for years. It’s time they deliver on their promise and ensure protections for all renters in NSW. I encourage everyone to join the Tenants Union campaign and email your local representative now. The Tenants Union email template is available here:https://lnkd.in/g9a6Gwts The 2SER interview is available here: https://lnkd.in/gBE6Qmkn

Senior homes refuse to pick up fallen residents, dial 911. “Why are they calling us?” - The Washington Post Lift-assist 911 calls from assisted living and other senior homes have spiked by 30 percent nationwide in recent years to nearly 42,000 calls a year, an analysis of fire department emergency call data by The Washington Post has found. That’s nearly three times faster than the increase in overall 911 call volume during the same 2019-2022 period, the data shows. The growth has infuriated first responders who say these kinds of calls — which involve someone who has fallen and is not injured but can’t get up — unfairly burden taxpayers and occupy firefighters with nonemergencies that should be handled by staff at facilities that charge residents as much as $7,000 a month. https://buff.ly/3wnOQ1q

The 2024 legislative session is in full swing and there are quite a few bills that have been introduced that could potentially impact community associations. Selina Baschiera, Esq. examines one of those bills, HB 24-1051 on tow carrier regulations, in our most recent blog. Check it out below. https://lnkd.in/gbZkaNvB #2024legislativesession #blogpost #hoalaw

The effectiveness of LTN's should be assessed in a nuanced manner in which inner city areas should be evaluated holistically. They can be amazing for those living within the low traffic neighbourhood area - low traffic, pollution, walking space and so much more. However, the impact in which this initiative has had upon surrounding areas has been profound. Traffic has been redirected to areas where in many cases, lower socio-economic homes lie. The increased traffic within these areas have left those less affluent not only experiencing a heavier and lengthier commute, but also a mass depletion in air and space quality. Additionally, it is sad to see that many lower socio-economic areas taking the burden of this initiative for affluent areas, house communities of people of colour - another gentrifying initiative that worsens the conditions of people of colour in urban areas. The push for LTN's should be an initiative for ALL. Let's improve our public transport, let's lower the cost of public travel and let's see how we can work to make homes more affordable surrounding key business areas to allow citizens to effectively commute to work. Everyone deserves good air, peace and quiet.