tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153509752024-03-18T06:51:35.061-07:00Bad Mom, Good MomLife from the viewpoint of someone who needs to be in <strike>three</strike> four places at once.badmomgoodmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11569728075698885020noreply@blogger.comBlogger1807125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15350975.post-45348442052005207102024-02-02T15:09:00.000-08:002024-02-13T08:54:55.913-08:00Vacation at Home<p> First Costco wrote about how <a href="https://www.costco.com/connection-member-connection-wheely-convenient-august-2023.html">some of their customers shop by cargo bike</a>. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPRbVNXY6rqAgTgVQ-it60TmOExKYHw5u6tHjE_4xuxj6C1b7o_blzHqHn8RBAhAkzV1rZqqlM8hImA4JNSEhOKz_4TtcQJNZsSyCdU3B7swyp-s2JZVP577JLsDe7KGwBzKAiYmqaYU2Vq2q2zx6DzaanDk3ZKyBGaD8mBfMQ8tJ_uiTFOXyS/s910/08_23_Member_Connection_01.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="910" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPRbVNXY6rqAgTgVQ-it60TmOExKYHw5u6tHjE_4xuxj6C1b7o_blzHqHn8RBAhAkzV1rZqqlM8hImA4JNSEhOKz_4TtcQJNZsSyCdU3B7swyp-s2JZVP577JLsDe7KGwBzKAiYmqaYU2Vq2q2zx6DzaanDk3ZKyBGaD8mBfMQ8tJ_uiTFOXyS/s320/08_23_Member_Connection_01.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>Then AAA (the American Automobile Association!!!) wrote about <a href="https://www.ace.aaa.com/publications/travel/international-destinations/encore-paris.html">8 car and taxi-free days in Paris</a>. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlXQzd5Jj_lvsC7hhYwm3nfzGYZX9B4y17hDpeOptSGcLaxxEWlNXDGx9YdsuYJKQy2FwZw72JFisQylGk2O11D3N-eueiCtzJAGl-AtnXP6BPAev_eU5qSjytA0Dbtv41TYYKme_H7VVSRoJby2KfbuX62CNyxHOdboSRVUGcsogNJ8QIXhrS/s680/seine-river-680.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="380" data-original-width="680" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlXQzd5Jj_lvsC7hhYwm3nfzGYZX9B4y17hDpeOptSGcLaxxEWlNXDGx9YdsuYJKQy2FwZw72JFisQylGk2O11D3N-eueiCtzJAGl-AtnXP6BPAev_eU5qSjytA0Dbtv41TYYKme_H7VVSRoJby2KfbuX62CNyxHOdboSRVUGcsogNJ8QIXhrS/s320/seine-river-680.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>And <a href="https://www.latimes.com/food/list/here-are-the-most-asian-costcos-in-southern-california">I'm even quoted in the LA Times about getting glasses at Costco by eBike</a>. Well, they didn't mention that I biked there. But I biked home from the Torrance Costco during peak evening traffic and I kept catching up with the same SUVs at each red light for the first 5 miles. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuI-U8QxSRG0vk8_WHqzWCWxd7x5IQoAO_J5yeLyhcsW-3fp3jEEJh606Y3Zs4u5twMxS937d-gnIFNHAhZYgNDHDZ_8vOImPPDt3c7J-ZolMwrQGQdXYHWCy7nEksU55JBH6iRV2K7F2lZv0xnxh0LjB8EV3s0I9oXUMUY64lB7Ja2huiqEQ_/s2048/Costco.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuI-U8QxSRG0vk8_WHqzWCWxd7x5IQoAO_J5yeLyhcsW-3fp3jEEJh606Y3Zs4u5twMxS937d-gnIFNHAhZYgNDHDZ_8vOImPPDt3c7J-ZolMwrQGQdXYHWCy7nEksU55JBH6iRV2K7F2lZv0xnxh0LjB8EV3s0I9oXUMUY64lB7Ja2huiqEQ_/s320/Costco.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><p>The media is finally catching on that getting around by cars can be a PITA and bicycling for transportation can be fun, efficient, and healthy. It can be normal, if only we reallocate space for it. We shouldn't have to fly to Paris to experience a city with great food by bike. I mean, Paris is great, if you like French food, but the food in Torrance is way more exciting (I am saying this unironically). </p><p>South Bay weather is nicer than Paris'. </p><p>We have the beach, we have mountains (or the hills of Palos Verdes Peninsula). </p><p>We could be paradise. And we don't have to go on vacation to experience it. We can stay right here at home, and live our best lives just by going about our normal business. It would also be cheaper, for both our personal pocketbooks and for society's. </p>badmomgoodmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11569728075698885020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15350975.post-70467953510827807902024-02-01T17:03:00.000-08:002024-02-02T13:34:22.864-08:00True Cost to Own 2<p>I just heard a cringe podcast where they were discussing lack of street parking near our city's high school. One speaker said that, our region is hilly, and eBikes help with that. But not everyone's family can afford an eBike so many kids have no choice but to drive. </p><p>This is a classic case of car brain where people no longer notice the high cost of car culture and car ownership. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmNCj8-8oeFh70ngXb75mktt4VC39Mbi_sgZY2J_mtcaeZjP5v9rQsV1cuWJN1s4x6VXhI-7pGuoCTYzpmwWT3h0asSnQG79MXDKD5ln4f9mc5qUqCveYozJdD-a9CYHmh6mkUs8_nkLpHWQn-H1Rrip5A9pKOkBHR15F18B2aUsELijGjCSgg/s733/Screen%20Shot%202024-02-01%20at%2021.24.18.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="657" data-original-width="733" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmNCj8-8oeFh70ngXb75mktt4VC39Mbi_sgZY2J_mtcaeZjP5v9rQsV1cuWJN1s4x6VXhI-7pGuoCTYzpmwWT3h0asSnQG79MXDKD5ln4f9mc5qUqCveYozJdD-a9CYHmh6mkUs8_nkLpHWQn-H1Rrip5A9pKOkBHR15F18B2aUsELijGjCSgg/s320/Screen%20Shot%202024-02-01%20at%2021.24.18.png" width="320" /></a></div><p>When our teen daughter was added to our car insurance policy, our premiums when up ~$2,000/yr even without adding another car. If your teen can delay becoming a driver by just one year, you can buy a decent eBike, lock, lights, and panniers. You will also save hundreds of hours chauffeuring your teen. </p><p>Another year, another <a href="https://newsroom.aaa.com/2023/08/annual-new-car-ownership-costs-boil-over-12k/">AAA "Your Driving Costs" report </a>has dropped. It's time to update <a href="https://badmomgoodmom.blogspot.com/2023/03/true-cost-to-own.html">True Cost to Own</a>. The cost of owning and operating a new vehicle in the US has increased to $12,182 in 2023. New cars cost 4.7% higher than in 2022, but used cars went down in price. </p><p>Remember, this is an average over the entire US, and Los Angeles tends to have higher insurance and fuel costs (both gasoline and electricity). This is also for the average new car sold which, at $34,876, is significantly cheaper than the typical new car I see in our school district (<a href="https://www.edmunds.com/tesla/model-y/">Tesla Y, ~$45,000-$52,500</a>). </p><p>The typical behavior in our area is for the parent to buy a new car and give their old car to the teen. Then they park the old car out on the street, making street parking even scarcer. It's not more people making street parking scarcer. It's more cars. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_V2YiqFXbCspl-D93qhd0LBzNMmjplmM72YUr1QS6R8okFkd-hGiYUSYvsjOAizMk0awKI3Gc5BKXcCTVuIYVWXxyxfoQMnm2vpANwIaC8fZgqY3TNiWYagcbutqUM5nyRKTI45F_KXFQqLYWakN7HWXIxFMjr-QHEJ-qHOrJBliTCo7WboQ9/s955/Screen%20Shot%202024-02-01%20at%2015.21.54.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="955" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_V2YiqFXbCspl-D93qhd0LBzNMmjplmM72YUr1QS6R8okFkd-hGiYUSYvsjOAizMk0awKI3Gc5BKXcCTVuIYVWXxyxfoQMnm2vpANwIaC8fZgqY3TNiWYagcbutqUM5nyRKTI45F_KXFQqLYWakN7HWXIxFMjr-QHEJ-qHOrJBliTCo7WboQ9/s320/Screen%20Shot%202024-02-01%20at%2015.21.54.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>I'm doing the calculation a bit differently this year, inspired by a LA Times article about a Culver City High School teacher that had their students run the numbers on car ownership over a lifetime. I don't get into the messiness of predicting inflation rates or marginal tax rates. </p><p>Suppose you don't buy that new car and save that money instead in a balanced mutual fund. Using the <a href="https://personal.vanguard.com/us/funds/tools/benchmarkreturns">Vanguard Benchmark Returns on Target Retirement Funds</a>, you can expect to get ~8.25% long-term returns </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI9JlSht7LX30BeJ5foY7Gzqt8r83sNgv3GXkW3Vcobm-fvOFpgXke3xfe0-4NChEswyolxiaI8za0ElPe6Ow6RjtQcaECEyh6DixsbUlx8GurM_g9SU62wECoJcMd8nIESNu_k9zc1Liwr5U8Xk53Z2Z3raB61mvcXJk6npKwDennlako99Ei/s996/Screen%20Shot%202024-02-01%20at%2015.49.02.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="428" data-original-width="996" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI9JlSht7LX30BeJ5foY7Gzqt8r83sNgv3GXkW3Vcobm-fvOFpgXke3xfe0-4NChEswyolxiaI8za0ElPe6Ow6RjtQcaECEyh6DixsbUlx8GurM_g9SU62wECoJcMd8nIESNu_k9zc1Liwr5U8Xk53Z2Z3raB61mvcXJk6npKwDennlako99Ei/s320/Screen%20Shot%202024-02-01%20at%2015.49.02.png" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Using an online <a href="https://www.calculator.net/savings-calculator.html">Savings Calculator</a>, assuming <div>Annual Savings: $12,182</div><div>Annual Increase in Savings: 3% (car costs have been going up faster than that)</div><div>Returns: 8.25% from balanced funds above</div><div>Taxes: 0% (if in tax-advantaged retirement account)</div><div><br /></div><div>Then you have $1,0983,667.47 in year 24. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Start when you turn 16, and save a million dollars by 40.</b> </div><div><br /></div><div>In 50 years, age 66, the car-free saver will have $11,199,484.63. </div><div><br /></div><div>But, wait, you can save $18,264 pre-tax (33.3% combined CA+Fed tax rate) while $12,182 car costs are post-tax. But then you pay taxes on withdrawal from retirement accounts. So the amount will vary, but the message is the same. Living car-free or car-light (my family) is a huge money saver. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Now I want to talk about the really pernicious part about car ownership, the externalized costs borne by others. </b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>This is painfully obvious to me every time I go to city council to beg for a bike lane and am turned down because "poor people need a free place to park their vehicles" on the public streets. </div><div><br /></div><div>I am charged the same price for my groceries whether I use the supermarket's huge and hugely expensive parking lot. I walk or bike to post of my groceries. I even bike to Costco for some of my trips. Yet, I pay for that parking lot. </div><div><br /></div><div>Even though road wear is proportional to axle weight to the 4th power, I am paying property taxes to maintain my city streets even though I get around on a 50# eBike instead of a 4,500# electric SUV. </div><div><br /></div><div>A 2020 Harvard Kennedy School study found that <a href="https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2020/01/massachusetts-car-economy-costs-64-billion-study-finds/">Driving is more expensive than you think</a>. "Massachusetts' car economy is roughly $64.1 Billion, with more than half of that coming from public funds."</div><div><br /></div>"Using publicly available data, the authors put the annual public tab at $35.7 billion, which amounts to about $14,000 for every household in the state. Those that do own vehicles pony up an additional $12,000 on average in direct costs."<div><br /></div><div>You might nitpick that Massachusetts is snowy and snow plows are expensive. But, a 2021 <a href="https://ulupono.com/project-list/the-costs-of-the-vehicle-economy-in-hawaii/">Ulupono Initiative study in Hawaii</a> found that "Public costs amount to roughly $15,000 per taxpayer ($24,400 per household), annually, even if they don’t own a car."<br /><div><br /></div><div>Furthermore, "Personal vehicles cost an additional $16,200 per household per year. With the public costs above, each household’s costs total $40,600 per year (or 51 percent of pre-tax income)."</div><div><br /></div><div>Then there is the opportunity costs of the land. "Land value of public lands dedicated to road, highways, and parking is $3.9 billion, covering about 14 percent of the available urban land in our state."</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ZYWI5VG1xUCUMUv_QyzJuQYyjeH74zET9Z4FlEBa-6QW6mTwkNnCXtEFROg_RA7mx4R7MOmsmyEGXYVoxsC4cA1Xrt5D_jIvl4ifbGo-ETDN02TMQfvSOSikE5bdpag73pgwimhae0mikGm8vLZsj46Ay152B1nzL1s7bKQH1iRxXB0_BpnW/s979/Screen%20Shot%202024-02-01%20at%2016.48.49.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="765" data-original-width="979" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ZYWI5VG1xUCUMUv_QyzJuQYyjeH74zET9Z4FlEBa-6QW6mTwkNnCXtEFROg_RA7mx4R7MOmsmyEGXYVoxsC4cA1Xrt5D_jIvl4ifbGo-ETDN02TMQfvSOSikE5bdpag73pgwimhae0mikGm8vLZsj46Ay152B1nzL1s7bKQH1iRxXB0_BpnW/s320/Screen%20Shot%202024-02-01%20at%2016.48.49.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>Next time you see me bicycling for groceries, thank me for subsidizing your roads and parking. And drive carefully and slowly around cyclists. Dangerous road conditions are what's holding back <a href="https://web.pdx.edu/~jdill/Types_of_Cyclists_PSUWorkingPaper.pdf">the 60% of the public that is "interested but concerned" about riding bicycles</a>. The more of us that are bicycling; the fewer cars in front of you, competing with you for parking, polluting your air, costing your city big bucks in road repair and climate change adaptation...</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB1909">California AB 1909</a> states: </div><br />“Existing law requires the driver of a motor vehicle that is passing or overtaking a bicycle to do so in a safe manner, as specified, and in no case at a distance of less than 3 feet.<br /><br />This bill would additionally require a vehicle that is passing or overtaking a vehicle to move over to an adjacent lane of traffic, as specified, if one is available, before passing or overtaking the bicycle.”<div><p>Drivers are required to pass cyclists with at least 3 feet of clearance (and that is from the furthest point of my bike, including handlebars and cargo). If there is more than one lane, drivers are required to change lanes before passing cyclists, just as they would do when passing another vehicle. This is why it makes sense for cyclists to ride 2-3 abreast in a pack instead of strung out in a single file line. Drivers can pass them in a shorter distance, making it safer and more convenient for everyone. <br /><br /><br /></p></div></div>badmomgoodmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11569728075698885020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15350975.post-68393251928222104982023-10-18T14:40:00.004-07:002023-10-18T14:45:01.478-07:00The allies we have<p>I took down a tweet that was getting a lot of traction for reasons I want to explain here. This whole phenomenon and the complex politics around it, deserves more than microblogging. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEij1kmle7r5xnZ_iZAvyu469_rLk7F9vda3awBa5k8Lb67FN5C68naIvjhp-kZsrlhZzUvwF8lEcyg_GonlCGHcTnz036L2cm4hnp7qtb_36x8VC6VWSLMs29C9ZtQJ1bJNvLJPHbbvYw3_wY_fQxOrZ9xPRrGTQusBt-DUP4BR_03byWJh8NNL" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="579" data-original-width="663" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEij1kmle7r5xnZ_iZAvyu469_rLk7F9vda3awBa5k8Lb67FN5C68naIvjhp-kZsrlhZzUvwF8lEcyg_GonlCGHcTnz036L2cm4hnp7qtb_36x8VC6VWSLMs29C9ZtQJ1bJNvLJPHbbvYw3_wY_fQxOrZ9xPRrGTQusBt-DUP4BR_03byWJh8NNL" width="275" /></a></div><p>It all started when I linked to <a href="https://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/news/story/2023-10-14/costa-mesa-councilwoman-walks-the-walk-during-week-without-driving-challenge">this article in the LA Times/Daily Pilot</a> about local elected officials participating in the "Week Without Driving" challenge. Costa Mesa Councilwoman Arlis Reynold said, "I haven't been on a bus in, like, 30 years." </p><p></p><blockquote>On the fifth day of Reynolds’ week without driving, the councilwoman was joined by Mayor John Stephens, Thomas and transportation services manager Jennifer Rosales.<br />[snip]<br />Stephens, who’s lived in Costa Mesa for 30 years but cannot recall ever taking the bus, said he was stunned to learn how many denizens rely on the local transit system. </blockquote>I tweeted at how awful it was that elected officials who vote on transit issues don't use it. <div><br /></div><div>That resonated with a lot of people, and got much attention, retweets. However, I also received comments that it hurts the cause to criticize elected officials who have been allies for safer streets and who agreed to do this experiment and invited the press along to write an article about it. </div><div><br /></div><div>They further pointed out that these particular officials don't vote on transit; decisions are made by the Orange County Transit Authority (<a href="https://www.octa.net/about/leadership/board-of-directors/board-members/overview/">whose board is made up of elected officials</a> from cities or the county board of supervisors). </div><div><br /></div><div>These are valid points and I took down my critical tweet. </div><div><br /></div><div>However, I just want to point out that city officials are responsible for the lack of amenities at bus stops, e.g benches, shelters, trash cans, bike racks, way-finding. Bus stops are notoriously hostile places sitting right next to traffic on the busiest and most polluted stroads (street+road). </div><div><br /></div><div>Waiting for a bus is literally bad for your health due to air and noise pollution and exposure to car violence. Drivers have rammed through bus stop benches on both Artesia and Aviation Boulevards near me with enough force to break concrete benches and even pushing one bench (with a woman sitting on it) through the glass windows of the store behind it. </div><div><br /></div><div>Cities will use eminent domain and spend $$$,$$$ to buy land to widen intersections for new turn lanes, but they won't do the same to buy a few square feet to move bus stop benches further from the street edge. They don't install plexiglass sound barriers to block wind and dampen noise. They won't install air filters like they do in Korea to protect bus riders from tire and asphalt particulates. </div><div><br /></div><div>In conclusion, I'm glad that these particular allies spent a week understanding the challenges of those traveling without cars. I wish it was mandatory for all elected officials and candidates. Actually, I wish it was required for everyone, including drivers. <br /><div><br /></div>I am deeply saddened that people are so scared to lose the few allies that they have in Orange County, that they don't feel free to note that officials should have been riding the bus, walking and biking around their cities regularly all along. </div><div><br /></div><div>Read the whole article, <a href="https://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/news/story/2023-10-14/costa-mesa-councilwoman-walks-the-walk-during-week-without-driving-challenge">Costa Mesa councilwoman walks the walk during ‘Week Without Driving’ challenge</a>. In case you can't get past the paywall, the closing is good. </div><blockquote>“I was surprised that [buses] were pretty well packed with people,” he [Stephens] said Tuesday. “We don’t usually walk through the neighborhood like this when we don’t have campaign literature in our hands — whenever you do something like this you become more aware.”<br /><br />Reynolds, who officially concluded her week without driving last Sunday, is already thinking of improvements for transit riders, first by evaluating all the city’s bus stops to ensure they meet the same standards and adding vital shade and seating where they are currently lacking. And that’s just the beginning.<br /><br />“I’m interested in looking at broader routes. What I haven’t done is zoom out and see the whole network,” she said in a debriefing Tuesday. “I think there’s an assumption transit can never work in Orange County, but, actually, it could.<br /><br />“I’m two days past the campaign, and I’m walking still.”</blockquote>Earlier this year, I read <a href="https://humantransit.org/book">Human Transit: How Clearer Thinking about Public Transit Can Enrich Our Communities and Our Live</a>s by Jarrett Walker. I borrowed an electronic version from the public library and highly recommend it. <a href="https://humantransit.org/">Jarrett Walker's Human Transit Blog</a> is also good for learning more. <div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc_aL3DRi4V0dMDin0sKjtc5Tym0fY1cYWzoJ58tZY_PMlYrpzKsUcSIG1tyAlSAMgX8kvzwUfINUbU1K9bw1-L6aOB7WjDWo7ucpsJ6_7JZ0VHLz9ivvlvoRR9_W_9XIQsUie_csuDQlxGOMJ7nG5HbfJ3yQiUVRB8wSRo5Auf3w8q93EJkL2/s700/Human-Transit-The-Book-Cover-466x700.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="466" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc_aL3DRi4V0dMDin0sKjtc5Tym0fY1cYWzoJ58tZY_PMlYrpzKsUcSIG1tyAlSAMgX8kvzwUfINUbU1K9bw1-L6aOB7WjDWo7ucpsJ6_7JZ0VHLz9ivvlvoRR9_W_9XIQsUie_csuDQlxGOMJ7nG5HbfJ3yQiUVRB8wSRo5Auf3w8q93EJkL2/w213-h320/Human-Transit-The-Book-Cover-466x700.