This week’s SGV Connect Podcast features the entire Streetsblog in California team saying goodbye to the Streetsblog California editor, Melanie Curry, as she heads into retirement. Curry has been editor of Streetsblog California since its inception, over a decade ago, and her last official day in the office is Monday.
In her goodbye post, Curry listed her favorite and most important stories. Which can be found below the podcast. A transcript of the podcast can be found here.
Melanie, we’re going to miss you.
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Highlighting the dumb things leaders say and do:
Senate Transportation Vice-Chair Says Active Transportation Projects Increase Emissions. Right.
Debunking dumb oil industry arguments: Oil Industry Tries a New Tack, Blowing Smoke at CA's Climate Change Policies. I used words like "dimwitted" "cynical" "evil" and "wacky" to describe this backhanded oil industry campaign. And it was satisfying.
Exposing dumb (and dangerous) design decisions: Bakersfield Is Hoping Pedestrians Will Just Go Away. The solution to a dangerous crosswalk? Remove it! Nobody walks in... wait a minute.
Ripping apart really dumb ideas from legislators: A CA Bill Would Double the Size of Highways 5 and 99 and Remove Speed Limits. I got away with this ridiculous phrase, referring to the claim that greenhouse gas emissions are reduced when traffic moves quickly: "This pathetic justification is a very popular shade of lipstick among pigs these days."
It was fun to just report some of the mean things leaders said, adding a wee bit of snarky context: California Transportation Commissioners Question CalBike and the Need for an Equity Lens. This conversation highlighted how hard it is to speak sense to power - and to be heard.
There was that hot mic at the California Transportation Commission. I simply reported what was said! And that turned out to be the last meeting of developer - oh, excuse me, my early notes said he was a farmer - Paul Von Konynenburg, who had recently been selected as chair of the CTC by the other commissioners.
Here's me arguing that everyone should love the things I love: Why You Should Care about Statewide Transportation Guidelines
…and really getting into the weeds about things that I think are important: Bill Would Dramatically Restructure Active Transportation Program
…and endlessly explaining the gas tax and induced demand and why you can't build your way out of congestion and our favorite alphabet soup, VMT-LOS-CEQA.
