Matthew 13:57
By Juan Montoya
That admonishment by Jesus to his disciples comes to mind after reading the account of the visit to our fair city by 8-80 Cities Executive Director Guillermo Peñalosa when he pointed out that Brownsville was, well, unfair to pedestrians and cyclists.
At the top of his list to encourage "vibrant cities" was Peñalosa's plan to people to "walk, bike and use public transportation as well as enjoy parks and other public spaces."
He said his initial impressions were that “there has not been respect for the pedestrian.”
This is news to us?
How many times have we pointed out the shameful way that the elderly and children have to wait in 95-plus degree heat to wait for the infrequent buses for transportation? The reason people walk down the side of the roads and street ways – even without sidewalks – is because they have no income to buy and maintain a car or even to pay for the bus fares.
And in the case of bicycles, it's like taking your life into your hands to traverse the city. Bike lanes are basically restricted to the newer roadways in more affluent neighborhoods. Don't try to ride downtown or in the Southmost barrio on a bike. We've heard about Suicide By Cop. This would be Suicide by Chisca.
“There are very few sidewalks that are in good condition,” Peñalosa told a group yesterday. “I saw in many residential areas there are not even sidewalks, which is shameful.”
The local daily reported that in comments to its reporters last week, Peñalosa said he supported Mayor Tony Martinez's efforts to entice the UT System to locate its UTB main campus downtown.
“I think one of the most important decisions in Brownsville would be to convince the university to set up headquarters downtown,” he said. “The city should try to put all of the pressure that they can to make it happen...Being a public university – whatever they settle – it has huge implications that go way beyond the cash flow of the university,” he said. “So, they need to be good citizens.”
For starters, they can stop trying to coerce the community college (TSC) to sell its real estate at cut-rate prices to the third-wealthiest university system in the United States, wean itself off from the $50 million in "contractual transfers" it gets from the local district and taxpayers each year, and – at the very least – pay the college the $12 to $15 million in rental arrears it owes it.
He probably hasn't heard of the effort by the UTB and its president Juliet Garcia to gobble up more than $250 million in community college assets that included all its real estate, buildings and bank deposits as a "gift" while leaving them the bond indebtedness that helped fuel the building boom on the "partnership" campus.
And if he did, we're sure that Martinez and his UTB-favored United Brownsville would have dissuaded him of making any statements on the matter.
How long have there been local cycling and public transportation advocates asking that there be more sidewalks built, more bus shelters to protect local bus riders from the elements, and more pedestrian walkways built for those local residents who wish to exercise?
Why did it have to take an expert from Canada by way of Colombia to drive home the message and get front-page coverage from the local daily?
But for now, anyway, an expert from the "outside" has echoed the repeated complaints that local citizens have voiced against the city and the university. Since these complaints from the locals seem to have fallen on deaf ears of city and university officials, will they listen to the outside "prophet" now?
7 comments:
This dude is culturaly misaligned. He is from Bogata, where the vast majority of the people move around the city by public transportation. I have spent lots of time there and know whereof I speak.
From Bogata he moves to Canada and now comes here to give out city the ojo. He thinks the local culture and population is something he knows because he speaks some sort of Spanish. Well, I am here to tell you Brownsville Texas people are neither Columbians or Canadians and his notions won't play well here. There are lots of reasons why not, but it is not my job to point them out.
So hide and watch Vatos and Rucas and see if this comes to anything useful. I will bet not.
Hey quit honking at me when I'm biking on the street, assholes! I ride Southmost and Downtown no problem, as soon as I get to Price, the shit sticks come out. Fuck you, I'm riding on the streets, assholes!
CYCLISTS AND PEDESTRIANS you are putting your lives in jeapardy everytime you step into Brownsville traffic. When in Brownsville drive like a Mexican. Drive offensively. Aplanale al pito y al pedal de gas. Que dio te allude.
Matenlos a chingar a su madre!!! Si los que handan en bicicletas se cren muy fregones y les vale madre, a chingar a su madre... para que chingados se atraviesan?? los carros van muy bien en su carril, los pinches bicicleteros solo cagan el palo!! A mi me vale madre, mientras yo venga bien y ellos se me atraviesen, ese es pedo de ellos y pos que los atropeyen.
You stubborn assholes will be dead one day anyway, wtf do you care if people bike ride?! Cause you have such blue balls you cant stop pressing the gas pedal? You can run us over, but your life ain't gunna get better. Theres more of us than you psychopathic drivers.
Check out the bus stop in front of the 77 flea market.
Ya no la chingan, the fucking shelter only allows for about three people to sit under it.
Con la pinche calor que hace, I would not be surprised if a viejita or viejito passes out from heat exhaustion from having to wait for the bus outside the shelter, because it is way too small.
I am not aware of how much they spent to construct it,but I can assure you that they are not getting the maximum return on their investment. Sure it looks pretty, but is it practical? No!
Vendor #368
and where is the tax money going? ohh I forgot... the court house employees STEAL IT!!! That's why we, our city are in desperate need of many things!! All the money that is been collected has and is been stolen by cameron county employees.... so what do we or can we espect? :( ???????
Post a Comment