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div></div></div>badmomgoodmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11569728075698885020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15350975.post-59776635417057609862023-08-30T17:43:00.006-07:002023-08-30T17:47:24.978-07:00When too much water leads to water scarcity<p> Like clockwork, every time we have a big rainstorm, I read news stories and hear people talk about all the "wasted" water running out to sea or out of the arid area. I understand the frustration, but want to highlight some of the complexities. </p><p>For instance, Southern California received quite a bit of rainfall ~10 days ago as the remnants of Hurricane Hilary swept through. We received 2.5" according to my backyard rain gauge. I'll write more about that in a later post (already started drafting it). </p><p>But, I thought it would be interesting to show what happened near Palm Springs, where Interstate 10 was washed out after the area received <a href="https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/video/hilary-floods-palm-springs-california-prompting-local-emergency">half of their annual average rainfall in 6 hours</a>. <a href="https://nbcpalmsprings.com/2023/08/21/some-roads-reopen-monday-morning-following-hilary/">Interstate 10 was shut down for miles due to flooding and mud</a>. </p><p>One of the surprising things to water neophytes is that <b><i>less water is captured in torrential rainfall events than in more normal, smaller and slower rain event</i></b>s. </p><p>This is why water professionals are so worried about climate change. Climate models forecast, and our recent experience verifies, that SoCal will get about the same average annual rainfall as in the past--but it will come in fewer and burstier storms like we experienced in August and January/February 2023. </p><p>In arid climates, it makes more sense to store the water underground to minimize evaporative losses. Palm Springs exists due to a large aquifer and faults that allow the groundwater to seep to the surface. After unsustainable groundwater pumping, the <a href="http://www.cvwd.org/162/Groundwater-Replenishment-Imported-Water">Coachella Valley developed percolation ponds</a> to spread imported river water to refill the aquifers. In this way, the aquifer has stabilized. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgsyDhgd1Z2IfK6ywJkz-61Fy4ge_8RjocLBE-9DxpCOftNzZPswH5oczA8I2qCGq7NcBJvjuuwznD0YA4N9y0ae_H8hZ9LskmeLACAq9lKitOqV1H6ZMS7CY9Napp_oXJf3_YW7VOvqxLJuvmv-_K7UyPZl8bDsKC0RMUF2JjKZAbBOS3Jt8D/s341/Screen%20Shot%202023-08-30%20at%2016.48.56.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="341" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgsyDhgd1Z2IfK6ywJkz-61Fy4ge_8RjocLBE-9DxpCOftNzZPswH5oczA8I2qCGq7NcBJvjuuwznD0YA4N9y0ae_H8hZ9LskmeLACAq9lKitOqV1H6ZMS7CY9Napp_oXJf3_YW7VOvqxLJuvmv-_K7UyPZl8bDsKC0RMUF2JjKZAbBOS3Jt8D/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-08-30%20at%2016.48.56.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />This land works remarkably hard precisely because of it's geology. It has the surface to aquifer connection that allows it to function as a percolation pond. But it's also a transportation corridor because it has the surface water needed by overland travelers. <p></p><p>Can you see the percolation ponds, wind turbines, solar farm, Interstate 10, and the railroad tracks in this aerial photo? That's five uses, not counting housing and related services. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ZN8nRGdoyrzuRyAIFfKLl3NczUVQS2ihHXv8vOJSeVxEDWkRBV9SWqZ_5mztLx_sqZ7HzKxSnOwNOpvSMyMveK5-Wrmu5NgpPh6KKPzdy44M-lULmcHRPjfmW4SRn6spnYQyh5kzdqLacBxeBoqj3KdpSK_tLf-NantykBnLtWfqwQOfha7I/s1912/Screen%20Shot%202023-08-30%20at%2016.55.49.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1173" data-original-width="1912" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ZN8nRGdoyrzuRyAIFfKLl3NczUVQS2ihHXv8vOJSeVxEDWkRBV9SWqZ_5mztLx_sqZ7HzKxSnOwNOpvSMyMveK5-Wrmu5NgpPh6KKPzdy44M-lULmcHRPjfmW4SRn6spnYQyh5kzdqLacBxeBoqj3KdpSK_tLf-NantykBnLtWfqwQOfha7I/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-08-30%20at%2016.55.49.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>You can also see wind turbines in this photo from another percolation pond just to the south of this one. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvpIpQgqVYgyzpTUPq8LJBhHuBDhgZB62NdI03sgqmJzyckZsgIQ0BqHfxrThAgig1RabF1xOuXN_Z5ELkf66FnavWhrze9Mzpy9KuuenlmagAceCrBGbmoilEIhA1b0ovWFvfqf4FwwaS0JGOaYP0kyHpcJ3PHcqBvsoT90g9jyHmBZ9Tix_o/s338/Screen%20Shot%202023-08-30%20at%2016.49.08.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="269" data-original-width="338" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvpIpQgqVYgyzpTUPq8LJBhHuBDhgZB62NdI03sgqmJzyckZsgIQ0BqHfxrThAgig1RabF1xOuXN_Z5ELkf66FnavWhrze9Mzpy9KuuenlmagAceCrBGbmoilEIhA1b0ovWFvfqf4FwwaS0JGOaYP0kyHpcJ3PHcqBvsoT90g9jyHmBZ9Tix_o/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-08-30%20at%2016.49.08.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>The transportation corridor is here because of water, but it's also at risk because of water. You can see the Site of the Original Palm Springs RR Depot in this aerial photo, along with Whitewater Canyon, which feeds the Whitewater River that eventually drains into the Salton Sea. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMnk_V_nyn9WWkVvkK0FD64SVCtJVkgKJZqq7SMGhhWRk0QVsWj98VrQu1khvyOGIxguWfuFn3mPK7U9__B8m-8Y74YF1b6vLCz2SuiglzXiuUvwGKLcaRTNeXCGAcGr9XIDTbiuE_YCoDNlpo8hxIuF_mXqLqtkke_psLWPaXciVqK1S9FDRg/s1735/Screen%20Shot%202023-08-30%20at%2017.05.37.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1139" data-original-width="1735" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMnk_V_nyn9WWkVvkK0FD64SVCtJVkgKJZqq7SMGhhWRk0QVsWj98VrQu1khvyOGIxguWfuFn3mPK7U9__B8m-8Y74YF1b6vLCz2SuiglzXiuUvwGKLcaRTNeXCGAcGr9XIDTbiuE_YCoDNlpo8hxIuF_mXqLqtkke_psLWPaXciVqK1S9FDRg/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-08-30%20at%2017.05.37.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>It's more dramatic in the terrain contour map. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijoR_L2m9sM9tttNRQLv1Bmy_3sO_khxWQfi95grvk_4KGc0_TVqnlSJS7dZ9QcHOxDCtXGt2dgTouDZG64T5us5TyxfwJ2lRdjoI31oPbnHpLonHlnQkmpQTvPwXKTCWG4zC_fkQaUdYwUxXQUHVQIZznxsYcPEYTsbmQ6bYpi4zHWG_tnwe3/s1363/Screen%20Shot%202023-08-30%20at%2017.13.11.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="966" data-original-width="1363" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijoR_L2m9sM9tttNRQLv1Bmy_3sO_khxWQfi95grvk_4KGc0_TVqnlSJS7dZ9QcHOxDCtXGt2dgTouDZG64T5us5TyxfwJ2lRdjoI31oPbnHpLonHlnQkmpQTvPwXKTCWG4zC_fkQaUdYwUxXQUHVQIZznxsYcPEYTsbmQ6bYpi4zHWG_tnwe3/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-08-30%20at%2017.13.11.png" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The people are here because the water is here. <div>The water is here because the mountains are here to squeeze the water out of the sky. </div><div>The mountains are here because the faults are here. </div><div>The water reaches the surface because the faults are here. </div><div><br /></div><div>It's all interconnected, but I'm digressing again. </div><div><br /></div><div>This is about why we couldn't capture most of the water from bursty rainstorms into the aquifer. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/turbidity-and-water">Turbidity and Water</a><br /><p>You know how lake beds have very fine soil impermeable (or only slightly permeable) to water? This allows them to hold the water. <a href="https://youtu.be/phXAoJ309Dw?feature=shared">Watch Who Fills Your Taps</a> as Kathy Kunysz explains how, when water comes pouring off the mountains, the larger gravel falls out first, and then the finer silt settles into clay layers (aquitards). If you don't keep the finer particles out of your spreading basin/percolation pond, they clog up and cease to function. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLUaL-WHKUQI0vTb3h_h5Y8v1F2P7s3mbiDTpgPaby09Y6x0G9Ce7nHrg5Y-3CJwe2wBZ7BnA1hjWXIvs2SUjQcmMPJAvsTMFFL9QpFRYXvfb4lNHxRyrgtPSRPYhl7cT9vBKyWM-KUeZVUNtZ6hNL6z3ViW5BcE9FPdBa3XSn1MCO8qYd-uzr/s957/Screen%20Shot%202023-08-30%20at%2017.24.03.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="725" data-original-width="957" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLUaL-WHKUQI0vTb3h_h5Y8v1F2P7s3mbiDTpgPaby09Y6x0G9Ce7nHrg5Y-3CJwe2wBZ7BnA1hjWXIvs2SUjQcmMPJAvsTMFFL9QpFRYXvfb4lNHxRyrgtPSRPYhl7cT9vBKyWM-KUeZVUNtZ6hNL6z3ViW5BcE9FPdBa3XSn1MCO8qYd-uzr/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-08-30%20at%2017.24.03.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>If you don't have time to watch this 75 minute video, you can <a href="https://lwvbeachcities.org/uploads/1/3/8/7/138751380/wig_watersystems_202111-1_1.pdf">view the slides</a>. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSXLQ5QZPQkpn7F-aKk0v3v5gpHH0xzwrXHD_FgHMuvDtkgnQSLAhKWCeGtIbkVepFGz67VaAX9hbx2hGlR7parQS_ETCu_hulfVvO7Z4UjBnwucSIahRluEVmko-MzdYS_-6B-QyC_e0FPxLsC6sXeV9YJu69ae4x096qRl6kdWsSqRiCreAb/s1115/Screen%20Shot%202023-08-30%20at%2017.27.02.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="709" data-original-width="1115" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSXLQ5QZPQkpn7F-aKk0v3v5gpHH0xzwrXHD_FgHMuvDtkgnQSLAhKWCeGtIbkVepFGz67VaAX9hbx2hGlR7parQS_ETCu_hulfVvO7Z4UjBnwucSIahRluEVmko-MzdYS_-6B-QyC_e0FPxLsC6sXeV9YJu69ae4x096qRl6kdWsSqRiCreAb/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-08-30%20at%2017.27.02.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>In order to preserve the percolation pond, they had to redirect the muddy runoff AWAY from them, so they didn't capture most of the runoff. <a href="https://kesq.com/news/2023/01/13/coachella-valley-water-district-clarifies-plan-to-redirect-storm-runoff-from-percolation-ponds/">This happened in January 2023</a> and again in August 2023. </p><p>If the rain comes too fast, and the water contains too many fine particles, then you can't capture it in percolation ponds. More and more of our rainfall is going to come from these bursty storms. </p><p>The good news is that they water was diverted around the percolation ponds and sent downstream to feed the shrinking Salton Sea. If we preserve and restore coastal wetlands, that silty water can replenish the marshes, build up the coastline, and help protect us from sea level rise and storm surges. The bursty flows can scour out the waterways, remodeling/refreshing wildlife habitat. </p><p>It's all good. </p><p>Waste is in the eye of the beholder. If you look at it in terms of what's valuable to humans, you aren't seeing the whole picture. <br /><br /></p><p>But, it also means we have to work harder and and spend more money to capture the same amount or less water, due to climate change. The people who told you that we couldn't do anything to stave off climate change because it was too expensive played the American public for chumps and we fell for it. </p></div>badmomgoodmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11569728075698885020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15350975.post-21469372148230266742023-08-23T15:49:00.006-07:002023-08-23T20:45:50.853-07:00The ghost of wells past<p>Remember when I wrote that <a href="https://badmomgoodmom.blogspot.com/2023/08/pfospfoa.html">I wasn't that worried about PFAS chemicals in my drinking water</a>? I'm still not worried about it. But several things stood out when I looked at the <a href="https://www.calwater.com/docs/ccr/2022/rd-hr-2022.pdf">2022 Hermosa Redondo Water Quality Report</a>. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjxEAXQsOpUY3tpnHbq-aCJN6m2e4LmPYn-tuwhAMoPYhIDNZnGm4a9yULX4naMOrqNjdb2JHQKOd0CT1kYKQ2DUaRrTc_dYUB71WHBw49OU71Tp9Do3tOieX87MLship-Fz2dl4wHpgMKUH2_wKXt6yeIRmBXevB7Lc6jNdcikZCEi0w4Xd4Y3" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="801" data-original-width="1062" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjxEAXQsOpUY3tpnHbq-aCJN6m2e4LmPYn-tuwhAMoPYhIDNZnGm4a9yULX4naMOrqNjdb2JHQKOd0CT1kYKQ2DUaRrTc_dYUB71WHBw49OU71Tp9Do3tOieX87MLship-Fz2dl4wHpgMKUH2_wKXt6yeIRmBXevB7Lc6jNdcikZCEi0w4Xd4Y3" width="318" /></a></div><br />I expected to see small (but safe) amounts of Uranium from the imported drinking water purchased from Metropolitan Water District (via West Basin Municipal Water District). That's a blend of Colorado River and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta water. For myriad reasons, water from the 4-corners states in the Colorado River Basin contains Uranium and Radium. <p></p><p>But, why does my local groundwater contain more Uranium than the water imported from the states where we used to mine Uranium, and make and test bombs? I posted that question on the social media platform formerly called Twitter and had my answer in minutes. </p><p>I found a <a href="https://dpw.lacounty.gov/general/wells/">map of active water wells from LA County Dept of Public Works</a>. Unfortunately, I couldn't figure out how to download the map and combine it with other data so you'll just see a screenshot. Look at the 3 aqua balloon pins near the right of the map, just west of Inglewood Blvd. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgtFvOwT8qQ85yH-tYAPHXALWyZ3VM4AxLwku3gPKmYm14i7C7DHvx7Vr52ZsSw-heHeuv9q-dgk9RdL_5MzLXCHIwIOzAyYqLmnD38Kvc2IANXpKjg0gUtYCZFZwvHCs97sw66iUfpNSBCb57xL-5kLNsYscU2M3-eylGWN1EvQRrCP-_kHfsw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1222" data-original-width="1560" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgtFvOwT8qQ85yH-tYAPHXALWyZ3VM4AxLwku3gPKmYm14i7C7DHvx7Vr52ZsSw-heHeuv9q-dgk9RdL_5MzLXCHIwIOzAyYqLmnD38Kvc2IANXpKjg0gUtYCZFZwvHCs97sw66iUfpNSBCb57xL-5kLNsYscU2M3-eylGWN1EvQRrCP-_kHfsw" width="306" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Now look at the <a href="https://geohub.lacity.org/datasets/lahub::oil-wells-inside-la-county/about">map of Oil Wells (Inside LA County) from City of Los Angeles GeoHub</a>. <br /><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEitc6QGGGPQK752WxRVNvZiGtyqUs3GJ74QqfW1JhT4kCwHx62scyOx2bUvGjn-unImRwIjs0nSEUeTNch5cBhme2DLEY9u8WJPsBuN0x3pW8Q9rcR94_VtuVhdT-jmDORq9zH179gUdLzrIGw-QsF3ACkoKZtqUuwbFsOf65D51HwiD406To0A" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1182" data-original-width="1564" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEitc6QGGGPQK752WxRVNvZiGtyqUs3GJ74QqfW1JhT4kCwHx62scyOx2bUvGjn-unImRwIjs0nSEUeTNch5cBhme2DLEY9u8WJPsBuN0x3pW8Q9rcR94_VtuVhdT-jmDORq9zH179gUdLzrIGw-QsF3ACkoKZtqUuwbFsOf65D51HwiD406To0A" width="318" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>See the old oil wells that used to operate in the vicinity of the active water wells? </p><p><a href="https://www.epa.gov/radtown/radioactive-waste-material-oil-and-gas-drilling">EPA: Radioactive Waste Material From Oil and Gas Drilling</a></p><blockquote>Rocks in and around certain oil- and gas-bearing formations may contain natural radioactivity. Drilling through these rocks or bringing them to the surface can generate waste materials that contain radioactivity.</blockquote></div><div>I'm drinking a blend of local groundwater and imported river water with an average of 2.3 pCi/L and 1 pCi/L of Uranium respectively. </div><div><br /></div><div>The federal EPA Maximum Contaminant Load (MCL) for Uranium in drinking water is 20 pCi/L (one trillionth of a Curie per Liter; a Curie is a measurement of radioactivity). However, there are measurable increases in negative health outcomes for water above the EPA MCL Goal (MCLG) of 0.43 pCi/L. </div><div><br /></div><div>This is concerning but not panic inducing (at least for me.) Reverse Osmosis (RO) reduces contaminants in water, including Uranium and PFAS chemicals. RO also reduces the calcium salts responsible for Water Hardness. Anything above 300 ppm (parts per million) is considered hard water. Imported river water is semi-hard, at ~200 ppm, but the groundwater here is 380 ppm. </div><div><br /></div><div>I would be happy to pay for RO treatment of household water. The small extra expense would reduce wear and tear on my home's plumbing and my housecleaning time. It's a worthwhile tradeoff. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjv9zMZ6ZrQFYw-hLfx1qY5VEVz2dt8zasFbiAoIJO0Tt7dUBgOxwA1JKRS6dhLM7XXhQ6-nlTgENuPCiyYWkCQpE5o2Gg3gIZqNrqd8gorgiE4WOA13p7YRTMmPdA_81-hfzz4HhhMd50tNVPFJbS7JXWLdmfCqNkxPjckty9am8R1uhFI-MEx" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="790" data-original-width="1059" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjv9zMZ6ZrQFYw-hLfx1qY5VEVz2dt8zasFbiAoIJO0Tt7dUBgOxwA1JKRS6dhLM7XXhQ6-nlTgENuPCiyYWkCQpE5o2Gg3gIZqNrqd8gorgiE4WOA13p7YRTMmPdA_81-hfzz4HhhMd50tNVPFJbS7JXWLdmfCqNkxPjckty9am8R1uhFI-MEx" width="320" /></a></div><br />[The <a href="https://www.westbasin.org/desalination/project-materials/final-eir/">EIR for West Basin's abandoned plans to build a desalination plant</a> estimated that the RO-treated ocean water would have saved customers an average of $300/year in reduced plumbing and appliance replacement expenses. Coastal NIMBYs enjoying 100% imported river water blocked the plant despite support from inland communities using very hard groundwater like mine.]</div><div><br /></div>
Today's LATimes features an excellent <a href="https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2023-08-23/southern-california-metropolitan-water-chief-climate-change">profile about Adel Hagekhalil, general manager of Metropolitan Water District of Southern California</a>. He talks about the existing three pipelines that bring water from the Delta, Owens Valley and the Colorado River. He advocated for developing our "Fourth Pipeline" of local water sources. <div><br /></div><div>I fully support that vision; it's an achievable goal. But let's not kid ourselves that it will be easier or cheaper. There are tradeoffs for everything, as I learned from the <a href="https://lwvbeachcities.org/natural-resources.html">Water and Infrastructure Group</a> lecture series I co-organize. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=10&v=DrB7RTKohxs&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Flwvbeachcities.org%2F&feature=emb_imp_woyt">Understanding Drinking Water Quality</a> taught me the limits of conservation. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDG3JMuV4Hg&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Flwvbeachcities.org%2F&feature=emb_imp_woyt">Groundwater 101</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lm0nhmdKidI&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Flwvbeachcities.org%2F&feature=emb_imp_woyt">Measure W</a> taught me the difficulty of developing *new* groundwater supplies. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=929eC0pCfZs&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Flwvbeachcities.org%2F&feature=emb_imp_woyt">San Diego's Pure Water</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbI3Xqp4q4k&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Flwvbeachcities.org%2F&feature=emb_imp_woyt">LA County Sanitation Districts</a> taught me the challenges of water recycling. </div><div><br /></div><div>I'm willing to pay a little bit more to stop dewatering faraway places, to honor our treaties with Tribes, for higher quality water, and for more reliable and secure water supplies. We have the technology to do all these things, but financing it is going to be the biggest hurdle. Middle and higher income users will be fine. </div><div><br /></div><div>But, I ask you to join me in overturning <a href="https://www.ppic.org/wp-content/uploads/content/pubs/report/R_1016EH2R.pdf">Proposition 218</a>, which constrains our ability to buffer lower income people from the impact of higher utility bills. We need to figure out a way to spread the costs equitably, which includes overturning Prop 218 and securing State and Federal funds to help low-income users. </div>badmomgoodmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11569728075698885020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15350975.post-11353428289777690882023-08-19T22:11:00.005-07:002023-08-19T22:12:17.802-07:00PFOS/PFOA/PFAS<p> I was going to title this post "Why I am not freaking out about PFOS/PFOA" but worried that it would be quoted out of context by people who don't read beyond headlines. The point is I am not worried about my personal exposure to PFOS/PFOA because I did a little research and am reassured that I live in an area where my water is safe. But that is not true for everyone. (PFOS & PFOA are a couple of flourinated compounds in the bigger class of PFAS.)</p><p>If you live in California, your water provider has to send you an annual Water Quality Report. It's no longer provided in hard copy with one of your monthly water bills. But the link to the report should be listed in one of your recent bills. For instance, read the <a href="https://www.calwater.com/docs/ccr/2022/rd-hr-2022.pdf">California Water Service Rancho Dominguez District Hermosa-Redondo System Water Quality Report 2022</a>. </p><p>Cal Water is a regulated monopoly that tests for PFOS/PFOA and similar flourinated compounds even though they are not required to. From <a href="https://www.calwater.com/docs/ccr/2022/rd-hr-2022.pdf">page 10 of my report for Hermosa & Redondo Beach</a>:</p><blockquote><p>In March 2023, EPA issued a proposed national primary drinking water regulation
for certain PFAS. The proposed regulation calls for a maximum containment
level for PFOS and PFOA of 4 ppt each. Four additional PFAS—PFNA, PFHxS,
PFBS, and GenX— would have a combined hazard index limit of 1.0; the hazard
index calculation would determine if the levels of these PFAS as a mixture pose
a potential risk. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>Knowing that these were constituents of emerging concern, Cal Water
proactively tested active sources in our systems for these PFAS years ago.
