I am happy to be part of the first episode of Out for Good, a weekly podcast that explores issues facing Central Ohio and highlights the individuals and organizations making an impact.
Elissa Scheider (Transit Columbus) and I discuss why mobility is important to our community with co-hosts Jason Phillips and J.M. Rayburn. You can listen to the podcast here.
Transit Columbus, a local non-profit citizen group supporting a better connected Columbus, has just announced Re:Map Columbus – an alternative transportation map design contest.
The idea is to develop a map to highlight alternative transportation modes (walk, bike, CoGo, Car2Go, COTA, etc) for all of Columbus, or in specific neighborhoods. The winning submission will receive a $2,000 prize. The top 10 submissions as chosen by the public will receive a CoGo year membership as well as additional prizes. You may submit as an individual or a team.
The contest will start on November 1st with submissions being accepted until December 31st, 2014.
More information and rules at: http://www.transitcolumbus.org/mapcontest/
This afternoon is an event I have been anticipating for quite some time: the Good Ideas Columbus Happy Hour at Seventh Son Brewery. Transit Columbus, a local, not-for-profit community-based planning organization is sponsoring this event: it is the culmination of a months-long process involving six design teams with six ideas for transforming transportation in Columbus. Each team has a community leader (such as Mayor Michael Coleman), but consists of citizens who volunteered their time and energy to make Columbus more livable and sustainable.
Other Transit Columbus events have produced creative solutions to transportation problems in Columbus, such as the Design Your Transit event this past Autumn. We should see some good, perhaps great, ideas tonight as well. As a relatively recent transplant (re-plant?), I must say that I am very impressed with what I see in Columbus. There is a great urban fabric to work with, a committed leadership, and great grass-roots energy. People love the Cbus and believe in its future.
As their Facebook page says, “Trains, bikes, pedestrians, food and beer.” How can you go wrong? See you this afternoon at Seventh Son Brewery (1101 North 4th St).