Although not required, we believed it was the right thing to do. In any areas
across the state where detections were above levels at which DDW recommends
water suppliers take action (the response level), we took the affected sources
out of service until treatment was or can be installed. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>None of our active water sources have levels of these six PFAS compounds
over current California response levels.</p></blockquote><p>Then on page 16, I can see that my local groundwater has no detectable PFAS and the imported river water (supplied by Metropolitan Water District) has a range of 0-2 ppt (parts per trillion) of PFAS and an annual average of 1 ppt. While adverse health effects can occur with any amount of PFAS above 0, my exposure is very, very small since I drink a blend of groundwater and Metropolitan water. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhWIsGJ7jrO0BDm6q2glsuomWCbA3POVLHcUl1couyuP25qBcwHNfYefDCGUvoVSEI64B8ZRBahXk29DsMV-aNTz586rJVIalMo5G7xDz6FI1Sgr0BRR-EP00oib2EW-Q8FNW9zsJG0y7buRTRWDVESbysnvAF8LudtKyH3cQtvYqo7-YuFWYj5" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="395" data-original-width="998" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhWIsGJ7jrO0BDm6q2glsuomWCbA3POVLHcUl1couyuP25qBcwHNfYefDCGUvoVSEI64B8ZRBahXk29DsMV-aNTz586rJVIalMo5G7xDz6FI1Sgr0BRR-EP00oib2EW-Q8FNW9zsJG0y7buRTRWDVESbysnvAF8LudtKyH3cQtvYqo7-YuFWYj5" width="320" /></a></div><br /> If you live in Hermosa Beach or North Redondo Beach, your water comes from a few wells near Artesia Blvd like this one behind state senator Ben Allen's field office. <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZ6x_DUy3PqQExKZeTVfGcUiX1jXTuUlQyWNy-q444TpUI0d-lk2ZfRXWAMWcZrcn_IytUCj4KlOkhw5a3T25HXsIupJAKZzGEHmxjJK07vSfVLXqNXTMoJr-oROlVW2MeylyKX3ph75dASUsscoyHRiaTLBIA2JOfCEH7gNxgaJYy3z4RqJwy" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="1420" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZ6x_DUy3PqQExKZeTVfGcUiX1jXTuUlQyWNy-q444TpUI0d-lk2ZfRXWAMWcZrcn_IytUCj4KlOkhw5a3T25HXsIupJAKZzGEHmxjJK07vSfVLXqNXTMoJr-oROlVW2MeylyKX3ph75dASUsscoyHRiaTLBIA2JOfCEH7gNxgaJYy3z4RqJwy" width="296" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The water is piped to blending tanks behind the new (and fantastic) bakery, <a href="https://www.tommyandatticus.com/">Tommy and Atticus</a>. <br /><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhavQFJaZOlw6Ulcyp28O1rc02zNTjOEQ5Y1H2RQePZ2MV-NRbswjb0h6eEoI8Zx_uyJZuskhOiQLetbh-WptMLBVBnnUQwCiIdRQVNVvtmqj7nDAXutmAyKd9sCAClXm3gH58_yzJ-nuC8yiAS2iynPHOM7yDoq-LhXsgfOq70xcr1gPxLOaEB" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1164" data-original-width="1283" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhavQFJaZOlw6Ulcyp28O1rc02zNTjOEQ5Y1H2RQePZ2MV-NRbswjb0h6eEoI8Zx_uyJZuskhOiQLetbh-WptMLBVBnnUQwCiIdRQVNVvtmqj7nDAXutmAyKd9sCAClXm3gH58_yzJ-nuC8yiAS2iynPHOM7yDoq-LhXsgfOq70xcr1gPxLOaEB" width="265" /></a></div><br />From there, the water is pushed out in distribution pipes to 90278 and 90254. <p></p><p>What does it mean to take a water source out of service and treat it? </p><p>It means that water from each well is tested and, if it is too high, they stop using that well and serve you cleaner water from another source (uncontaminated well or imported water purchased from MetropolitanWD). </p><p>CalWater found PFOS/PFOA at a well in Montebello (east of DTLA) and t<a href="https://www.calwater.com/latest-news/2020-1215-new-montebello-treatment-plant-to-remove-pfos-and-pfoa/">ook the well off-line in February 2020, and began construction of a facility to remove the contaminants in December 2020</a>. In <a href="https://www.calwater.com/latest-news/2022-0131-new-pfas-treatment-facility-in-east-los-angeles/">January 2022, they held a ribbon cutting for the updated facility and returned the well back to service</a>. </p><p>The technology is simple and well-known. Read the EPA's explainer, <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sciencematters/reducing-pfas-drinking-water-treatment-technologies">Reducing PFAS in Drinking Water with Treatment Technologies</a>. </p>Well water is passed through a bed of Granular Activated Charcoal (GAC), which adsorbs a whole bunch of stuff I don't want to drink (some dangerous, some merely unpleasantly smelly). A regularly refreshed bed of GAC can remove PFOS/PFOA to below detectable levels (ND = none detected). <div><br /></div><div>But what do you do when the GAC becomes saturated with contaminants? In the case of a Brita Filter, I toss the old one in the trash, run the pitcher components through the dishwasher to disinfect them, and install a new filter. </div><div><br /></div><div>At the water treatment plant, they use a polymer resin to perform <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sciencematters/reducing-pfas-drinking-water-treatment-technologies">anion exchange </a>to pull the adsorbed chemicals off the charcoal. The resin can be incinerated at a high temperature to destroy the PFAS. The charcoal can be reused for years. The resin is expensive and also relies on having access to a high temperature incinerator (which we have in <a href="https://www.lacsd.org/services/solid-waste/facilities/southeast-resource-recovery-facility-serrf">Long Beach with SERRF.</a>) This treatment process adds about $50/AF (acre-foot) to the cost of water, enough for 5-10 people for a year. For a large water system, this is affordable. </div><div><br /></div><div>However, PFAS is a problem around the world, including places that can afford charcoal but not the resin. That's why I found so many papers about how to remove PFAS from charcoal using heat so that they can reuse the charcoal. </div><div><br /></div><a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.estlett.0c00114">Thermal Stability and Decomposition of Perfluoroalkyl Substances on Spent Granular Activated Carbon</a><div><br /></div><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666821122001818">Recent advances on PFAS degradation via thermal and nonthermal methods</a><div><br /></div><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/rem.21735">Thermal destruction of PFAS during full-scale reactivation of PFAS-laden granular activated carbon</a><div><br /></div><div>I'm happy that all of these papers are open access (doesn't require $$ purchase) because the authors paid for open access. This kind of knowledge should be available to everyone. </div><div><br /></div><div>Anyway, back to the LA Times newspaper articles that freaked so many people out and lacked context. </div><div><br /></div><a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-07-14/nearly-half-of-u-s-drinking-water-could-have-pfas-chemicals">Risk of tap water exposure to toxic PFAS chemicals higher in Southern California</a> cites a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412023003069?via%3Dihub">USGS study</a> that sampled 700 public and private wells around the country. They modeled the characteristics of the sampled wells and estimated that 45% of US wells are contaminated with at least one PFAS chemical. SoCal wells are more likely to be contaminated due to urbanization (industrial facilities, domestic wastewater) and past foam retardant use (fighting wildfires and at airports). <div><br /></div><div>Since there is no requirement to test for PFAS, your water supplier may not test for it. So I may not be panicked about PFAS because I have been reading my annual water quality report, but most people never bother to read it. Many people don't even know who their water supplier is, but that's a whole other story.</div><div><br /></div><div>If you are among the 10 million people in Los Angeles County, <a href="https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2023-07-27/editorial-water-study-demands-urgent-action">the LA Board of Supervisors recently voted to require all water suppliers to test for PFAS chemicals</a>. This won't change my water, but might change yours. I presume that, if they find PFAS, they will be required to remove it before putting it into the domestic water supply. </div><div><br /></div><div>If you live in SoCal, your water supplier buys imported river water through <a href="https://www.mwdh2o.com/budget-finance/">Metropolitan Water District</a> either directly, or from a subregional water wholesaler like West Basin MWD at a cost of $1,400-$1,800/AF. Well water costs about half as much as purchased imported river water, if your water supplier owns permits to pump groundwater. Building a GAC treatment facility at $50/AF is worthwhile because well-water is still a bargain compared to imported river water and we have a convenient and safe way to dispose of the PFAS removed from the water. </div><div><br /></div><div>I co-organize a monthly series for the League of Women Voters called WIG, the Water and Infrastructure Group. Upcoming discussion topics/speakers, recordings of past meetings/talks and other educational info can be found on the <a href="https://lwvbeachcities.org/natural-resources.html">LWV Beach Cities Natural Resources Page</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div>I highly recommend watching <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phXAoJ309Dw">Who Fills Your Taps? Introduction to LA Area Water Systems</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDG3JMuV4Hg&t=3s">Groundwater 101</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrB7RTKohxs&t=10s">Understanding Drinking Water Quality</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div>Hopefully, this will inoculate you against sensationalist newspaper headlines like <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-08-19/brita-water-filter-company-accused-of-false-advertising">Brita water filter company accused of false advertising</a>. Have you ever installed a Brita filter wrong so that the water runs right through the gaps on the side of the filter? Do you always change your filter as often as the label on it? I'm fallible. I'm using the Brita filter just to remove unpleasant odors. I expect it to reduce contaminants, but not to remove them altogether. I am running a home kitchen, not a water treatment facility. But I do expect my water company to supply safe water to my home. </div><div><br /></div><div>Read your annual water quality report. There are some smaller water systems that can't afford to fancy water treatment systems and are too remote to hook up to cleaner water supplies. Then there are big water systems like LADWP that politically can't raise water rates so they put off maintenance and upgrades. Look at how bad the LADWP water scores relative to other LA County water systems! (Data and visualization from the <a href="https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/ed5953d89038431dbf4f22ab9abfe40d/page/Indicators/?views=Drinking-Water-Contaminants">CalEnviroScreen 4.0 Indicator Map</a> of Drinking Water Contaminants.)</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgp5Rv1U3uflIa-3cbh1rtpYeulcM5aDZGmiGtn8LoZqDezeCiYLDF8683FK7cydc5zgFPNMwo_oh2VOkydGCk9rjosZk-AAh0rWLnoXcnO8-QR2Zq5jGtI2bc8BCq5OGxQA27I1085tXOLM4vWHMoKfuYzp8n1yqEkF_HA7jKGplcxKJdIEP9f" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="950" data-original-width="878" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgp5Rv1U3uflIa-3cbh1rtpYeulcM5aDZGmiGtn8LoZqDezeCiYLDF8683FK7cydc5zgFPNMwo_oh2VOkydGCk9rjosZk-AAh0rWLnoXcnO8-QR2Zq5jGtI2bc8BCq5OGxQA27I1085tXOLM4vWHMoKfuYzp8n1yqEkF_HA7jKGplcxKJdIEP9f" width="222" /></a></div><br />If I lived in the City of LA, I would be writing my council members and to the press every week. This is just so embarrassingly bad. (Fortunately, CA drinking water is very clean on a national scale, so you can be in the worst tenth (like LADWP at 90th percentile for CA) and still pass all federal EPA standards. But, for a large water system in an urban area, this kind of water system neglect is just inexcusable. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://lwvbeachcities.org/natural-resources.html">Come to WIG on second Thursdays of each month at 7 pm on Zoom</a>. Learn more about water and all sorts of other things that make our area run smoothly. Ask questions and get answers. </div><div><br /></div>badmomgoodmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11569728075698885020noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15350975.post-49489690423066857502023-06-06T18:40:00.007-07:002023-08-02T10:40:51.056-07:00We're unprepared for the Silver TsunamiI was discussing <a href="https://www.metro.net/projects/trafficreduction/">Metro's Traffic Reduction Study</a> for pricing roads (aka Congestion Pricing) to discourage driving. This very unambitious plan is targeting just three areas:<br /><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>DTLA (cordon area)</li><li>I-10 between Santa Monica and DTLA (toll road)</li><li>I-405 through the Sepulveda pass, including canyon roads (corridor pricing)</li></ol><div>I wrote an analysis from a data-based and science (climate change, pollution) perspective, and encountered a lot of pushback. Everyone in the group is a driver, but I'm the only utility bicycle rider that rides in traffic. Others ride recreationally on the beach bike path or on low-traffic foothills roads. </div><div><br /></div><div>The reflexive response was, "What about the low-income (or moderate income) drivers?"</div><div><br /></div><div>I was making maps using data from <a href="https://egis-lacounty.hub.arcgis.com/datasets/lacounty::los-angeles-county-cva-social-sensitivity-index/about">Los Angeles County CVA Social Sensitivity Index</a> and was struck by how some areas of LA County are much older than others. That is, the coastal and hill sections have extremely high proportions of seniors. It's especially dramatic if I map the census tracts by how many standard deviations they are from the mean. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiuv5uZEtJtMs8371HutD7Iu_Y6-xA5-2dilgbYDiKPKUgmO9Sj5lYD7fcu_ZZN36DUH8wLLv_UlTrcYke1CCXVFiD-iEg20_YiYDLTuzo54y79f7yRCyIeCbjEdHLM6hmHvrCX4qhh_uSvT2pozXp65-rQbX7JfhwoZ2c2cN0ycdUCIKEtmA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1128" data-original-width="1855" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiuv5uZEtJtMs8371HutD7Iu_Y6-xA5-2dilgbYDiKPKUgmO9Sj5lYD7fcu_ZZN36DUH8wLLv_UlTrcYke1CCXVFiD-iEg20_YiYDLTuzo54y79f7yRCyIeCbjEdHLM6hmHvrCX4qhh_uSvT2pozXp65-rQbX7JfhwoZ2c2cN0ycdUCIKEtmA" width="320" /></a></div><br />Darker magenta areas have more people over 65 years old than average. Bluer areas have fewer seniors. </div><div><br /></div><div>By implementation time for congestion pricing, today's 65 year olds will be > 73 yo. How long do you think they will be able to drive mountain roads? </div><div><br /></div><div>It gets more grim when I divided by transit access. These are high senior population percentage divided by standard deviations from mean transit access (which is already not great in LA County). </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiNMXKZOjwX0e_0hpyPRZiKdycV9QgcE1O4pD8Y5T3VeG3XHjbpEPxFP9SMAUdRBhtZUH68pryIhS_7QuCJVIRPLY445baajKqjK38tmrajuE48fNBvtkGTcZryJ0PyL8hh5237eCg9uWdcG3ZS7LCP94J_EzGuq0QIkmQm0Rd9IL0-whln9Q" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1180" data-original-width="2023" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiNMXKZOjwX0e_0hpyPRZiKdycV9QgcE1O4pD8Y5T3VeG3XHjbpEPxFP9SMAUdRBhtZUH68pryIhS_7QuCJVIRPLY445baajKqjK38tmrajuE48fNBvtkGTcZryJ0PyL8hh5237eCg9uWdcG3ZS7LCP94J_EzGuq0QIkmQm0Rd9IL0-whln9Q" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Those are areas where we either need to improve transit and micro-mobility (for electric wheelchairs or sit-down scooters), or we need to move seniors out. Because people like to stay near their community, my preference is to coax them down from the canyons to multi-family housing where they are probably already driving for shopping, services, dining, recreation, or work. </div><div><br /></div><div>This leaves some voids in the flatter areas, which can be fixed by street space allocation, improved bus service, and some apartments near bike lanes & bus routes (hello, East Manhattan Beach). </div><div><br /></div><div>Anyway, congestion pricing is not going to harm seniors living in the canyons of Bel Air, Malibu, or Brentwood. They will soon age out of driving. It might cost them more to receive senior care in their homes if their caregivers have to pay to drive there. </div><div><br /></div><div>On the other hand, if it does improve traffic, then lower income workers will have more time for paid work and less unpaid time sitting in traffic. E.g. they can accept more clients per day because they will spend less time driving. This starts a virtue cycle where they won't have to pad their per visit charge as much, making senior care more affordable. </div><div><br /></div><div>You know what would create less traffic? If we let seniors live in congregate settings, where they each have their own small apartments, but caregivers are on site and can simply walk between clients. That would help alleviate traffic, the shortage of elder caregivers, and improve caregiver pay per hour. </div><div><br /></div><div>Instead of thinking about changes with fear, look critically at what is not working and how we might improve the status quo. <br /><br /></div><div><br /></div>badmomgoodmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11569728075698885020noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15350975.post-31088569397574124952023-05-10T14:37:00.023-07:002023-05-26T11:35:48.725-07:00Guidance for the Metro Active Transportation Corridor: Redondo Beach Blvd Survey from a Local<h2 style="text-align: left;">Urgent Action Alert </h2><h3 style="text-align: left;">Deadline <span style="color: red;">Extended to May 30, 2023</span> <strike>May 15, 2023</strike> so read on and <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MATRBBp2">fill out the survey now</a> </h3><p>I need you to fill out a public input survey about a vital active transportation project for Redondo Beach and surrounding cities in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County. This is our chance to reverse some of the damage wrought by past auto-centric road design in North Redondo Beach and allow those who can ride a bike to make school and shopping trips with confidence that they can make it home alive and in one piece. </p><p><a href="https://redondo-beach-blvd-active-transportation-corridor-lametro.hub.arcgis.com/">There's also a Story Map about the Redondo Beach Blvd Active Transportation Corridor Project with more information.</a> </p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Short version if you are in a hurry:</h3><p>The current street allocation with car parking on both sides and massive SUVs speeding down our streets is not safe or welcoming for cyclists. The proof is in the declining bicycle mode share. </p><p><b>When filling out the survey, select the options that give a protected bike lane every time. Scroll down past the background info to see my recommendations and why. </b></p><p><b>Paint is not protection. Never select an option with a paint-only bike lane in the door zone. </b>If someone opens a door, a cyclist in the door zone will be knocked off their bike and suffer grievous injuries. If they swerve to avoid the door, or are knocked into the traffic lane, they could be killed. No one wants to be killed or have their child killed while riding to school. </p><p><b>Two-way cycle tracks are a good option, particularly near schools. </b>When kids are arriving or leaving school, there will be a lot of traffic congestion on all modes. But cars are particularly dangerous. The less car traffic they cross while leaving the congested area, the safer they will be. Keep them on the school side of the street, with wide lanes so that there is passing room in the bikeway (keep the kids out of the car traffic lane). </p><p><b>Plastic poles are not physical protection, but likely the best we can get as a first step. </b>Plastic poles can be replaced with bollards or concrete barriers later if we allow enough buffer space to install the plastic poles in the first place. Do not let the perfect get in the way of actions we can do right now. </p><p>You can skip the background (but I hope you read it when you have more time).
</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Background: The Connection with Schools</h3><p>The project area below was originally going to be along the old freight route from Redondo King Harbor to the inland rail routes, but Ripley was found to be too steep (several areas with 15% grades) to be feasible for safe cycling. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhBxo-bTBd-izkSUUBMEBdB1MHaLQ2zAuupV2_T_JE-SCnrUAhMOX4RpIDzznHBKeBhM0hWRY6LPtdzTruDapWU4AmrXWYTaIFSz0KeROPY09GVC0tGqhDFRj3vD1q48ZqtYHttWyZ22UuvEk1j4kJyZ0INd5PW-SXCA9-vHz88vHgH-0ycEg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1984" data-original-width="2943" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhBxo-bTBd-izkSUUBMEBdB1MHaLQ2zAuupV2_T_JE-SCnrUAhMOX4RpIDzznHBKeBhM0hWRY6LPtdzTruDapWU4AmrXWYTaIFSz0KeROPY09GVC0tGqhDFRj3vD1q48ZqtYHttWyZ22UuvEk1j4kJyZ0INd5PW-SXCA9-vHz88vHgH-0ycEg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>A Redondo Beach traffic study determined that 30% of the city's AM/PM peak traffic is the child school run. This travel corridor includes</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Adams Middle School: 1066 students: 6-8 grades</li><li>Washington Elementary School: 801 students, K-5</li><li>Jefferson Elementary School: 509 students, K-5</li></ul>That's almost 2400 K-12 students arriving and departing each day on this corridor. <p></p><p>But that's not all, because all students in Redondo Beach Unified School District (RBUSD) attend Redondo Union High School (RUHS) in South Redondo Beach*. Jefferson ES students also attend Parras Middle School south of RUHS. </p><p>Assuming 350/grade at Adams MS and 90/grade at Jefferson ES, </p><p><b>350*4 + 90*7 = 2030 students cross 190th Street to attend school and return home each day. </b></p><p><b>About half of all RBUSD students traverse this corridor every school day.</b></p><p>But that's not all; <b>El Camino College (ECC, 22,000 students, many from the Beach Cities) is on the eastern end of this travel corridor</b>. Some RUHS and MCHS students do concurrent enrollment and take classes at ECC while they are in HS. Due to many factors, including cost and lack of housing at UC campuses, a large number of students are enrolling in grades 13/14 at ECC before transferring to a 4-year college/university. </p><p>When filling out the survey, think about what you would send your kid to school on. Think about what you would be comfortable riding on as you accompany your younger child to school or run your errands. I ride this area 1-2x/week to run errands in North RB or West Torrance. I want better infrastructure for my safety, too. </p>Watch this video of the horrifying existing conditions as ridden by two fit MAMILs (Middle-Aged Men in Lycra). Would you ride these steep hills? Next to fast-moving busy traffic?<div><br /><div>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/n7RE3OIA894" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><p>Here's another video of the area where Kyle, an area father, rides his kids to preschool. </p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IWMY3-aly1w" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>
<p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">My opinionated guide for the survey choices and why they matter: </h3><p><b>Every cross-section shown is facing either Eastbound or Northbound.</b></p><p><b>Q1:</b> For the westernmost portion of the corridor, which alignment(s) do you prefer? </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmh-U7RGX6cGdI7rQgrmCqlw3VNrVHhf9X_APDaVluBT1elH8l0oGRHStDxARqcjKxVkvjjQdUB7U94FN3rqXvXJ7AO1WsW-gpQwsHZkFf45H2055vjgyZxiA_PlPun3Jng0St9H6LNJeokssIxgtelEJxKCXzWAQwP-j1uio2od61l5aS7A" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1984" data-original-width="2943" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmh-U7RGX6cGdI7rQgrmCqlw3VNrVHhf9X_APDaVluBT1elH8l0oGRHStDxARqcjKxVkvjjQdUB7U94FN3rqXvXJ7AO1WsW-gpQwsHZkFf45H2055vjgyZxiA_PlPun3Jng0St9H6LNJeokssIxgtelEJxKCXzWAQwP-j1uio2od61l5aS7A" width="320" /></a></div><br /><b>I picked D</b> because that would give us a 2-way cycle track on Lilienthal and the longest length of protected bike lanes on 190th. <b>190th St is also the only way to avoid steep hills. </b><p></p><p><b>The problem with B:</b> The first video shows just how steep Ripley is. Notice that the lead cyclist on a light road bike has trouble getting up the hill (and the trailing cyclist with the camera is on an eBike). Going up a 15-16% grade is difficult, but going down them is downright dangerous. Do not send kids on this route. </p><p>A and C are better, but still steep in some sections. Also, if those are the official routes, there will not be likely any road changes except <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-02-05/study-sharrows-might-be-more-dangerous-to-cyclists-than-having-no-bike-infrastructure">Sharrows, which are shown to be more dangerous than not doing anything</a>. </p><p><b>Only Option D along 190th St will yield any road space allocation for cyclists. </b></p><p><a href="https://www.bicycling.com/news/a20044419/what-are-sharrows-used-for/">What is a Sharrow? </a></p><p><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-02-05/study-sharrows-might-be-more-dangerous-to-cyclists-than-having-no-bike-infrastructure">Why are Sharrows so dangerous?</a> </p><p><b>Q2: </b>The proposed street section for 190th St (Alignments C and D) is shown here. How satisfied are you with this proposal?</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmq4FI3hDs1XuHlwmeiOfswZzShwi2RFc8V3TWf6BXkiy_IZvo4pEBav_uxJi0uthZqk5SuwrcfoOSv1v-eL6trFz0eb_o0QHZWOogFBdnt20zTGAzNqhugZd4dQcOcsPh_lOJgO36XQWiFYX-iVYpUJGrO3rgsqBmVXIGtHhQijT5hJU87Q" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="936" data-original-width="631" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmq4FI3hDs1XuHlwmeiOfswZzShwi2RFc8V3TWf6BXkiy_IZvo4pEBav_uxJi0uthZqk5SuwrcfoOSv1v-eL6trFz0eb_o0QHZWOogFBdnt20zTGAzNqhugZd4dQcOcsPh_lOJgO36XQWiFYX-iVYpUJGrO3rgsqBmVXIGtHhQijT5hJU87Q" width="162" /></a></div><br /><b>I picked Very Dissatisfied:</b> These cross-sections are looking towards the east, with Torrance on the Right Hand Side (RHS) and Redondo Beach on the LHS. Cars are coming down the hill from Flagler and often speeding 50 eastbound mph. People drive with the sun in their eyes during the morning and evening commutes. Do you feel safe with just paint and plastic poles designed to bend when run over by vehicles?<p></p><p>I recognize that people living in the apartments in Torrance on the right need overflow parking, but let's swap the bike lane and parking lane. Install a <a href="https://www.longbeach.gov/goactivelb/mobility-toolkit/bicycle-treatments/protected-bike-lanes/">parking-protected bike lane like this one in Long Beach</a> on the Torrance side with breaks to preserve sight lines at each driveway or street crossing. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4KJjc2KGJNk_RrDxq8Br-oqa0PDr7zdTsbTB_Q5L7OvytueXgqpbq57S7YgKqLs6kNC4Oi-hwS9-4fF6n79HexQZS3EqR_c8t0KyDBV64PbMW_LKcHgtWQ_GMpmGJjkF-YH0HLdsU1TSabVChojk7dQ4ugdmsEpc_tn-KHtFlfg15nTYo0g" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="689" data-original-width="900" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4KJjc2KGJNk_RrDxq8Br-oqa0PDr7zdTsbTB_Q5L7OvytueXgqpbq57S7YgKqLs6kNC4Oi-hwS9-4fF6n79HexQZS3EqR_c8t0KyDBV64PbMW_LKcHgtWQ_GMpmGJjkF-YH0HLdsU1TSabVChojk7dQ4ugdmsEpc_tn-KHtFlfg15nTYo0g" width="313" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>On the RB side, I'd like to see real bollards or a curb. Imagine something like these without the parking lane. <a href="https://nacto.org/publication/urban-bikeway-design-guide/cycle-tracks/one-way-protected-cycle-tracks/">Images courtesy of National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO)</a>. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhVhxYewBgXTRvW270gsDFCmH5_ChX33G22peBjFJR8ZbBDTDhfX0BqGzMs7sgqOwyKlt690kYQXl2cCGFBvkuHD1q3NrQyLs6k95kwiPsEgL8dIffThy6ERC9xcWYfsd6agGfYPVvvrHBRpdtvF0394KD_c5OcJ8EhgqUOsHujIu84NdzjQg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2850" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhVhxYewBgXTRvW270gsDFCmH5_ChX33G22peBjFJR8ZbBDTDhfX0BqGzMs7sgqOwyKlt690kYQXl2cCGFBvkuHD1q3NrQyLs6k95kwiPsEgL8dIffThy6ERC9xcWYfsd6agGfYPVvvrHBRpdtvF0394KD_c5OcJ8EhgqUOsHujIu84NdzjQg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgs7zludtnn30AoBAwCowyFVQU3BXjClyKnD4uMKxm0TGqcUbitT2XO5Ar2nX46l0_-TZ1fOHd_jJpKy3GCCi7x2F5n72xMnxFFj-QFOFcr8HsG8irf01Bo8BJxJB2ZfGuaukDzgyyzDjNRQ2tE0JE-L2ObX9y80E2h-iKfs5_IlZzz54ginw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2850" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgs7zludtnn30AoBAwCowyFVQU3BXjClyKnD4uMKxm0TGqcUbitT2XO5Ar2nX46l0_-TZ1fOHd_jJpKy3GCCi7x2F5n72xMnxFFj-QFOFcr8HsG8irf01Bo8BJxJB2ZfGuaukDzgyyzDjNRQ2tE0JE-L2ObX9y80E2h-iKfs5_IlZzz54ginw" width="320" /></a></div></div><br /><b>Q3: Select Option 1</b>, the 2-way cycle track on the east side, next to Washington ES. <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhNX-O3j_lty1SQPO5p9lggLhlRSx5wt9BxQdAnALKMGb6tqMsB4Il0-L2iD7gp7ZKkMP2PEChkWzLGRETg7l-ropWs_rMdLQ15od4za-8d5a9uAHf4DShGJ140HLskJ3qiKzBkfqJlBwpebSDr76MKfeaqhPPaq7xOdySM-EfDlFbi0a2VUQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="921" data-original-width="789" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhNX-O3j_lty1SQPO5p9lggLhlRSx5wt9BxQdAnALKMGb6tqMsB4Il0-L2iD7gp7ZKkMP2PEChkWzLGRETg7l-ropWs_rMdLQ15od4za-8d5a9uAHf4DShGJ140HLskJ3qiKzBkfqJlBwpebSDr76MKfeaqhPPaq7xOdySM-EfDlFbi0a2VUQ" width="206" /></a></div><br /><b>Option 1</b> provides separation from cars, and is wide enough for passing, and allows parents to ride side by side with a child gaining confidence in their bike skills. In 2-way cycle tracks, people riding opposing car traffic are facing approaching cars, so they can see and react to dangerous drivers. It would be better to have solid protection here, but Option 1 gives us room to retrofit with more solid barriers later. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgxzfNudIT4VCHRfzyrXOitu4Pu1Oz-VyfnuQCgJ5XJT8BMESnjEhqjYquBMGhALgbiTZoGpWv2AdFU03ia_j66zF-2pXzIpM700PQXbaHTlKkw2To-FeYUD8LeSzBxScSzjzefu7PSkZw0kC_m234q0_Oc7E5SExhzCFXszl1eFGKErAhedA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="715" data-original-width="1577" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgxzfNudIT4VCHRfzyrXOitu4Pu1Oz-VyfnuQCgJ5XJT8BMESnjEhqjYquBMGhALgbiTZoGpWv2AdFU03ia_j66zF-2pXzIpM700PQXbaHTlKkw2To-FeYUD8LeSzBxScSzjzefu7PSkZw0kC_m234q0_Oc7E5SExhzCFXszl1eFGKErAhedA" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><b>Option 2</b> puts kids in the door zone on one side and makes them cross the street to get to school. It's a dangerous situation. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhNZPEmFrLhH0ioGoFi3plcfHzTnDjnGntaAYXETvmNsaTwzgx2lGCTndIeOxLzFZNSt1hwvEHpJhXro4VjhkNizXJuta2E-F3F4VX7NdXsyLMjYG2GmdagiEZoxJLp2XbC3hOZ5vL0yp0Y9CY_adQMSI1Fys4rU_inQi43omYxuNWuFW7WxA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="715" data-original-width="1579" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhNZPEmFrLhH0ioGoFi3plcfHzTnDjnGntaAYXETvmNsaTwzgx2lGCTndIeOxLzFZNSt1hwvEHpJhXro4VjhkNizXJuta2E-F3F4VX7NdXsyLMjYG2GmdagiEZoxJLp2XbC3hOZ5vL0yp0Y9CY_adQMSI1Fys4rU_inQi43omYxuNWuFW7WxA" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p><b>Q4: Select Option 1</b>, the 2-way cycle track on the east side, next to Washington ES. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiL1X8RA-hVrVdfZF1XO6TTUHnytyN3HLr-1J_WHFPI7iWpZibF3U8wv8paO6A5Cm2ViMrkvJQFt5fExwEQoiUAm6IAvMEnqEojC44JllCskorRYNhrQgsMBG8XYkB97e5xPcK3wf8c0odpa46jLvSgfpoSWVR0a5rlGLnPUXEe-bShxaJYHA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1118" data-original-width="789" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiL1X8RA-hVrVdfZF1XO6TTUHnytyN3HLr-1J_WHFPI7iWpZibF3U8wv8paO6A5Cm2ViMrkvJQFt5fExwEQoiUAm6IAvMEnqEojC44JllCskorRYNhrQgsMBG8XYkB97e5xPcK3wf8c0odpa46jLvSgfpoSWVR0a5rlGLnPUXEe-bShxaJYHA" width="169" /></a></div><br />Don't be distracted by the stock visualization image with a tall solid wall. There is currently short solid wall on the parking lot side and a wood and rope fence on the road side. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjrLHMQVNVB-EdyoLHwK62H2eedyZqn2MuM-iwZ9W8Cl6VWncR1u1OFPonzhwmD9s78kEPHNPLlMvvWFPvWy-Dl_l4UxelBFnoT-n8YqHjlipSZ4Vuf5G5EXv5UiyXqiwe-ulrSoNyuuz8skIG1z9O9-sMuV18DyM6HcOghszX1CcsivnbV3A" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjrLHMQVNVB-EdyoLHwK62H2eedyZqn2MuM-iwZ9W8Cl6VWncR1u1OFPonzhwmD9s78kEPHNPLlMvvWFPvWy-Dl_l4UxelBFnoT-n8YqHjlipSZ4Vuf5G5EXv5UiyXqiwe-ulrSoNyuuz8skIG1z9O9-sMuV18DyM6HcOghszX1CcsivnbV3A" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p><b>Option 1</b> gives a clear place for kids to ride that is physically separated from cars. The 2-way cycle track would replace the wide grassy area.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg8V-ZzKN8fhwMsURKROaA6nn8rMr5W32pGoSWQQneWFdvgN1gvTrr1Uv9c_64Stlma3lpFz9im2IalaKrqfco6BraQvihDMUloT6jkPWvAjgaOlcq3pBpHe0Czg_JUkV5PsNNASZyCVZLMVX72_OM0MO8aSJyHma50ZyRDcuuAcbO2iTVbDQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="710" data-original-width="872" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg8V-ZzKN8fhwMsURKROaA6nn8rMr5W32pGoSWQQneWFdvgN1gvTrr1Uv9c_64Stlma3lpFz9im2IalaKrqfco6BraQvihDMUloT6jkPWvAjgaOlcq3pBpHe0Czg_JUkV5PsNNASZyCVZLMVX72_OM0MO8aSJyHma50ZyRDcuuAcbO2iTVbDQ" width="295" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p><b>Option 2</b> is sharrows in a place where drivers are more focused on making a turn at Ripley than cyclists approaching from behind them. </p><p>Motorists trying to make a right turn will pull over to the right, trapping cyclists behind them. Small children on bikes and tall, boxy hoods on todays trucks and SUVs mean that parents may not be aware of cyclists in front of them. This has led to an epidemic of frontover crashes where drivers run over people in front of them because they can't see them over their hoods. Or, they look at their screens and forget that there are children in front of them. </p><p><b>Option 2, sharrows, is a safety disaster.</b> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhD9nllCsJjVr5PXReJH62CI3FIoYu2Zslle6tBd6VBAkYljuz9J2Xgyn_i7tFYxKzY9CRaQaBFHJEmInL1ROtTX70hed-rPdAYlSQW99_CTWQQ92k7kR11aUBVuLJgD7s72qbi5uj3NbB17XArbm-S3gzJGwyoRxU0aX29zpivvyO8YlT3kw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="710" data-original-width="884" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhD9nllCsJjVr5PXReJH62CI3FIoYu2Zslle6tBd6VBAkYljuz9J2Xgyn_i7tFYxKzY9CRaQaBFHJEmInL1ROtTX70hed-rPdAYlSQW99_CTWQQ92k7kR11aUBVuLJgD7s72qbi5uj3NbB17XArbm-S3gzJGwyoRxU0aX29zpivvyO8YlT3kw" width="299" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p><b>Q5 on Ripley: Pick Option 1, the 2-way cycle track on the Adams MS side</b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj95223X04QgTwgUP7oFhCmJj586MtQwlbOioW6PTzfztdnHqrZAfPpXR1yXnRcBzxwkC_9PHr-tg1HdoprIYI3h7n7QrT3drXptXZ8QlrwkqldC14SveHCAR1JFUmBlQrvT1tWrhxOxUl0_R6tr6dxFZluDjR9Aq5mp06aQbl2JxSCedllog" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="949" data-original-width="789" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj95223X04QgTwgUP7oFhCmJj586MtQwlbOioW6PTzfztdnHqrZAfPpXR1yXnRcBzxwkC_9PHr-tg1HdoprIYI3h7n7QrT3drXptXZ8QlrwkqldC14SveHCAR1JFUmBlQrvT1tWrhxOxUl0_R6tr6dxFZluDjR9Aq5mp06aQbl2JxSCedllog" width="200" /></a></div><br />Option 1 keeps the kids on the school side as long as possible. It also preserves the car unloading curb space that people are currently using. <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSF12bH0ky_RrGPRQS-g_WyXQRCW31LSZoEKuh75X4I5U1X112Olq1Ts4FgPhQHjBEWeZh_pSMKN9_pP54DEmt7PsONMzIDiCCkiCr1JFSL3uJO439_qMVZjtP4lhtQEPN4jjc2etTrwxu3XQTVBaMAz-a0bo6XkZ2IjbGvMaBk2jy5Uz6vA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="854" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSF12bH0ky_RrGPRQS-g_WyXQRCW31LSZoEKuh75X4I5U1X112Olq1Ts4FgPhQHjBEWeZh_pSMKN9_pP54DEmt7PsONMzIDiCCkiCr1JFSL3uJO439_qMVZjtP4lhtQEPN4jjc2etTrwxu3XQTVBaMAz-a0bo6XkZ2IjbGvMaBk2jy5Uz6vA" width="320" /></a></div><br /><b>Option 2 puts kids in the door zone, at precisely the time that kids being driven to school are unloading. This is a safety disaster. </b><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTlnKBXoVR8jH3tEcjJnGJxnV8gXeDhppv-jYJOgQu98MqizglTiZ0ZHIdM9NO0dxVSxg-eWSD25i5nHEnyrKgcrw_fHPOcdacrWzTWNHNjhjxTvcXQEz3_Rir-9H3I-oyo-k8PaQy0mMpEIepBvtR5VJ8z0TMenLd9Qj_BRk_4BjQ2b9rzw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="391" data-original-width="854" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTlnKBXoVR8jH3tEcjJnGJxnV8gXeDhppv-jYJOgQu98MqizglTiZ0ZHIdM9NO0dxVSxg-eWSD25i5nHEnyrKgcrw_fHPOcdacrWzTWNHNjhjxTvcXQEz3_Rir-9H3I-oyo-k8PaQy0mMpEIepBvtR5VJ8z0TMenLd9Qj_BRk_4BjQ2b9rzw" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p><b>Q6: Grant Ave from Inglewood to Kingsdale; I am very dissatisfied but I selected other and explained why we need solid protection instead of plastic bendy poles</b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7zxDZbOUXKnKty3dXlgTnhudpOzRFIiEWh-qle5Id5A3_79DMDOgm-BOw9xY4EUbjE-r0SrPsrosdwyxBEnG9Ax6bI4_WSy6ITFhdn4Y1EsFJEO5uccZw6eDm8XmC5Jj5GPT4wFkM9vEVr9Pe1L4OvmmkOnEDs_krIqpPXCXnBE4q2AKFCw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1354" data-original-width="789" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7zxDZbOUXKnKty3dXlgTnhudpOzRFIiEWh-qle5Id5A3_79DMDOgm-BOw9xY4EUbjE-r0SrPsrosdwyxBEnG9Ax6bI4_WSy6ITFhdn4Y1EsFJEO5uccZw6eDm8XmC5Jj5GPT4wFkM9vEVr9Pe1L4OvmmkOnEDs_krIqpPXCXnBE4q2AKFCw" width="140" /></a></div><br />They are proposing paint, a buffered (space separation) and plastic bendy poles. <p></p><p>This is better than existing conditions, but not safe. Cars pick up speed heading downhill and frequently misjudge the curve, so they end up sideswiping cyclists in the bike lane. We really need a concrete barrier on the downhill (right hand) side. </p><p><b>I ride by bike to shop at the Galleria and this is the scariest part. I saw a guy almost get killed here. If we want more people to bike through this area, which connects to shopping, the South Bay Transit Center, and the 300 new homes under construction, then we deserve solid protection in this dangerous area. </b></p><p>I gotta break for lunch but I'm going to hit Publish on this so you can get started. I'll finish after lunch. </p><p>...</p><p>I'm back. Stay with me because we are on the home stretch, but the most dangerous one that crosses the 405 Freeway and has the most high-speed traffic. </p><p><b>Q7: Artesia Blvd from Kingsdale Ave to Redondo Beach Blvd pick Option 2.</b> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi98KNMwZj4T-_BVT_I69s6-NJkumEszfdXHFBX5SvxsoFPj-dqhiU3G_9VHzF4qGsQTubRbZgHA4CLRP6oD7q-3ECPPVJldyxore6jaGWKjBY6QS2zs71uuuRvI25msIOpNCHYHs3R0qIhrusf84UseEMZFrxIIdvUoDSEtf991n1Sz4787A" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="858" data-original-width="789" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi98KNMwZj4T-_BVT_I69s6-NJkumEszfdXHFBX5SvxsoFPj-dqhiU3G_9VHzF4qGsQTubRbZgHA4CLRP6oD7q-3ECPPVJldyxore6jaGWKjBY6QS2zs71uuuRvI25msIOpNCHYHs3R0qIhrusf84UseEMZFrxIIdvUoDSEtf991n1Sz4787A" width="221" /></a></div><p>Existing conditions are awful and you see very few cyclists brave enough to ride here. If they do, they are often on the sidewalk, conflicting with pedestrians. </p><p><b>Option 1</b> puts cyclists next to vehicle lanes, but protected with a concrete curb. Pedestrians and cyclists would intuitively understand where they are supposed to be, as faster bike traffic is at the street level. However, this would interfere with bus stops. </p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgfhA4_pSS2KyswxPL3dBgair-ihngWaCLmpmsbjvZIsHNuwf-7lo_WJ6ZEjaPdL90JFFf1SBqLl2ioj14EsrRe8cBmKChv8JTsVommKiNbbr2bKykPeppBRAG6jCr46s1KVUEwroK_1aPhYZERjapgQTWQII7OM-nj2wP-uFljJQ4Xf3Q1Bg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="495" data-original-width="1567" height="101" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgfhA4_pSS2KyswxPL3dBgair-ihngWaCLmpmsbjvZIsHNuwf-7lo_WJ6ZEjaPdL90JFFf1SBqLl2ioj14EsrRe8cBmKChv8JTsVommKiNbbr2bKykPeppBRAG6jCr46s1KVUEwroK_1aPhYZERjapgQTWQII7OM-nj2wP-uFljJQ4Xf3Q1Bg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><b>Option 2 </b>puts pedestrians next to the vehicle lanes, but also next to the bus stop. Trees would provide shade. There could be some confusion with pedestrians wandering on the bike path, but that can be solved with good signage.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwT_G98E8yvfk_Ctu4Cw13aoi8gSYhfrl-ovRS0Ofl2AkD_-NcHvuVigH2Ig-Uw2wwCpy1SFgSeJh98fx6Kn8bQALy7LEWuyb_HE39O9XGpLQEAZX5JBgJOKm2rNgc7spRE5jA3nCuqg92sARdf7pXA3O9_LT02phMz780guscYYNxh_topQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="1567" height="122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwT_G98E8yvfk_Ctu4Cw13aoi8gSYhfrl-ovRS0Ofl2AkD_-NcHvuVigH2Ig-Uw2wwCpy1SFgSeJh98fx6Kn8bQALy7LEWuyb_HE39O9XGpLQEAZX5JBgJOKm2rNgc7spRE5jA3nCuqg92sARdf7pXA3O9_LT02phMz780guscYYNxh_topQ" width="320" /></a></div><br />Our community has experience with pedestrian and bikeways next to each other in the North Redondo Beach Bikeway (NRBB). While there is some spillover, people have already learned where pedestrians and rollers have priority on the NRBB. <b>Option 2 will work best for us</b> and we already know how to use it. <p></p><p><b>Q8: Redondo Beach Blvd from Artesia Blvd to Hawthorne Blvd. Is a tossup but both Options are so much better than the status quo.</b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiDhMpSWf2xFxwDYuRjK9nuMbSEOnPCyCduA_3uAvFC9hl6_jtdyg5ESYDs-ThmmDRQFeE4jEoms9Ux6f_oGc8uZuiOfTSzGQdbJJ3zZKLLUh_6-uGnTRNRqsCc4rQ47xI9QsT8d3M9hy3b7nRlDP0JCm8UskSBL4MEMd4DtjPLqCpgQoHvMA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="893" data-original-width="789" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiDhMpSWf2xFxwDYuRjK9nuMbSEOnPCyCduA_3uAvFC9hl6_jtdyg5ESYDs-ThmmDRQFeE4jEoms9Ux6f_oGc8uZuiOfTSzGQdbJJ3zZKLLUh_6-uGnTRNRqsCc4rQ47xI9QsT8d3M9hy3b7nRlDP0JCm8UskSBL4MEMd4DtjPLqCpgQoHvMA" width="212" /></a></div><br /><b>Option 1 pits cyclists against pedestrians</b>, but provides 2-way access to Walgreens and Starbucks. It's not terrible as long as cyclists slow down when passing pedestrians and motorists exiting the parking lots look both ways. <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhPVZebOiqPhrJWouHQ-Stjxw8oFnfR9T2FlCDRcCEzEeWMGXZB8jLcO_kcNyHjnMqijPMDiEWkePQG4iUr2rtAzzR523lB9XhITe-O9mj1YPy3WcqopeHco2YLOS1G914a_xPk_r5ZRDjg_-AKyh1YmSaI01L3gPpgZ9xlb5HU5K4vkQ-T-A" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="676" data-original-width="1573" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhPVZebOiqPhrJWouHQ-Stjxw8oFnfR9T2FlCDRcCEzEeWMGXZB8jLcO_kcNyHjnMqijPMDiEWkePQG4iUr2rtAzzR523lB9XhITe-O9mj1YPy3WcqopeHco2YLOS1G914a_xPk_r5ZRDjg_-AKyh1YmSaI01L3gPpgZ9xlb5HU5K4vkQ-T-A" width="320" /></a></div><br /><b>Option 2 provides a</b> clear separation between motorists, cyclists and pedestrians. Cyclists are curb-protected on the eastbound RB side, and parking-protected on the westbound Lawndale side. However, coming westbound from Walgreens/Starbucks, people will likely bike on the sidewalk until they meet the 2-way cycle track. </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiEkEut7-4tu_ckxTWZmHywcaI4YHKG33Y1f2sU97VS0MVUbKuzmwtWIs-A1envO4NoD2HOZRbG005dO9nDcARbJoPp9eEbKoiHOuGlGUMUp1noGLDcfGsRDP3YGfvPH6o3d6IgcaNummhMHxvbDX1krReL1Z3HjZo8wx7DPx732UxI6eyqBQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="1573" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiEkEut7-4tu_ckxTWZmHywcaI4YHKG33Y1f2sU97VS0MVUbKuzmwtWIs-A1envO4NoD2HOZRbG005dO9nDcARbJoPp9eEbKoiHOuGlGUMUp1noGLDcfGsRDP3YGfvPH6o3d6IgcaNummhMHxvbDX1krReL1Z3HjZo8wx7DPx732UxI6eyqBQ" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Although you lose a traffic lane, it's not the cyclists' fault. One can just as easily blame the space allocated to free car storage (on-street parking) and a turn lane. Motorists are losing a travel lane to other motorists, not cyclists. Don't forget that. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Option 1, the 2-way cycle track, provides a better alternative not suggested by Metro for the next section. </b><br /><p></p><p><b>Q9: Redondo Beach Blvd from Hawthorne Blvd to Prairie Ave. I am Very Dissatisfied & propose a better solution. </b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg8qTE1Ouy_ki-t4RUfTNK7oxGC_QnfDrFkbWLFA21PbetmjhMAqSOcbrWxZNKktUDK6oXPcOwOENqpaMwkXoOiXGjAIyJ4-3VRH77siTg8R-BaDj5-WGHIIEQXw3xMONsmrovymz4ylvXFqTu19dBkYDgbmBcP8_4qlPC-MtVFzAIfYMMbaQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1191" data-original-width="789" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg8qTE1Ouy_ki-t4RUfTNK7oxGC_QnfDrFkbWLFA21PbetmjhMAqSOcbrWxZNKktUDK6oXPcOwOENqpaMwkXoOiXGjAIyJ4-3VRH77siTg8R-BaDj5-WGHIIEQXw3xMONsmrovymz4ylvXFqTu19dBkYDgbmBcP8_4qlPC-MtVFzAIfYMMbaQ" width="159" /></a></div><br />Although the status quo is very bad, we shouldn't rush into the proposed door zone bike lane next to high-speed traffic heading to the freeway onramps. It is extremely dangerous. This will greatly reduce the number of people brave enough to ride to Alondra Park and El Camino College. <p></p><p>If there is enough room for on-street parking, then there is enough room for a parking-protected bike lane. That may require narrowing the car lanes a bit, but that would also inhibit speeding, making that stretch safer and quieter for all road users. </p><p><b>The freeway onramp is on the north side of RB Blvd. A 2-way cycle track on the south side of RB Blvd would keep cyclists away from the crazy line of cars trying to merge onto the 405 on-ramp. Suggest that in Q11. </b></p><p><b>Q10: Redondo Beach Blvd from Prairie Ave to Dominguez Channel. Pick Option 1</b>, the 2-way cycle track on the North side, next to the park and El Camino College. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjC0kS4prm0C6v6Ac8aSxclnw5ABqZFZtwMOGWi6Nq8lZbcSt6Hy5hGYgIDQd8gC8x7ByX61edOIND9Jg5BW-H9H_XYeQ2yYDK2t_ly2OuCgN38CRsFnyHy4eP_TeOOwih-oRHYhisXLwI49HZXz9dii36ii5-aK6UGcTsy9m-ar7cF5YMcjQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="902" data-original-width="789" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjC0kS4prm0C6v6Ac8aSxclnw5ABqZFZtwMOGWi6Nq8lZbcSt6Hy5hGYgIDQd8gC8x7ByX61edOIND9Jg5BW-H9H_XYeQ2yYDK2t_ly2OuCgN38CRsFnyHy4eP_TeOOwih-oRHYhisXLwI49HZXz9dii36ii5-aK6UGcTsy9m-ar7cF5YMcjQ" width="210" /></a></div><br /><b>Option 1</b> puts cyclists next to the park and ECC. Although it is shown with plastic bendy straws, it can easily be fitted with bollards or a concrete curb for better protection when cycling to and from evening classes at ECC. <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhb8DAEajxFiI3eYQjDd1OYZfIq0S-je0DhWbUlS6Z7EH2yFzvRavZDxzpavNzuu-HSwHdEgKeomR0GbkkNegUkSbM0_ATIKOGTfUguQHZ_i8oppORSIdktYcmxe76Av5qITqPNP-lDwbyiXt6w8HKHS-Juxv1wVlMWIfQVtkjWMXYTda5Cfw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="469" data-original-width="1567" height="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhb8DAEajxFiI3eYQjDd1OYZfIq0S-je0DhWbUlS6Z7EH2yFzvRavZDxzpavNzuu-HSwHdEgKeomR0GbkkNegUkSbM0_ATIKOGTfUguQHZ_i8oppORSIdktYcmxe76Av5qITqPNP-lDwbyiXt6w8HKHS-Juxv1wVlMWIfQVtkjWMXYTda5Cfw" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><b>Option 2 puts cyclists in the door zone</b>, where they can be knocked into fast-moving traffic and killed. Drunk or malicious drivers can also harm cyclists easily with only "paint as protection". </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhrORPPBjTuDQWQFTdE7aWCxdtgxzIEqO-h9ea7c6Z3UxiGQtuuSfuVPhkhg1RpJsDasra_bv6MX9lkGgeI5xJt6F5MH73C8OmQ6Wke_cwV8qXEkmvAq3EzMhJy6cjk9o-rLiLEXy6aOPxkYAP42GHoUv5AsVZKlxqCLLKEd6bZIwAg5re2IQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="486" data-original-width="1567" height="99" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhrORPPBjTuDQWQFTdE7aWCxdtgxzIEqO-h9ea7c6Z3UxiGQtuuSfuVPhkhg1RpJsDasra_bv6MX9lkGgeI5xJt6F5MH73C8OmQ6Wke_cwV8qXEkmvAq3EzMhJy6cjk9o-rLiLEXy6aOPxkYAP42GHoUv5AsVZKlxqCLLKEd6bZIwAg5re2IQ" width="320" /></a></div><br /><b>Q11: Additional Comments: This is where we ask for a protected 2-way cycle track on on the south side of RB Blvd between Hawthorne and Prairie. </b><p></p><p>What do you need to be comfortable bicycling this corridor? Tell them!</p><p>Keep in mind that younger Beach Cities kids will probably only ride the western side of this corridor, west of Inglewood or Kingsdale. But older teens and young adults may need to ride to ECC or to retail jobs between Kingsdale and Crenshaw. </p><p>There are a lot of children and seniors in Lawndale and Torrance who would benefit from these bike facilities, whether they are riding a bike, trike or mobility scooter. </p><p><b>We should make this corridor welcoming for ages 8-80. </b></p><p>Think about who needs to travel through this corridor and at what times. What kind of cycling facilities do they need to get there comfortably and safely? What about seniors in mobility scooters or electric wheelchairs? Would you like to see food delivery robots in the bike lane or more food delivery by privately-owned cars?</p><p>With better bike facilities, I may choose to bike to stores further east than I currently feel safe. Every trip I make by eBike instead of car, I am "sparing the air", not taking up road space in front of you, and not competing with you for parking. </p><p>Another thing that excites me about this project is that it connects us to the Dominguez Channel. In a separate project, LA County Public Works will be extending the bike path along the channel southwards. It currently goes north to 120th St, past Amazon, Space-X, Lowe's and to the Metro Green/C Line. A southbound channel bike path would connect to the Harbor Gateway Transit Center, with very fast connections to the Silver/J Line to USC/Expo Park (15 min) and Downtown LA (20 min). Harbor Gateway TS is already linked up to CSU Dominguez Hills. This is a large step forward for a transportation transformation for the South Bay. </p><p><b>Bike lanes benefit you even if you don't ride a bike, but your neighbors do. </b></p><p><b>Bike lanes will save you time currently spent chauffeuring your kids short distances. </b></p><p><b>Bike lanes will benefit your kids because students who get exercise before school do better. </b></p><p><b>Bike lanes will benefit you when you age out of driving. </b></p><p><b>Bike lanes may allow your family to <a href="https://badmomgoodmom.blogspot.com/2023/03/true-cost-to-own.html">shed one car, saving you over a million dollars per lifetime</a>. </b></p><p>Finally, I want to close with this terrific video of a #BikeBus led by Coach Sam Balto in Portland. </p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://twitter.com/CoachBalto/status/1656353963489501190?s=20 ">https://twitter.com/CoachBalto/status/1656353963489501190?s=20 </a></span></p><p>This bike corridor will touch the lives of half the students in RBUSD and can be transformative for the way our community gets around. If half of our households can shed just one car, we would be richer, our street parking and traffic congestion problems will evaporate, our air and water will be cleaner, and we will have done our part to slow climate change. Oh, we'll be fitter and happier, too. </p><p>* A very few students living in North RB attend Mira Costa HS in Manhattan Beach, but only if MBUSD will take them. </p></div></div>badmomgoodmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11569728075698885020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15350975.post-17063057643409974872023-03-03T13:31:00.007-08:002024-01-29T14:35:42.410-08:00True Cost to Own<p>This post was inspired by a Twitter exchange with a Culver City resident who was able to shed one of her family's two cars due to the <a href="http://moveculvercity.com/">Move Culver City Project</a> to reallocate space from cars to transit (bus lanes), active transportation (walking/biking) and micro-mobility (scooters, wheelchairs). </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhBft7jc410dp56tV32PHfWVMwyVtsCNBRu8mKlHerHX929KGPeShG7zLODaKuUNohK72tTGYnLkGU-hjxR2FETDDPM2gZ74ylzLg1M9LgbU-vz73LWSoHTlDamOv_skHPgUvKhaD_pin7WA8n99qk2tnP2SC56oeZBsSdcppiXVSFzvXO79w" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="706" data-original-width="758" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhBft7jc410dp56tV32PHfWVMwyVtsCNBRu8mKlHerHX929KGPeShG7zLODaKuUNohK72tTGYnLkGU-hjxR2FETDDPM2gZ74ylzLg1M9LgbU-vz73LWSoHTlDamOv_skHPgUvKhaD_pin7WA8n99qk2tnP2SC56oeZBsSdcppiXVSFzvXO79w" width="258" /></a></div><br />Culver City's city council balance changed from 3/2 in support of this street space reallocation to 3/2 opposed. The new city council wants to reverse the street space allocation and give 100% of the public space to cars again despite the city's own data that transit and bike use grew explosively while car use declined. Read the <a href="http://moveculvercity.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Move-Culver-City-Mid-Pilot-Report-1.pdf">Move Culver City Mid-Pilot Report</a>. <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwO5Kg4CncIqJugKxjbSTqCrmKY2yLOUZolCiOsSyQi125TUi6QebwsrMMgieFX4SeaGnpjBzdLzl6-DxlKZsZs4PfHO3oK3kD2D_Inpffd-KOHkewOdEWmlYluFD3zun9BTDSTAxS6UqvewxoKyYo2M9-DcxdUX4YnXzGYONzatl2iw8I-A" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="679" data-original-width="500" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwO5Kg4CncIqJugKxjbSTqCrmKY2yLOUZolCiOsSyQi125TUi6QebwsrMMgieFX4SeaGnpjBzdLzl6-DxlKZsZs4PfHO3oK3kD2D_Inpffd-KOHkewOdEWmlYluFD3zun9BTDSTAxS6UqvewxoKyYo2M9-DcxdUX4YnXzGYONzatl2iw8I-A" width="177" /></a></div><br />I think reversing Move Culver City is a big mistake for many reasons, but I will just get into the financial angle in this post. <p></p><p>Car ownership is so normalized in US society that I think we stop paying attention to how much it's really costing us. <a href="https://newsroom.aaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/2022-YourDrivingCosts-FactSheet-7-1.pdf">When AAA published their annual report</a> "How Much Does it Really Cost to Own a New Car 2022", it surprised many people. [<a href="https://newsroom.aaa.com/2023/08/annual-new-car-ownership-costs-boil-over-12k/">2023 Update</a> is even grimmer, $12,182/year]</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgu9Af6pyMplH16m-SmhmDA0gvWmVNJLyvX0gAd5RKJgJAx53uK8DwJFr_LDhYYCRIaKfdbOOOMFCNm8dwtsRWiHlGCzCiXMIclMamAS2-oX5BYssR67f2wATbSpDQvyJKYeZqrFUmfb_vLgUTN0SFNT_u2E2lCgFHamBZYuFtr_NaCJtSY-g" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="982" data-original-width="812" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgu9Af6pyMplH16m-SmhmDA0gvWmVNJLyvX0gAd5RKJgJAx53uK8DwJFr_LDhYYCRIaKfdbOOOMFCNm8dwtsRWiHlGCzCiXMIclMamAS2-oX5BYssR67f2wATbSpDQvyJKYeZqrFUmfb_vLgUTN0SFNT_u2E2lCgFHamBZYuFtr_NaCJtSY-g" width="198" /></a></div><br />There were the usual arguments that not everyone buys a new car. But, this assumes the average new car sells for $33,301 when Kelley Blue Book reports that <a href="https://www.kbb.com/car-news/average-new-car-price-sets-record/">the average car price set a new record in December 2022 at $48,681</a>. Car and Driver reports that <a href="https://www.caranddriver.com/car-insurance/a35873684/average-cost-of-car-insurance-los-angeles/">Los Angeles drivers pay $681/year more for car insurance than the national average</a>. <p></p><p>$10,728 is an underestimate for the cost to own a car in Los Angeles. That price also does not include the cost of a parking spot, which you are paying for whether it's a line item in your budget or not. Everyone seems to complain about parking, even though <a href="http://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/2016/1/2/map-a-parking-lot-with-all-of-la-countys-186-million-parking-spaces#:~:text=Giving%20%22parking%20crater%22%20a%20new,live%2C%20work%2C%20and%20visit.">Los Angeles has more homes for cars than for people</a>. </p><p>If households with multiple cars can shed one car, they can save $10,728/year. </p><p>Median Culver City household income in $97,540 with a marginal tax rate (CA+Fed) of 33.3%. </p><p>Owning a car costs $16,084/year pre-tax. </p><p>If that money were put in a tax-deferred retirement savings account every year for 30 years, that household can accumulate just under $1 Million! </p><p>I assumed that the money was saved in a <a href="https://www.morningstar.com/funds/xnas/vviax/performance">Vanguard Growth and Income Mutual Fund (VGIAX)</a> earning about 6.54% over the last 20 years or 10.78% over the last 10 years. </p><p><a href="https://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm">The Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI inflation calculator </a>says inflation ran 2.65% over the last 20 years. </p><p>Using a conservative 4% above inflation estimate for VGIAX, the <a href="https://www.bankrate.com/banking/savings/compound-savings-calculator/">Bankrate Compound Interest Calculator</a> shows that the household that was able to shed a car winds up with $916,300 after 30 years in their retirement savings account. Yes, you do pay taxes as you withdraw that money, but that's a huge chunk of money nevertheless. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj3M_nAadceIJeIcL-rWDZUOiAEGsCnNW5Yr6X0WiXh60TrYlAEjtHCDSGsNTQoF7GhRdVHfUB7T5tf90bYgNxMrkt9Zp6lML0ygKHAYa9kMKENsla_u9mZwfELgI7rxDTjivf3V4-M8qnnvhBG5qZVh25KZCxuywvxTeWOWCx9CABcsBuIRw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="820" data-original-width="1132" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj3M_nAadceIJeIcL-rWDZUOiAEGsCnNW5Yr6X0WiXh60TrYlAEjtHCDSGsNTQoF7GhRdVHfUB7T5tf90bYgNxMrkt9Zp6lML0ygKHAYa9kMKENsla_u9mZwfELgI7rxDTjivf3V4-M8qnnvhBG5qZVh25KZCxuywvxTeWOWCx9CABcsBuIRw" width="320" /></a></div><br />In Summary, if Move Culver City allows families to shed one car, then that is a $1M gift to the families in Culver City. <p></p><p>Reversing/removing the street improvements--making buses too slow to use and bicycling too dangerous to attempt--forces families into cars again. If they have to own a second car again, then Culver City families lose $1 M. </p><p>Elected officials should think long and hard about whether they want to force car dependency and costs onto their residents. It's not good for residents, it's not good for the planet, it's not good for the city. Finally, I don't think it's good for the elected officials' ability to get re-elected. </p><p><br /></p><p></p>badmomgoodmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11569728075698885020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15350975.post-86756162452825065032023-02-05T22:34:00.009-08:002023-02-05T23:08:46.047-08:00We're subsidizing the wrong electric vehicles<p>I read that <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/02/04/tesla-hikes-price-of-model-y-after-us-alters-tax-credit-rule.html">Tesla raised the price of their popular Model Y SUV after the US altered the tax credit rule to make the Model Y eligible for tax credits</a>. The Tesla Y is the most popular Tesla in my area so I looked up the specs. It's a relatively heavy vehicle at ~2,000 kg or ~4,400 lbs. <a href="https://www.tesla.com/ownersmanual/modely/en_us/GUID-877ACE2D-B62F-4596-A6AD-A74F7905741C.html">But it can only carry a relatively paltry 433 kg of passenger + cargo</a>. That's about a 5:1 ratio between vehicle and payload. </p><p>I've been eying a Tern GSD and one of my friends has been bragging about how his top of the line GSD R14 was the best purchase he's ever made. He's 6'5" tall and he carries his similarly tall 10 year-old son and everything they need for the school and commute run between central Boulder and their mountain home. The <a href="https://www.ternbicycles.com/us/bikes/472/gsd-s10#tech_specs">Tern GSD S10 weights 33.5 kg</a> (before accessories) and can carry an additional 200 kg! That's a 1:5 ratio between vehicle and payload.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRAtXY0tKjmorTKdvsuMn04EmB06dMyJ17mnviK6FCPITqi4Uvvj7q7XUKzgXYrz6ZHKSA894fMRVDHWghncuL8qwnIO3iUw4wDMPxl7SOP6nBmTQsm0daFP0COG-LcnVIB2nTaLb5Xb63r7n8Jj6-D18NGtkzG9kAXVcbzwFSeywjDmQ1_Q/s1186/Screen%20Shot%202023-02-05%20at%2021.49.41.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="591" data-original-width="1186" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRAtXY0tKjmorTKdvsuMn04EmB06dMyJ17mnviK6FCPITqi4Uvvj7q7XUKzgXYrz6ZHKSA894fMRVDHWghncuL8qwnIO3iUw4wDMPxl7SOP6nBmTQsm0daFP0COG-LcnVIB2nTaLb5Xb63r7n8Jj6-D18NGtkzG9kAXVcbzwFSeywjDmQ1_Q/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-02-05%20at%2021.49.41.png" width="320" /></a></div><p>That means this family with two Tern GSDs can haul 400 kg, or almost as much as a Tesla Y at about 1/5 of the cost (before the tax credit). I know that the battery range on a eBike is much shorter than for the Tesla, but cyclists can easily find regular outlets to charge their eBikes up while taking a break. </p><google-sheets-html-origin><table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" dir="ltr" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; table-layout: fixed; width: 0px;" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><colgroup><col width="109"></col><col width="100"></col><col width="100"></col><col width="100"></col><col width="100"></col><col width="100"></col></colgroup><tbody><tr style="height: 21px;"><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Vehicle kg"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">Vehicle kg</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Vehicle Capacity kg"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">Vehicle Capacity kg</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Battery Wh"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">Battery Wh</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Cost "}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">Cost</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Tax Credit"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">Tax Credit</td></tr><tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Tesla Y"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Tesla Y</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"1929-2010"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">1929-2010</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":433}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">433</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="{"1":2,"2":"#,##0","3":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":81000}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">81,000</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"$54,990 - $57,990"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">$54,990 - $57,990</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="{"1":4,"2":"\"$\"#,##0","3":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":7500}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">$7,500</td></tr><tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Tern GSD S10"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Tern GSD S10</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":33.6}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">33.6</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":200}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">200</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"400-900"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">400-900</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="{"1":4,"2":"\"$\"#,##0","3":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":5399}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">$5,399</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="{"1":4,"2":"\"$\"#,##0","3":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":0}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">$0</td></tr><tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"2*Tern GSD S10"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">2*Tern GSD S10</td><td data-sheets-formula="=2*33.6" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":67.2}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">67.2</td><td data-sheets-formula="=2*200" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":400}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">400</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"700-1,800"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">700-1,800</td><td data-sheets-formula="=2*5399" data-sheets-numberformat="{"1":4,"2":"\"$\"#,##0","3":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":10798}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">$10,798</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="{"1":4,"2":"\"$\"#,##0","3":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":0}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">$0</td></tr></tbody></table></google-sheets-html-origin><p>You can add a trailer to one of the Tern GSDs and haul just as much as the Tesla Y!</p><p>Best of all, you can roll eBikes onto a train and then roll off at farther destination. Or you can carry them in an elevator up to your apartment rather than pay for expensive car parking stalls. </p><p>I digress, if only we had a transportation system with great train service and bicycle-friendly roads. Sigh. </p><p>Enjoy this video, including the end where the young couple exit from a Taipei rail station near the beach. </p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hyUIy_2hMVs" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe> <div><br /></div><div>Remember <a href="https://badmomgoodmom.blogspot.com/2022/08/carbon-intensity-of-ebiking-vs-driving.html">Carbon Intensity of eBiking vs Driving</a>? I use about 10 Wh/mi when utility cycling around my hilly area, often with shopping and other cargo. When I Tweeted about this, a father who carries 2 children and groceries on his Cargo eBike Tweeted back that he gets about 14-18 Wh/mi on his eBike and about 250-300 Wh/mi in his EV. That's similar to the Model Y performance. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div>So a family riding on 2 Tern GSDs will use about 35 Wh/mi while the same family & cargo on the Model Y will use 250-300 Wh/mi. The Model Y is very efficient for such a heavy vehicle. They are both pretty efficient compared to an ICE car. </div><div><br /></div><div>The current problem is the global supply constraints on batteries. The same battery materials that go into one Model Y could build 200 eBikes. Do we build one electric SUV for one family, or 200 cargo eBikes for 100 families? If we focus only on replacing cars one for one with electric ones, then we will miss out on all the savings from mode shifting to lighter, more efficient electric vehicles.</div><div><br /></div><div>Researchers in Europe did the math and concluded that fixating on larger and longer range EVs while battery supplies are constrained can increase CO2 emissions by slowing the global mode shift required.</div><br /><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959652622048685">The new electric SUV market under battery supply constraints: Might they increase CO2 emissions?</a><div><br /></div><div>Again, looking at the micro view, an EV lowers CO2 emissions relative to an ICE car. But, zoom out and look at the macro view, putting too many eggs in one basket (literally too many battery packs in a large EV) vs a bunch of baskets (eBikes), can increase global CO2 emissions. </div><div><br /></div><div>We're subsidizing the wrong vehicles. If we really wanted to reduce emissions quickly, we would be subsidizing eBikes and scooters, transit, and building safe and supportive infrastructure for micro-mobility ASAP. We're not and that's the tragedy. <br /><div><br /></div></div>badmomgoodmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11569728075698885020noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15350975.post-13119782167146937712023-02-05T12:38:00.005-08:002023-02-05T12:47:07.131-08:00The College Board is a conservative organizationI'm bemused by the brouhaha over the <a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/02/01/1153364556/ap-african-american-studies-black-history-florida-desantis">College Board dropping "controversial" and important subject matter in the AP African America History</a> after Florida Governor DeSantis and other conservatives objected. <div><br /></div><div>What did we expect? The College Board is a fundamentally conservative organization that preserves the status quo.
They long offered subject matter tests for Greek and Latin, which is taught at elite private schools, while they did not offer any tests for Asian languages until the addition of Japanese in 1993. <a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-04-23-me-49292-story.html">They didn't even offer Mandarin until 1994</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div>What's inexcusable is the deference that we gave to the defenders of the unequal status quo. </div><div><br /></div><div>When I applied to the University of California, we had to have studied 3 years of a foreign language tested by the College Board. CB did not test for any Asian languages in the 1980s. Thus, I studied German in high school, sitting in the same classroom as Peter Thiel, a native German speaker who immigrated from Germany. </div><div><br /></div><div>I would have loved to have studied Mandarin instead, but my high school only offered languages accepted by the University of California, while only accepted languages tested by a testing service organized to sort students from elite high schools in the Northeast for elite colleges of the Northeast. </div><div><br /></div><div>This kind of circularity was mind boggling to observe but I sucked it up and studied German and Latin in HS.
It was so unfair that all the Asian American students, many of whom spoke an Asian language at home, could not enjoy the same privilege as white students who got to learn a language at public school that they can use to speak with their parents and grandparents at home. </div><div><br /></div><div>Because of US immigration law that severely restricted immigration from Asian countries before 1966, most of the Asian American kids in my HS were immigrants who spoke an Asian language at home. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>We had to learn a THIRD language just to get into California's public universities.</b> </div><div><br /></div><div>Our test scores for European languages were evaluated against kids learning only a second language.
Even worse, we got no credit for knowing Asian languages. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>The College Board has power in part because we give them power. We can cut them out.</b> </div><div><br /></div><div>What if, we didn't give value to AP test scores and the curriculum they represent? What if we taught a more in-depth curriculum, tailored to the needs and interests of the students?
We'd lose some uniformity, but be more relevant to each student. We might even foster more love of learning for its own sake. </div><div><br /></div><div>Colleges and universities can just request a list of the books and readings used in history classes rather than rely on the AP test to create a de facto curriculum. Have kids supply a writing sample from their history or literature classes. </div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Aside: </h4><div><a href="https://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/admission-requirements/freshman-requirements/subject-requirement-a-g.html">The University of California now accepts a wide variety of languages, including Native American languages and sign language.</a> </div><div><br /></div><div>LA Times in 1994 (lol):
<a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-04-23-me-49292-story.html">No Language Barrier : College Board to Offer First Test of Proficiency in Chinese</a></div>badmomgoodmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11569728075698885020noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15350975.post-39159084936164939232022-12-23T13:17:00.003-08:002022-12-23T13:45:20.318-08:00Destroying the NIMBY Sewage Capacity Talking Point: Another Zombie Myth <h4 style="text-align: left;">Meta:</h4><div style="text-align: left;">I was coached to give an executive summary so people know where I am going. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><h4>Executive Summary</h4><p></p><ul><li>Sewage Capacity is not a reason to deny infill housing in established areas of Los Angeles County. </li><li>It's cheaper to service sewage from infill housing than for sprawl housing because you are using capacity that already exists and is currently underutilized. </li><li>Infill housing reduces or eliminates the cost of declining water flows, <b style="font-style: italic;">reducing costs to existing residents</b>. </li><li>Infill housing spreads the fixed costs of infrastructure among more customers, <b style="font-style: italic;">reducing costs to existing residents</b>. </li></ul><p></p></div><div style="text-align: left;">And was also told to add more color pictures, like this One Water Cycle graphic by Brown and Caldwell, 2017. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiIaQthlUY5pYRfurv8GaFWuh4gP39JhSkjN2voWh5tn26fSN_bykPO5-w8mG5S5wA2xUw95gNz9yw5ckk9OFGOfsEwiXjDMpXEplYxJg11-5OvsCg_fnpnsbNQpzAY2CjdCabnBb3U1sM_sGvDr2wG_z3fizP1UtKLgRLhXrIIPhIHXbgqVA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="767" data-original-width="1022" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiIaQthlUY5pYRfurv8GaFWuh4gP39JhSkjN2voWh5tn26fSN_bykPO5-w8mG5S5wA2xUw95gNz9yw5ckk9OFGOfsEwiXjDMpXEplYxJg11-5OvsCg_fnpnsbNQpzAY2CjdCabnBb3U1sM_sGvDr2wG_z3fizP1UtKLgRLhXrIIPhIHXbgqVA" width="320" /></a></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Where I normally start my ramblings:</h4></div><div style="text-align: left;">I signed the <a href="https://www.change.org/p/condemn-recent-changes-to-c-en-editorial-policies-and-proposed-content-focus">Change.org petition to Condemn recent changes to C&EN editorial policies and proposed content focus</a>*. </div><p>After I signed that petition, Change.org offered me another one to consider. </p><p>Their algorithms offered me <a href="https://www.change.org/p/oppose-the-mass-build-apartment-complex-on-little-britain-rd-rt-207">Oppose the mass build apartment complex on Little Britain Rd (Rt 207)</a>. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-RUHsC5aN5AwuzAH1MJqb7Xb_y_mav0sfHRXUEJJbY7dy_B17bADPY3k4QiatySR9DjgW-vO7B7QfYqezPRNf-i8g7bRa_dRUSj-0usm9450jRS2JOi98qa5bCbv8_9YmPx07QP0BzGToRVm-vFbTlk3FxZX_LipeyJfm09hAALeXY8LDxA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="799" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-RUHsC5aN5AwuzAH1MJqb7Xb_y_mav0sfHRXUEJJbY7dy_B17bADPY3k4QiatySR9DjgW-vO7B7QfYqezPRNf-i8g7bRa_dRUSj-0usm9450jRS2JOi98qa5bCbv8_9YmPx07QP0BzGToRVm-vFbTlk3FxZX_LipeyJfm09hAALeXY8LDxA" width="320" /></a></div><br />It was such a classic display of NIMBY <a href="https://badmomgoodmom.blogspot.com/2017/02/kettle-logic.html">Kettle Logic</a> about horrible traffic and parking woes, which they themselves contribute towards. This area is simultaneously such a historic area that it should not be desecrated with more traffic, while it is already so traffic-choked, that it cannot accommodate one more car.<p></p><p>But, since I had just been thinking about the societal impacts of chemistry and engineering, I homed in on the arguments about sewage. </p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>A massive build like the one being proposed will dramatically change the character of our neighborhood.</li><li>It will also have a significant impact on traffic in the surrounding area. </li><li>It will further tax our already heavily burdened water and sewage systems, and potentially have damaging environmental impacts to the Quassaick Creek and its wildlife.</li></ul><blockquote>The build puts additional strain on the current water supply and added pressure to the city sewage system’s downstream capacity.</blockquote><blockquote>Residents in the town of Newburgh are currently nearing our maximum agreed sewage usage with the city.<br />...<br />In 2004 the town updated their intermunicipal sewer agreement with the city to increase the amount of sewage the town sends to the city treatment plant at 2,000,000 gals/day with the ability to send an additional 2,000,000gals/day providing the town pay to enlarge the current city facility. This previously cost taxpayers $1,250,000 to construct the necessary facilities. According to the November 3 town planning board minutes, the town is currently sending 2,000,000 gals/day already and at their first allotment. They have 2,000,000 more gallons owed to them, but much of that has already been allocated to other projects. </blockquote><blockquote>As stated in their draft scope, the proposed apartment complex would produce an estimated 28,380 gals of liquid waste per day. And according to the 2004 intermunicipal contract "when the town’s average flow exceeds 3.4 million gallons per day as evidenced by the last 90-day average flow" a second expansion will need to be constructed by and paid for by the town residents, unless we insist the cost be passed on to the builders of these new projects.</blockquote><p>The US Census office estimates that Newburgh, NY has a 2021 population of 28,834. </p><p>If 28,834 people send 2,000,000 gals/day of sewage to the treatment plant, that's 69.4 gallons per capita per day (gpcd). How many times are they flushing every day?!?! Or do they have many industrial facilities? Why are they using so much water?!?!</p><p>In contrast, 4.8 million Los Angeles County residents and a lot of businesses & industrial facilities sent <a href="https://www.lacsd.org/services/wastewater-sewage/facilities/joint-water-pollution-control-plant/plant-performance">242 MGD of sewage (in 2021)</a> to the <a href="https://www.lacsd.org/services/wastewater-sewage/facilities/joint-water-pollution-control-plant">Joint Water Pollution Control Plant </a>(JWPCP), 50.4 gpcd. </p><p>If Newburgh residents were as water-thrifty as Angelenos, they could house 10,000 more people and have cheaper sewage service as well because they would be spreading fixed costs among more customers. </p><p><a href="https://www.lacsd.org/services/wastewater-sewage/facilities/joint-water-pollution-control-plant">JWPCP has a design capacity of 400 MDG</a>, we've added ~1 million people to the service area in the last 20 years, and we are still using only 60% of the capacity. We can add millions more residents without needing any more sewage treatment capacity. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjrBKM21y8oTY-7YTA2fS2JFBWys7R_jfb-A0k5itifYKqzyjl78sdvc6Www6nTKYKnPLzfMeBKYbJmy5I_WCHAhexGcebhB3w_2eHm_8PdRd4u4ZCU0Uo6A3C8g6V-Pr1EugtuXe_RKLbxhrv_49YH8DnXZmXYl_aRFETXOKgdBLtk0J9Ovw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="744" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjrBKM21y8oTY-7YTA2fS2JFBWys7R_jfb-A0k5itifYKqzyjl78sdvc6Www6nTKYKnPLzfMeBKYbJmy5I_WCHAhexGcebhB3w_2eHm_8PdRd4u4ZCU0Uo6A3C8g6V-Pr1EugtuXe_RKLbxhrv_49YH8DnXZmXYl_aRFETXOKgdBLtk0J9Ovw" width="297" /></a></div><br />JWPCP is a huge plant that serves almost half the people in the most populous county and one of the largest manufacturing centers in the US. <div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2fh5b13LEcmJOyFP2fve1oPflRAvA7WT_cvjz2LYIX9s-EYz0bMqbRsnTStv8kquULLzZqPuW7WV-Qgb7JNCNhXJ_q58Bv8zFzXScxpWyqfidNfvYkECUoheBW2xvOvxjnxAgQu2oERu_95NxNf9lqBcXg88DsNd_sNE2buXgT4qjbj6B-Q" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="233" data-original-width="300" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2fh5b13LEcmJOyFP2fve1oPflRAvA7WT_cvjz2LYIX9s-EYz0bMqbRsnTStv8kquULLzZqPuW7WV-Qgb7JNCNhXJ_q58Bv8zFzXScxpWyqfidNfvYkECUoheBW2xvOvxjnxAgQu2oERu_95NxNf9lqBcXg88DsNd_sNE2buXgT4qjbj6B-Q" width="309" /></a></div><br /><br /><div>If Newburgh residents were really concerned about not overrunning their sewage capacity, they should look at water saving household appliances, low-flow toilets and low-flow shower heads. But, perhaps they are just not interested in providing homes for people. <p></p><p>They do seem interested in providing homes for cars. One of their objections to this apartment complex is that it will only provide 515 parking spots for 259 homes. </p><p>Enough poking fun at Newburgh NIMBYs. We have plenty of NIMBYs at home in Los Angeles County to poke fun of. </p><p><b>Gratuitous diagram of JWPCP, a social network tying together 4.8 M Angelenos</b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_YtKV3j85wVE-n7atT3zWOYrs5ud1eQ9jYZm9OxHZbLIMgOJJNwBGGADSKXVa63ybLAdv50Uj0QkQikgL_2p2y66lhO3Vf7YuNKOQa3VRa6wCnf4nBKidLqNCf8xR_cTvvj39GMlOngay8hgr_m1hwC2HiXXMaM6SQvYUGGDkpYDx_hP1ag" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="699" data-original-width="952" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_YtKV3j85wVE-n7atT3zWOYrs5ud1eQ9jYZm9OxHZbLIMgOJJNwBGGADSKXVa63ybLAdv50Uj0QkQikgL_2p2y66lhO3Vf7YuNKOQa3VRa6wCnf4nBKidLqNCf8xR_cTvvj39GMlOngay8hgr_m1hwC2HiXXMaM6SQvYUGGDkpYDx_hP1ag" width="320" /></a></div><br /><b>Consider the problem of declining water flows.</b> This is a serious and expensive problem for established areas that are not building housing fast enough to offset improvements in water efficiency. Californians in existing developed areas are using about 2% less water per year. If that is not offset by infill, this causes problems for both drinking water and sewage systems. <p></p><p>California Urban Water Agencies surveyed their members and wrote a white paper on <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5a565e93b07869c78112e2e5/t/5a568f078165f545d7122ebe/1515622156186/CUWA_DecliningFlowsWhitePaper_11-28-17.pdf">Adapting to Change: UtilitySystems and Declining Flows</a>. Go to Section 6 (page 22), Impacts of Declining Flows on
Wastewater Treatment Plant
Operations. 40% of urban systems reported effluent quality problems. </p><p>Lower flow means longer residence times in the sewage pipes, which exacerbate production of gases. That's both an odor and a corrosion problem. It also decreases the amount of hydraulic pressure, which works with gravity to move sewage towards the treatment plant. </p><p>In fact, the less hydraulic pressure you have, the more energy you need to apply (e.g. sewage lifting stations) to push the effluent along. We have so much excess capacity in our existing sewage mains, it's costing us more energy to pump it to the treatment facilities. </p><p>You also need to spend more unclogging pipes. We sometimes have to put fresh water into the sewage mains to reduce the residence times, clear clogs, and provide hydraulic pressure. </p><p>We'll save the problem of declining flows on drinking water systems for another day. Spoiler, it's cheaper and safer for everyone if we concentrate new residents in existing areas rather than build new sprawl. <br /></p><p>Bonus Sewer Content:</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">the year is 1873.<br><br>in cleveland, a tall and narrow sewer is being dug deep underground and built by hand, brick by brick to move sewage. the work is hard. the need is great. the city is growing.<br><br>the year is now 2022. and this is that sewer.<br><br>149 years old.<br><br>still in use today. <a href="https://t.co/DoiGS0TfsT">pic.twitter.com/DoiGS0TfsT</a></p>— NE Ohio Regional Sewer District (@neorsd) <a href="https://twitter.com/neorsd/status/1606347442152124417?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">* C&EN News = Chemical and Engineering News is the monthly general interest magazine for members of the American Chemical Society. Bad Dad and I both hold BSs in Chemistry and he also has a PhD in Chemistry (while I hold a PhD in Chemical Physics). Although our work is far from what most people consider chemistry, we still enjoy learning about happenings in the Chemistry world and the policy implications and societal impacts of Chemistry. Editorial leadership of C&EN News eliminated coverage of science policy and societal impacts. <a href="https://www.change.org/p/condemn-recent-changes-to-c-en-editorial-policies-and-proposed-content-focus">Sign the petition if you disagree</a>. </h4></div></div>badmomgoodmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11569728075698885020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15350975.post-89677073597356012472022-12-20T18:57:00.009-08:002023-04-07T11:33:04.499-07:00SCAG, HQTA & RHNA: Acronyms you never heard of but should understand<p> I've given a talk in December 2022 and am scheduled to talk again in January and February 2023 to groups comprised mainly of older homeowners concerned about lack of transit and wheelchair-accessible housing in their communities. Most are unaware that those are connected. </p><p>This is a <a href="https://gisdata-scag.opendata.arcgis.com/datasets/SCAG::high-quality-transit-areas-hqta-2045-scag-region/explore?location=33.793115%2C-117.391108%2C9.00">GIS layer map of High Quality Transit Areas</a> (HQTA) in the 6-county area under the control of the <a href="https://scag.ca.gov/about-us">Southern California Association of Governments</a> (SCAG). </p><blockquote>The High Quality Transit Areas (HQTAs) is within one half-mile of a well-serviced transit stop or a transit corridor with 15-minute or less service frequency during peak commute hours.</blockquote><blockquote><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhewpZRxbxh_Q61sBsqPx4rf8NwzQFIJOA5n-p9IfzY9jR6dEMddmhxbrRO1dwuMQJl_h-DMIUt6P3i8kVm3OlQ4dQ0UjsoB9WaxROQOuhHODPgTm9KMoIK78uRFyirEIVegZxNYuRhKrLsE0NWnT4WsYSNCQo-1LJmgfJyIuFuqLOH5DsOOg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1198" data-original-width="1921" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhewpZRxbxh_Q61sBsqPx4rf8NwzQFIJOA5n-p9IfzY9jR6dEMddmhxbrRO1dwuMQJl_h-DMIUt6P3i8kVm3OlQ4dQ0UjsoB9WaxROQOuhHODPgTm9KMoIK78uRFyirEIVegZxNYuRhKrLsE0NWnT4WsYSNCQo-1LJmgfJyIuFuqLOH5DsOOg" width="320" /></a></div>Founded in 1965, the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) is a Joint Powers Authority under California state law, established as an association of local governments and agencies that voluntarily convene as a forum to address regional issues. Under federal law, SCAG is designated as a Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) and under state law as a Regional Transportation Planning Agency and a Council of Governments.<br /><br />The SCAG region encompasses six counties (Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura) and 191 cities in an area covering more than 38,000 square miles. The agency develops long-range regional transportation plans including sustainable communities strategy and growth forecast components, regional transportation improvement programs, regional housing needs allocations and a portion of the South Coast Air Quality management plans</blockquote><p>Seniors want to stay in their own homes, or at least in their own communities. And they want frequent transit to serve them. They've looked around and are deeply unhappy with what they have found. Why can't we have frequent and good transit like other places they have vacationed at? </p><p><b>Why doesn't the South Bay have good transit?</b> We're visibly a transit hole. High quality, frequent transit does not touch most of the residential areas of the Beach Cities, El Segundo, Torrance and Palos Verdes Cities. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgi1GvyDQYi35tSn_-F2tyRcnBTalyBKWJSqtMZ7J3z_p3_j68mhQWtXxO1rEWfE_ApJ61dtrAti4WMOJ6ufmoRmzhjff0yHf-utMj8yJAq2hkRxzikOCZeBktLWVWfdVU2Bu5n7_O5uW9HK2aGYi9BiKRtqp_bsOcVxtD_7pZpZaMppb-QWw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1228" data-original-width="1467" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgi1GvyDQYi35tSn_-F2tyRcnBTalyBKWJSqtMZ7J3z_p3_j68mhQWtXxO1rEWfE_ApJ61dtrAti4WMOJ6ufmoRmzhjff0yHf-utMj8yJAq2hkRxzikOCZeBktLWVWfdVU2Bu5n7_O5uW9HK2aGYi9BiKRtqp_bsOcVxtD_7pZpZaMppb-QWw" width="287" /></a></div><p></p><p>Is it because wealthy people can afford cars and don't need transit? Nope, not if you compare to Santa Monica, Culver City, Pasadena and Beverly Hills. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjuPXzpvMNO6RI9x_3Tavts0iwhUFjdxd_SBq0oJDSbwRX_piz4oMTDe5KyATvUQXGNclXweqwXzIqa9Ucxc-kHoHknhQ3ndccKCXcAZFSir1PrXDIvSvSQJhOYx-cdg26C43nUwobeWzNlsNLxPx7b4L6cAtBmwUxpHzib-Fszc_EM49AHqA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1098" data-original-width="1016" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjuPXzpvMNO6RI9x_3Tavts0iwhUFjdxd_SBq0oJDSbwRX_piz4oMTDe5KyATvUQXGNclXweqwXzIqa9Ucxc-kHoHknhQ3ndccKCXcAZFSir1PrXDIvSvSQJhOYx-cdg26C43nUwobeWzNlsNLxPx7b4L6cAtBmwUxpHzib-Fszc_EM49AHqA" width="222" /></a></div><br />When we purchased our home in the late 1990s, we researched bus lines, bike commutes and USGS geologic maps. We really liked that the Torrance 8 bus ran between our home, daycare, workplace at 30 minute frequency throughout the day and even more often during peak commute hours. Those buses were well-used by people who worked in El Segundo and lived along the route in Torrance, North Redondo Beach and Hawthorne. <p></p><p>Over time, the service degraded noticeably and wasn't reliable any more. That's the main reason why I ride my eBike during the day and drive at night. Transit isn't viable for me any more, even if I want to take a bus to dinner and then walk home (burn off dessert) or catch a ride home with my dinner companions. Even during peak hours, the buses are infrequent and often get canceled at the last minute. </p><p>I used the Internet Archive to look at bus schedules from 2005. The <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20040405065610/http://www.torrnet.com/city/dept/transit/schedules/route8.html">Torrance 8 ran 41 trips every weekday in 2005</a>. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjpfMRhH0SvdvewAnZ_T0gku9B3lVmTCGfZgrJ07dTVx6MvketrX4vSQurGO2llWU1GT3JdwfcFrtAXxtYC30uS3sjo8Sxgm0EwMKsDitY_8HQBN0GKlR1Ub59-y-NPqQR3AUsLnY-uvn7ME2jb6YGxwzVpDnB2o00FtWKrKSHv0sxD1go2WQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="892" data-original-width="1682" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjpfMRhH0SvdvewAnZ_T0gku9B3lVmTCGfZgrJ07dTVx6MvketrX4vSQurGO2llWU1GT3JdwfcFrtAXxtYC30uS3sjo8Sxgm0EwMKsDitY_8HQBN0GKlR1Ub59-y-NPqQR3AUsLnY-uvn7ME2jb6YGxwzVpDnB2o00FtWKrKSHv0sxD1go2WQ" width="320" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://transit.torranceca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/70983/637733770108970000">In 2022, the Torrance 8 runs only 13 trips every weekday. </a><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQl39T7JC5UhdAfFkdIuPK6jIv4RSaCJRK5xwBd5zqdlK_TjFr0Xz8c55GEEXQ-RwPRAhlWWpiylEemKiyBTFQTNKrZ46nlzRZeEEcHG6MhGEyT0yGpdue_GpAR9IH4WuLDHGsr-jr-E4Kp6dMQH3MXqUy3nqY1rYtofgR_0jNDh7FXC8yCg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="542" data-original-width="1069" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQl39T7JC5UhdAfFkdIuPK6jIv4RSaCJRK5xwBd5zqdlK_TjFr0Xz8c55GEEXQ-RwPRAhlWWpiylEemKiyBTFQTNKrZ46nlzRZeEEcHG6MhGEyT0yGpdue_GpAR9IH4WuLDHGsr-jr-E4Kp6dMQH3MXqUy3nqY1rYtofgR_0jNDh7FXC8yCg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Moreover, the southern terminus of the route used to be at Newton St and Hawthorne Blvd, a short walk from hundreds of homes. Now the route has been shortened to end at the intersection of two state highways, Pacific Coast Highway (CA1) and Hawthorne Boulevard (CA107). To reach the stop, people have to walk farther from their homes and cross wide highways with 7-9 lanes of deafening traffic. <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6qyH19w5b4-V9zxJznpNw0InpAcwnJRdWf9W7UwysZJDyo7D0wLIBj5w9loJAhHHLIunkQ1gMyXlDgNNxtltcPZZpcM4NN6gsZ--U90AMvmNYdEwdKlpdc29hILMOPKswgpLmEW4PGyTCOGzJEdD5UziBZOFMBeEcdlT8jGW6v0qWLTCkbQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1314" data-original-width="1393" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6qyH19w5b4-V9zxJznpNw0InpAcwnJRdWf9W7UwysZJDyo7D0wLIBj5w9loJAhHHLIunkQ1gMyXlDgNNxtltcPZZpcM4NN6gsZ--U90AMvmNYdEwdKlpdc29hILMOPKswgpLmEW4PGyTCOGzJEdD5UziBZOFMBeEcdlT8jGW6v0qWLTCkbQ" width="254" /></a></div><br />When I regularly took the bus, they were well-utilized. Most seats were occupied at peak hours. Even after peak, about half the seats were taken by people out shopping or going to their retail/service jobs. <p></p><p><b>Buses operate at a loss. That's why we pay taxes to subsidize them. But roads and parking lots also operate a loss and we never question whether or not they are necessary. </b>Fuel and registration fees cover only about half the costs of roads; the rest comes from general funds. </p><p>The cost of "free parking" is borne by customers or tax payers, including those that didn't drive there. The subsidy is flowing towards drivers, not bike riders. In fact, pedestrians receive the lowest subsidy, then bike riders (cost of bike racks), then transit riders, then drivers. </p><p>But I digress. Let's get back to poor bus service. The seniors I talk to all want frequent buses that run near their homes. They would prefer the buses to run past their existing homes, but are willing to move to a condo or apartment complex within their communities if that is the only way they will get high-quality transit. </p><p>Sounds good. Let's pick some areas to serve intensively with transit, and then build lots of homes there. The more transit riders there are, the better service we can maintain; it's a virtuous cycle that serves seniors aging out of driving well. </p><p>Not so fast, building housing is politically toxic throughout the southland. Today's seniors have elected (for decades) local leaders running on platforms of preserving the "neighborhood character" of their "unique community", and fighting "overbuilding" and "Sacramento overreach". </p><p>Elected leaders are suing the state of California about whether they should be exempt from state housing law (like the Housing Accountability Act) and questioning both the legality and the numbers in the <a href="https://scag.ca.gov/rhna">Regional Housing Needs Allocation</a>. </p><p>The State of California's <a href="https://www.hcd.ca.gov/">Department of Housing and Community Development</a> (the CA analog of the Federal Government's <a href="https://www.hud.gov/about">HUD</a>), tells each regional planning authority how many homes their region needs to build to provide for existing and future residents. Each region decides for themselves how they want to allocate those homes based on their goals and values. </p><p>After years of considering data and testimony from academics, elected officials, planning professionals and advocates for hundreds of groups, <a href="https://scag.ca.gov/sites/main/files/file-attachments/scag-final-rhna-methodology-030520.pdf?1602189316">SCAG approved a formula nick-named "The Coastal Plan"</a>. It's just a formula that can be programmed into an Excel spreadsheet macro. <a href="https://scag.ca.gov/sites/main/files/file-attachments/scag-rhna-6th-final-allocation-04mar21.xlsx?1623447594">You can download it from SCAG</a>, and I've made it in to a <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1GkwKKAvMxd_wq3yNxIoDldzXv7b7h5dq/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=107059636089398410683&rtpof=true&sd=true">shared Google Sheets</a>. </p><p>The formula is a product of our professed values. We claim to value opportunity, so we assign more housing near where the jobs are. We claim to value clean air and want to lower Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, so we place homes in HQTAs. We claim we want to address inequality, so we assign more low income housing to places that traditionally have not provided lower income residents. </p><p>Conversely, it assigns more higher income housing in poorer communities that can benefit from the tax base provided by higher earners. It's not forced gentrification or ghettofication. It's just trying to level the playing field to help everyone succeed. The goal is to work together with neighbors to solve regional problems like pollution, congestion, and the housing crisis. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhsQEfKvGTvBLLaz3uW1IpewBzfojgXrehSKXOqS4b18KXfPfgDoocr1HUJyswcgH_qEeXTZP5REgESTAOo-yDMrM9q3lTrrykOMknS3TfLS500Rl_6YxVOQtgiEJyCz0tHudWAsOcz22z7Ny1qVjLEOvCnZrMwpNh_v-7Sxe1xxYK6Jcl6yg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="846" data-original-width="1374" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhsQEfKvGTvBLLaz3uW1IpewBzfojgXrehSKXOqS4b18KXfPfgDoocr1HUJyswcgH_qEeXTZP5REgESTAOo-yDMrM9q3lTrrykOMknS3TfLS500Rl_6YxVOQtgiEJyCz0tHudWAsOcz22z7Ny1qVjLEOvCnZrMwpNh_v-7Sxe1xxYK6Jcl6yg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Just select your city of interest in cell D5. Here's Torrance, the city that runs Torrance Transit and presided over its demise. Torrance is big mad at their 6th Cycle RHNA "quota" of 4,939 homes over the next ~8 year RHNA cycle. They have never been given such a high allocation before. <a href="https://scag.ca.gov/sites/main/files/file-attachments/5thcyclepfinalrhnaplan.pdf?1602185724">Their 5th Cycle allocation was 1,450,</a> and they didn't even meet that. <div><br /></div><div>I pulled the <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1GkwKKAvMxd_wq3yNxIoDldzXv7b7h5dq/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=107059636089398410683&rtpof=true&sd=true">details of a few cities and placed them at the top of this sheet</a>. <br /><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg7fYLMJPPf1HJ-gtLib3ltH39bLrryX9IB3kecc1fnD9c7plkZk2meXGfBuAiEyf68pB4V0Qh5mdW-pZiAzpevQnEKOzJ-cucw59p2oni1oD4jZkWHts7GgNQ1RYkUs6poWZyBlUkHz1Wggs8hPi1LqYkHt3gg0AAOjMj74FDu4vwzzdxDDg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="164" data-original-width="693" height="76" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg7fYLMJPPf1HJ-gtLib3ltH39bLrryX9IB3kecc1fnD9c7plkZk2meXGfBuAiEyf68pB4V0Qh5mdW-pZiAzpevQnEKOzJ-cucw59p2oni1oD4jZkWHts7GgNQ1RYkUs6poWZyBlUkHz1Wggs8hPi1LqYkHt3gg0AAOjMj74FDu4vwzzdxDDg" width="320" /></a></div><br />I paired Torrance with their neighbor, Gardena; and Redondo Beach with neighboring Lawndale. Notice how the smaller cities are given higher RHNA allocations than their larger and more affluent neighbors. They are assigned 2-3x as many homes per capita. <p></p><p>Is it because of job access? Look at the SCAG GIS map of Job Centers. Torrance is smack dab in the middle of one of the largest job centers in Southern California, with ~129,000 jobs. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjhB5Y68pSseF8wfRxLB24s2Z1Ncoun1tLt2r2ueXCCb8xUVxdkn-OvAtSmUYxno9lUF99ldlHztBKVV7emaXv7ZJ1ra2eGzNAUPDg0vFejWRDkDGwy-MbiPHyZpwJOi_TGrmCtX4Caoa66o4WRs7O-xA4parJEFbveNcuNxwqLmkUDV-g7Qg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1219" data-original-width="1445" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjhB5Y68pSseF8wfRxLB24s2Z1Ncoun1tLt2r2ueXCCb8xUVxdkn-OvAtSmUYxno9lUF99ldlHztBKVV7emaXv7ZJ1ra2eGzNAUPDg0vFejWRDkDGwy-MbiPHyZpwJOi_TGrmCtX4Caoa66o4WRs7O-xA4parJEFbveNcuNxwqLmkUDV-g7Qg" width="284" /></a></div><br />Let's look at the <a href="https://affh-data-resources-cahcd.hub.arcgis.com/">HCD Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) Data Viewer</a>, the <a href="https://www.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=4d43b384957d4366b09aeeae3c5a1f60">Jobs Proximity Index layer</a>. <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjFQJ17WR0m9jAXRXMYX-zH7UQ90wACxbdcne3Hek91n9bstLIytr-torx_2BAOlP49dRbiatahSlpgS9pzhz8K8rLd8iPLxHepLtENVGOFiAzRZhjGDWXex74lX5FJqRQE6wqZ5Ne2BWMfRNx7enPNHtW04ZIth1YP18Fv--1m1-gj05A4jg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1260" data-original-width="1383" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjFQJ17WR0m9jAXRXMYX-zH7UQ90wACxbdcne3Hek91n9bstLIytr-torx_2BAOlP49dRbiatahSlpgS9pzhz8K8rLd8iPLxHepLtENVGOFiAzRZhjGDWXex74lX5FJqRQE6wqZ5Ne2BWMfRNx7enPNHtW04ZIth1YP18Fv--1m1-gj05A4jg" width="263" /></a></div><br />Both loudly-complaining cities, Torrance and Redondo Beach, have more jobs and easier access to jobs than Gardena and Lawndale, hence they were assigned more homes in the Jobs column. <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgDwNbP1gR16MgUYXIbrisKZY8Cy5TzwdtinllnuT4YUZ1QZTzQYe_bVGQrxELGe7x6vth5wLKDRTzW5geC_IpiYsxmrlh1_CopFUhmFKcl-i_sAJiCj54unt2zdkZQWY4ON0Oie0BKypflUnruuoqdNk-PF73XoB_Ot36himaCh-xgKdX9Xg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="166" data-original-width="820" height="65" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgDwNbP1gR16MgUYXIbrisKZY8Cy5TzwdtinllnuT4YUZ1QZTzQYe_bVGQrxELGe7x6vth5wLKDRTzW5geC_IpiYsxmrlh1_CopFUhmFKcl-i_sAJiCj54unt2zdkZQWY4ON0Oie0BKypflUnruuoqdNk-PF73XoB_Ot36himaCh-xgKdX9Xg" width="320" /></a></div><p>What explains the big differences then? </p><p>Go back and look at the HQTA map. It's all based on <b><i>existing population</i></b> in the HQTAs within each jurisdiction. </p><p>The more people already living inside the existing HQTAs used in the planning formula, the higher their HQTA-based RHNA allocations. Most cities like jobs (with the possible exception of pre-pandemic San Francisco) so they don't play as many games with that. </p><p>Cities know that the way to finesse lower RHNA housing allocations is to minimize the areal coverage of HQTAs in your city, and then to minimize the number of people who live in the HQTAs. </p><p>This is how El Segundo, home to LAX and the 121,000 jobs in the LAX job center, </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgefkvU-kYcZPKH0uCjg4QRSH4fQMFPShR7_30ctAPPi5OBSYofbXGsq8YiIb21gsy-TaW2iXGe_M9XwsKCg93AYBrr53VzzuS3nJ5rUXGPHGtOORdMmmmL4eODMCXQuxzAk9lTGnNkM5G75cOjbxdgJFCkZn42ydxaY5E4gCcGIj_YmJC7Qg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="954" data-original-width="1285" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgefkvU-kYcZPKH0uCjg4QRSH4fQMFPShR7_30ctAPPi5OBSYofbXGsq8YiIb21gsy-TaW2iXGe_M9XwsKCg93AYBrr53VzzuS3nJ5rUXGPHGtOORdMmmmL4eODMCXQuxzAk9lTGnNkM5G75cOjbxdgJFCkZn42ydxaY5E4gCcGIj_YmJC7Qg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>and with 3 light rail stations inside of their cities and one just over the border at LAX, got allocated just 1 home due to HQTA. Yes, just 1 home! </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjI_DwArJm9dAMzTTl3iSzKFRyVEN_L64PTbCJ8NiUgONl1SewPzwnX0SFZRHYL0khKlxocqvCil0MMbRcI40sHD7vfh_4kCb25hM-URXr11a5UCNbUW5yThdGPFTq-_7aNl5bAN5c2HLglAeAxyIVdcIa4fLkX157IzcYptZGsNnvmLWxFkA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="184" data-original-width="660" height="89" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjI_DwArJm9dAMzTTl3iSzKFRyVEN_L64PTbCJ8NiUgONl1SewPzwnX0SFZRHYL0khKlxocqvCil0MMbRcI40sHD7vfh_4kCb25hM-URXr11a5UCNbUW5yThdGPFTq-_7aNl5bAN5c2HLglAeAxyIVdcIa4fLkX157IzcYptZGsNnvmLWxFkA" width="320" /></a></div><br />When El Segundo fought to avoid permitting homes east of PCH, this is the subtext. They gave up land to Hawthorne to avoid having homes in their jurisdiction near a rail station. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZTmKj7NMZ4BDvDjzb31BqMvrJYHDJHSaRi0xFWYuhrU9og08ViHn4O21JXnB0SaoYyXofplTPqLZ_AhMFdF09o2e_MwyFW2zeJHHGDBRyalS7W6SubwTjTjpc-LBwkS1kgtM0WKhrZcljxyWAPWxwSMtaB641COQbXKcZoc2uE7zFifPN8g/s1413/Screen%20Shot%202022-12-21%20at%2011.28.47.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="921" data-original-width="1413" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZTmKj7NMZ4BDvDjzb31BqMvrJYHDJHSaRi0xFWYuhrU9og08ViHn4O21JXnB0SaoYyXofplTPqLZ_AhMFdF09o2e_MwyFW2zeJHHGDBRyalS7W6SubwTjTjpc-LBwkS1kgtM0WKhrZcljxyWAPWxwSMtaB641COQbXKcZoc2uE7zFifPN8g/s320/Screen%20Shot%202022-12-21%20at%2011.28.47.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but South Bay seniors who want to live in wheelchair accessible home with viable public transit will have to move away. Transit sucks now and will not be added back if it will expand HQTA coverage area. No new homes will be built in HQTAs if local officials can stop it. </div><div><br /></div><div>(This is also why California enacted laws to preempt local officials to force them to permit home building in HQTAs.)</div><div><p></p><p>It's all connected to the decisions made by the people we elected and the incentives they operate under. When they talk about preserving the "neighborhood character" of your "unique community", and fighting "overbuilding" and "Sacramento overreach", they collect donations and win elections. </p><p>They don't tell you that they will never allow expansion of HQTAs within their jurisdictions if they can help it. This is a large part of the subtext of the fight over Metro C line extension routing. Your elected officials are fighting to ensure you don't get access to rail transit (which is harder to cancel/decrease than bus lines) so that they won't have to build housing. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhcx6oU54THzJvEzgQXKKyfIgEiyKGPG2fVwWghzhni9DQ7U7vNhqG68KWijJZ8N0PaYQLRYpHECHAAgrd2OLuuAFjsIg-BhOkcN_hX7nItYP7lbDm3NisqDhDGbXT2-irGWRyPCR67WCm-iv_9XedtIVb85U3kNNLyb1GAr8WNRZ49V_J6GA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1246" data-original-width="881" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhcx6oU54THzJvEzgQXKKyfIgEiyKGPG2fVwWghzhni9DQ7U7vNhqG68KWijJZ8N0PaYQLRYpHECHAAgrd2OLuuAFjsIg-BhOkcN_hX7nItYP7lbDm3NisqDhDGbXT2-irGWRyPCR67WCm-iv_9XedtIVb85U3kNNLyb1GAr8WNRZ49V_J6GA" width="170" /></a></div><br />They don't even want to build in existing HQTAs lest it expose them to higher RHNA allocations in future cycles. So instead, they talk about shadows and view sheds, impose high parking minimums. These all serve to reduce the number of homes that can be built and the number of people in the homes.<p></p><p>They don't tell you that the kind of low-density zoning they are protecting will only every yield townhomes with stairs, built on top of car garages. Low density zoning and height limits makes building accessible apartments with elevators prohibitively expensive to build. They hope developments don't "pencil out" (can't be built profitably), so that the developers go away. </p><p>What homes do get produced will be very expensive because they have to cover the parking and land. If you can build 2 stories of housing over 1 story of parking, they have to charge a lot more than if they built 4 stories of housing over the same parking structure on the same land. To maximize affordability, they could even stop requiring parking since seniors and the disabled are much less likely to drive or own cars anyway. Parking is another proxy war to suppress housing. </p><p>If you want to solve a problem. then you solve the problem. You don't spend decades screaming the problem doesn't exist. You don't enact ordinances that make the problem even worse. You don't sue people who point out that the problem exists. You don't defund researchers who collect data and evidence on the problem. </p><p>This applies to climate change and our regional housing crisis. </p><p>Enough, tonight. I just want to point out that it's all related. </p><p>Enjoy the Metro C Line (Green) Extension to Torrance Project Simulation Video. Think about how you want to live as you or your parents age out of driving. Think about where you want your children and grandchildren to live as the planet gets hotter and hotter. Do you want them on the cooler coast with you? Then make room for them. </p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lfT9UoDv6OY" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div>I know that I will fight for a light rail route that is closer to my home. And I will also fight for a 7th Cycle RHNA allocation that can't be gamed by climate arsonists. </div><div><br /></div><div>Even if we get a higher RHNA allocation based on light rail routing, California law gives us local control about where we place that home growth. We can and should spread it out, particularly as our area ages. The medical industry jobs in Torrance keep growing, and South Redondo Beach is very close to those jobs. </div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Aside:</h4><div>Coastal Los Angeles Communities are facing a <a href="https://generations.asaging.org/silver-tsunami-older-adults-demographics-aging">Silver Tsunami</a> of aging residents and a dearth of younger families. Housing is so expensive, our children move far away. (A few may live with us.) The SCAG RHNA formula projects future housing needs based on demographics of existing residents. If you have few current residents of child-bearing age, then you won't have many births or future residents to house. </div><div><br /></div><div>Since we have moved homes affordable for young, families so far into the inland deserts, they were assigned higher RHNA allocations than older communities along the coast. I included the data for Coachella in my comparison table. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEioGCts8Y0xEJMXwAZ6LgpXN9d7u6cwdkTW-zm37oY8SMMfqKuqLo9wsPuVW8u-MqrMkpejE35UkFlgN4BxMfOZXCRiK2gbjFClU8XwA8OorpoLCrOqZ-DE3RZILKKQzs06nX5jhQESbATXIEkqOP4tETPj_30nBntVrT2o3pYae8piVH2Jqw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="230" data-original-width="914" height="81" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEioGCts8Y0xEJMXwAZ6LgpXN9d7u6cwdkTW-zm37oY8SMMfqKuqLo9wsPuVW8u-MqrMkpejE35UkFlgN4BxMfOZXCRiK2gbjFClU8XwA8OorpoLCrOqZ-DE3RZILKKQzs06nX5jhQESbATXIEkqOP4tETPj_30nBntVrT2o3pYae8piVH2Jqw" width="320" /></a></div><br />Coachella has 14,277 Households in 2020, while Culver City has 17,146. Yet, Household Growth in Coachella is projected to be 5,794 while Culver City's is only 296. That's a 20-fold difference! </div><div><br /></div><div>If you push young people out of your city, you will be assigned lower RHNA numbers. But then, who will help you change your senior diapers? How often will you see your children and grandchildren?</div><div><br /></div><div>Anyway, stop fixating on "winning" a game of foisting housing elsewhere. Plan for a better future for yourself by planning for a more inclusive future in your community. </div><div><br /></div>badmomgoodmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11569728075698885020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15350975.post-17636494089977883552022-12-08T19:58:00.007-08:002023-05-10T20:54:00.898-07:00Your child's low income teacher<p>I hear so much vitriol spewed against building low income housing, predicting all sorts of negative outcomes. Crime! Blight! Traffic! Ghettoization! Gentrification! </p><p>Your children's teachers are listening. I've been advised to use color pictures to spice up the tables of data. So I pulled this photo off the website of <a href="https://washington.rbusd.org/">Washington Elementary School</a>, the ES with the highest concentration of Title I students in RBUSD. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgFpGNYySrtflMRPGgzsfm-ZZWIu4fZ3C6fw6bdVdvNOmLxnLJkFXadabb5rwaytvn6THeTX8JLtG4chFOJlT1ZzEHT4cdruZP6WMJZAB-g-1Sy-V98z03aKW3QAmiHM5HlFZhAfgqDLO7bSHkKRh6Gd1AFJ7o0xcJIV7jL50lYIp1jPACDYg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1850" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgFpGNYySrtflMRPGgzsfm-ZZWIu4fZ3C6fw6bdVdvNOmLxnLJkFXadabb5rwaytvn6THeTX8JLtG4chFOJlT1ZzEHT4cdruZP6WMJZAB-g-1Sy-V98z03aKW3QAmiHM5HlFZhAfgqDLO7bSHkKRh6Gd1AFJ7o0xcJIV7jL50lYIp1jPACDYg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://arch.gseis.ucla.edu/directory/john-rogers/">UCLA Professor John Rogers</a> told the League of Women Voters of Los Angeles County at one of our meetings that the 10th percentile (in earnings) public school teacher in California needs to pay an astronomical portion of their income in rent if they wanted to live in a 1 bedroom apartment in the county where they teach. <p></p><p>Insert horror face emoji. </p><p>I looked up some statistics for Los Angeles and Redondo Beach and he is horrifyingly correct. </p><p><a href="https://arch.gseis.ucla.edu/directory/john-rogers/">My school district's budget page</a> contains the <a href="https://4.files.edl.io/7503/06/24/22/000348-e6b91bdc-23c6-438d-9661-02a8f0531c3d.pdf">most recent budget for 2022-2023</a>. </p><p>Here's their list of certificated teachers (doesn't include non-certified teachers' aides). There are 463.8 Full-time Equivalent certificated teachers. Some work part-time schedules. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj9wYvr2yE_JVngyM8sb4VBhq1nxXHNxXS1UJ3VCxVQQ1mnJ_L5UR69aAhbUPrbJea1z4Ff4aNmr1wA2sS5u0whoGcKL5J3nUM9Jk8sIvwa7VPMCg0uwVXJJcUhytUHgOIASlZGR1oDS5PuMwzh0xqmuj-sNM-8z0MTuAgX4F2iNcaCYJCXYA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="686" data-original-width="649" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj9wYvr2yE_JVngyM8sb4VBhq1nxXHNxXS1UJ3VCxVQQ1mnJ_L5UR69aAhbUPrbJea1z4Ff4aNmr1wA2sS5u0whoGcKL5J3nUM9Jk8sIvwa7VPMCg0uwVXJJcUhytUHgOIASlZGR1oDS5PuMwzh0xqmuj-sNM-8z0MTuAgX4F2iNcaCYJCXYA" width="227" /></a></div><br />Here's the salary schedule for each classification and step (years of experience). The 10th percentile teacher is an early career elementary school teacher, earning in the low $60,000s, possibly still paying off student loans for a bachelors plus 1 year of grad school. <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiSrgpS7T6jVawGbJoTvmnF9PemaqhGvHdenW_Gc-NyBAkINKkRH_ofHwqFCbgVNfO92AAvvCm_q7ve23BaRc-lGxLjs4ooYBxD3en2lmcieqBBfRj-Irr_cAAMOqZvLSncP6wuBQN8BymQUfEcomK_wGimdWX7Yms3DGR6f0YWxcOqrasP8Q" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="561" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiSrgpS7T6jVawGbJoTvmnF9PemaqhGvHdenW_Gc-NyBAkINKkRH_ofHwqFCbgVNfO92AAvvCm_q7ve23BaRc-lGxLjs4ooYBxD3en2lmcieqBBfRj-Irr_cAAMOqZvLSncP6wuBQN8BymQUfEcomK_wGimdWX7Yms3DGR6f0YWxcOqrasP8Q" width="214" /></a></div>That sounds like a pretty good salary, right? Consider the <a href="https://www.hcd.ca.gov/docs/grants-and-funding/inc2k22.pdf">2022 HUD Income Limits for California</a>. Scroll down to Los Angeles County. Each column represents limits for # of people in the household. So a single teacher would be in column 1, and fit in the low income category (below $66,750).<div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhzZimq01vza_g2E4l7YrnqyMUvQQbLiqyOHsDR6gzebLPMux7IiF4zR4r5WVqtO_AMG8lJIeJvCxPeF3pEet1z7cyB-xHho7kq7OHHU3MLEl2ltCT1K7BZNSgB9r9wFX3luDDl0pTlZKsIVKHvserelEN-oK7acHSQefKPtcpPGmfBRztGfQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="144" data-original-width="870" height="53" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhzZimq01vza_g2E4l7YrnqyMUvQQbLiqyOHsDR6gzebLPMux7IiF4zR4r5WVqtO_AMG8lJIeJvCxPeF3pEet1z7cyB-xHho7kq7OHHU3MLEl2ltCT1K7BZNSgB9r9wFX3luDDl0pTlZKsIVKHvserelEN-oK7acHSQefKPtcpPGmfBRztGfQ" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><b>That young, energetic teacher that your child loves so much? They are the very people you are excluding when you block low income housing.</b> </p><p>Qualifying for low income housing is much easier than securing it. </p><p>Consider that <a href="https://www.redondo.org/depts/recreation/housing/general_information.asp">Redondo Beach's Section 8 program</a> has 4,260 people on the wait list as of September 2022. It was last opened to the public (briefly) in 2015. (7 years ago!)</p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>441 households enrolled in the city’s Section 8 program</li><li>117 families</li><li>324 seniors/disabled </li></ul><p>In the quarterly briefing</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>6 people got new contracts for housing+vouchers</li><li>4 people were permanently off the program (died, moved away, earned too much)</li><li>119 households signed contract renewals</li></ul><p></p><p>Demand for housing assistance is so high, RB's Section 8 program is limited to only Very Low Incomes (below $41,700); Low Income households like teachers do not qualify. </p><p>Some private landlords of new properties have to set aside a certain number of homes at Below Market Rate (BMR) in a negotiation with cities referred to as <a href="https://badmomgoodmom.blogspot.com/2022/03/how-mixed-income-cross-subidies-work.html">Mixed-Income Cross Subsidies</a> (typically 10-20% set aside as BMR). They typically also prioritize public sector employees working in the city. That's helpful for attracting and retaining teachers who have a choice of school districts to work in. </p><p>You have to build homes in order to have BMR units. Because Redondo Beach builds so few homes, and approves almost exclusively townhomes (no apartment buildings), they have produced a total of 2 subsidized units in the last decade according to one study I read. </p><p>That leaves Redondo Beach school teachers--and most workers--out in the open market. </p><p>Someone earning $60,000/yr can afford 30% for rent, about $1,500/month. </p><p>Rentcafe.com says that there are no apartments for rent in RB below $1,501/mo. Only 5% of them are below $2,000/mo. The average apartment is 825 sq ft and rents for $2,939. </p><p>HUD publishes <a href="https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr/fmrs/FY2023_code/2023summary_sa.odn">Small Area Fair Market Rents by zip code for Los Angeles County</a>. They are set to approximate a 40th percentile rent in a zip code--typically older, no-frills housing. The High School is in 90277, but inland 90278 is slightly cheaper. The columns are for studios, 1, 2, 3 & 4 bedroom homes. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjhEmt973EDb4C2jFgT2nhe-nU3uWogjwqVAN2HlIBZGe2zAuuAQ87YNZYmT61_ZDYKf8I0MFalknMHENga8LCxm4qQEOyQVZC3kpeOxYSNOHoGdXdqoPSAZHcU1VBYdS-nLqdCJeDqJ8043FCwbrzhFQ98qOWvdlaZU75E6LmwoF0NBUjvWg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="68" data-original-width="722" height="30" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjhEmt973EDb4C2jFgT2nhe-nU3uWogjwqVAN2HlIBZGe2zAuuAQ87YNZYmT61_ZDYKf8I0MFalknMHENga8LCxm4qQEOyQVZC3kpeOxYSNOHoGdXdqoPSAZHcU1VBYdS-nLqdCJeDqJ8043FCwbrzhFQ98qOWvdlaZU75E6LmwoF0NBUjvWg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>If our benchmark young elementary school teacher rented a studio in 90278, they would pay 39% of their gross $5,000/mo salary to rent a shabby studio for $1,940/mo--if they could find one. They would then join the ~80% of Los Angeles County renters that are rent-burdened, spending more than 30% of their income on rent. </div><div><br /></div><div>If they didn't want to be rent-burdened, say if they also need to eat after paying off student loans, they could get a studio apartment in Inglewood, or a 1 bedroom apartment in Lennox. But, then, they would need to get a car and factor in car payments, gas, insurance and maintenance. Those costs could easily run $500-$750/month, so teachers might be better off with a more expensive apartment near work that they can bike to. <br /><p></p><p>Teachers are very smart. They are listening. They are trained to process, analyze, and interpret information. What take-away message do you want them to hear? </p><p>Do you want to be like <a href="https://www.ktvu.com/news/a-small-daly-city-school-district-provides-affordable-rent">Daly City, which built an apartment complex that can house 25% of their school district's staff</a>? </p><p>Or do you want to be like <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/bayarea/heatherknight/article/S-F-and-Daly-City-embarked-on-teacher-housing-17250359.php">San Francisco, who started planning at the same time, and is still debating equity</a> while Daly City teachers have already moved into new homes?</p><p><b>Addendum 16 Dec 2022</b></p><p>Young school teachers are likely to be in an<a href="https://studentaid.gov/articles/teacher-loan-forgiveness-options/"> income-based student loan repayment program</a> that caps their student loan payments at 10% of their discretionary income. </p></div>badmomgoodmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11569728075698885020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15350975.post-27393045190302392872022-12-08T15:35:00.011-08:002023-10-05T13:37:44.071-07:00Urban trees and the zombie carbon sequestration myth<p>Last summer, my city passed a <a href="https://easyreadernews.com/15000-fine-proposed-for-redondo-beach-homeowners-taking-out-a-tree/">tree protection ordinance that fines people for removing trees--even those on private property in side or back yards</a> (where they don't shade public sidewalks or road asphalt). It was sent for legal review and will come back on December 20, 2022 for final passage. </p><p>I'm not a lawyer, but I will say as a scientist that it is claptrap. </p><p>So much nonsense was spewed that would fly under the radar of people not in the trenches of housing policy. I suspect that using the need for street trees to push through a more expansive policy is designed to make infill housing (eg <a href="https://abag.ca.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2021-12/Senate_Bill_9_SB_9_Overview.pdf">ADUs*enabled by SB 9</a>) harder or more prohibitively expensive to build. </p><p><i>But, I want to push back on the pernicious myth that carbon sequestration through urban trees is better than building infill housing. </i></p><p><b>Let's do the math!</b></p><p>A mature urban tree can absorb about 20 kg of CO2 per year. <a href="https://climate.mit.edu/ask-mit/how-many-new-trees-would-we-need-offset-our-carbon-emissions">MIT Climate Issues rounded that to about 50 pounds</a>. (Click through to read how they debunk some of the 'nature-based solutions' talking points.)</p><p>The EPA, US Environmental Protection Agency, reports that the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/greenvehicles/greenhouse-gas-emissions-typical-passenger-vehicle">Greenhouse Gas Emissions from a Typical Passenger Vehicle</a> is 8,887 grams CO2/gallon or 404 grams CO2/mile using the US passenger car fleet average. </p><p>The largest employers in my city are Northrop Grumman (next to a light rail station) and our local school district (dispersed around the city, not served well by transit). Since school teachers cannot afford the <a href="https://www.redfin.com/city/15507/CA/Redondo-Beach/housing-market">median house price of $1,587,500</a> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhu0WpZn9f6lWPZmd6Qo9FhT-boQPNf-UPGJlKzwAjGKN2bI1ci9K2SEv8Fa-1znZvM-pPxIeZ2ZDHofFHB-Y7jfRcbPcLSDFv7a0bUCKSKxOQB1so8awHssKC5fRGnzl_tTbTObjrBYjmciJyuGCqfzBwyGKbWmC7mu3XTUdssF7YPOwTKGw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="1248" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhu0WpZn9f6lWPZmd6Qo9FhT-boQPNf-UPGJlKzwAjGKN2bI1ci9K2SEv8Fa-1znZvM-pPxIeZ2ZDHofFHB-Y7jfRcbPcLSDFv7a0bUCKSKxOQB1so8awHssKC5fRGnzl_tTbTObjrBYjmciJyuGCqfzBwyGKbWmC7mu3XTUdssF7YPOwTKGw" width="320" /></a></div>or even the median condo price of $1,007,000<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjPjwrJWP-UZp59jlGSA5vmpZiwrDzSsrRBLl6sYZa7yVmGOT_tUx7XiJKgJYVsy4YGGnLps4piLPR9UJxgiZM7_GLsR98PHU_4_c0fu4L-Se-JJULKT9_asANzQ9cL0RO4XVndKU9yT4ESabfALU4DzTW-i-Gr4kdl4pOl4jsTIXsGQ1Qi6Q" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1239" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjPjwrJWP-UZp59jlGSA5vmpZiwrDzSsrRBLl6sYZa7yVmGOT_tUx7XiJKgJYVsy4YGGnLps4piLPR9UJxgiZM7_GLsR98PHU_4_c0fu4L-Se-JJULKT9_asANzQ9cL0RO4XVndKU9yT4ESabfALU4DzTW-i-Gr4kdl4pOl4jsTIXsGQ1Qi6Q" width="320" /></a></div><br />teachers drive in from elsewhere. The only places in LA County actively building new apartments and condos in substantial numbers is Downtown LA (DTLA) or Old Town Pasadena. <div><br /></div><div>If they want to buy an older single family home, <a href="https://www.redfin.com/CA/Whittier/9658-Calmada-Ave-90605/home/7821168">like this one that sold yesterday in Whittier</a> for $630,000, they also face a long commute. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_PUByZH6BFVWF63FFnShJgiyOpmOs0W08C8fx5rKva8_Qbw9akF5e4HAHH27sGKTXgBQX7aHOwqTfKpb8G2o2a-pHlUrHWwFbkbpWs01V8Hwj3Bgj9tfWSCEkU0scuov-TsYccxCB-3b8fbssDe_yB1bx3qKMMN8wz_LT5JzYaRqJGNpTOQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="777" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_PUByZH6BFVWF63FFnShJgiyOpmOs0W08C8fx5rKva8_Qbw9akF5e4HAHH27sGKTXgBQX7aHOwqTfKpb8G2o2a-pHlUrHWwFbkbpWs01V8Hwj3Bgj9tfWSCEkU0scuov-TsYccxCB-3b8fbssDe_yB1bx3qKMMN8wz_LT5JzYaRqJGNpTOQ" width="240" /></a></div><br />The Whittier house is 27-29 miles to Redondo Union High School depending on the route. Old Town Pasadena is 30 miles each way. <p></p><p>A round-trip commute for just one of the hundreds of teachers in our city that cannot afford to live here is about 60 miles/school day. </p><p>60 mi/day * 404 g/mi = 24,240 g/day = 24.24 kg/day</p><p>It would take a mature tree more than a year to sequester the carbon emissions of just one day's commute for a teacher commuting in from where they can find housing that they can afford. </p><p>I looked up more data. </p><p>California requires 180 school days/year. There are a few additional teacher prep and in-service education days, but let's use the lower 180 number. </p><p>I looked up <a href="https://4.files.edl.io/7503/06/24/22/000348-e6b91bdc-23c6-438d-9661-02a8f0531c3d.pdf">the RBUSD budget</a> and see that there are 463.80 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) teachers in the district. </p><p>24.24 kg/day * 180 days * 463.8 teachers = 2,023,652 kg/year </p><p><b>That would require 100,000 trees just for in-bound commuting teachers</b></p><p>That's just a few hundred of the <a href="https://scag.ca.gov/sites/main/files/file-attachments/redondobeach_localprofile.pdf?1606011195">25,000+ jobs in Redondo Beach according to the research arm of Southern California Association of Governments</a> (our regional housing and transportation governing body). </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhYptIHR-YMTk-cR2WNS2becmU0AxMwH14oxYFgIqq_mTTtkWE9DbrDE2grD92YsFnd7QpCxkoYA5GhitTpDN_KDHaP-zyTEU0W9TJc2K0EvVxxbuZ7gqLt1LlY9lAWYUjt6Unvr79aJzNVgREK_B_xfLoRSK5ABh-GpIQu7_sXDxALyZ0a9A" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1004" data-original-width="728" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhYptIHR-YMTk-cR2WNS2becmU0AxMwH14oxYFgIqq_mTTtkWE9DbrDE2grD92YsFnd7QpCxkoYA5GhitTpDN_KDHaP-zyTEU0W9TJc2K0EvVxxbuZ7gqLt1LlY9lAWYUjt6Unvr79aJzNVgREK_B_xfLoRSK5ABh-GpIQu7_sXDxALyZ0a9A" width="174" /></a></div><br />I can't ensure that all infill homes will go to teachers in the community. </div><div><br /></div><div>I do know that teachers have to live somewhere, so they need homes. It would be great if they could live close enough to participate outside of school in the communities where they teach, and if they didn't need to drive a car to work.<p></p><p>The benefits of workforce housing:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Planet (fewer climate-wrecking CO2 emission)</li><li>Community (the teacher can be more present)</li><li>Public health (fewer car miles = less air/water pollution)</li><li>Teacher health (long driving commutes have well-documented detrimental health impacts)</li></ul><p></p><p>Now substitute teacher for any other job in our city. This includes store clerks and caregivers to the elderly or young children that make just above minimum wage. They take care of us. We need to take care of them. We won't be able to build enough ADUs to fill the need. But, we can build enough apartments and condos, in a thoughtful way, to reduce the need for climate-destroying and space-gobbling automobiles. </p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Asides: </b></h3><p>ADU = Accessory Dwelling Units or Granny Flats or In-Laws' units. ADUs generate a little extra density in single-family neighborhoods, create homes without generating much external impact. In fact, when used to house caregivers or those needing care, or local essential workers, they reduce car traffic or Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) overall.</p><div><p>Keeping low-density existing homes is NOT better than replacing them with higher density housing, even accounting for embodied carbon. But, I'll cover that myth in another post. </p><p>I hear lots of chatter about preserving or increasing urban tree canopy in order to combat the urban heat island effect. That's a good idea. I'm all for trees. In fact, we bid aggressively on both our home purchases because they had more trees compared to other homes in our budget/area. More on that later. </p><p>Redondo Beach has no native trees. <a href="https://www.urbanwildlands.org/Resources/prairieposter.pdf">It was a coastal prairie according to UCLA's Urban Wildlands Group</a> (Dept of Geography). I'm stuck wondering what proponents are calling "Heritage Trees". </p><p><br /></p></div></div>badmomgoodmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11569728075698885020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15350975.post-3484498630378954122022-09-18T21:16:00.005-07:002022-09-19T10:38:50.074-07:00Engineering Disinvestment<p>You can engineer disinvestment in communities with weaponized zoning. Let me show you how it was done in my community. </p><p><a href="https://redondobeachgis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/PublicInformation/index.html?appid=56b9e46bf9014bf08684b8e53a4658cb">Behold, the Redondo Beach Zoning Map</a></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEicnk6GlNKVmxCtalGznxHseqN4jCDgsLhcYAygcKPPs45XdWiQ03xznQ-2snq8zh2ISSpgbMw4hcdK4-YMPi8NuFAnSQ_0xbiX5C_17ZaFsPdw1W_pOm8rb1oaLkaGSzQhCSXM0bc2LOxJfttPkXhYnH8slLZdFI6tBf12RXH8OVCA_P8cwA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="681" data-original-width="471" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEicnk6GlNKVmxCtalGznxHseqN4jCDgsLhcYAygcKPPs45XdWiQ03xznQ-2snq8zh2ISSpgbMw4hcdK4-YMPi8NuFAnSQ_0xbiX5C_17ZaFsPdw1W_pOm8rb1oaLkaGSzQhCSXM0bc2LOxJfttPkXhYnH8slLZdFI6tBf12RXH8OVCA_P8cwA" width="166" /></a></div><br />Let me zoom in on two sections, South Pacific Coast Highway 1, and Artesia Boulevard. According to the City's own <a href="https://www.redondo.org/depts/public_works/engineering/traffic_engineering/traffic_volumes.asp">Traffic Volumes Study</a>, they get roughly the same traffic volumes, 29,000-39,000 vehicles/day (dark green). I verified it on the <a href="https://dot.ca.gov/programs/traffic-operations/census">Caltrans Traffic Census Program website</a>. PCH at Palos Verdes Blvd gets 30,000-33,000 vehicles/day while PCH/Torrance Blvd gets ~40,000 vehicles/day (blue). <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgx68zJiVGJpD6d_WPBcLmgoFET0y2CV0m3NfmgXAWhk5zX6E2IpBxOHv2JMpqsvYsO-NyVsqYwZxlpcFpDYd8HD5nWFKhRdoEfL6hZWwthpUa-v9uyM_tbc2e6GBLx-UUxOngCVe-81lwtZxlKfsjQVk6ifOPI14-ig97U7iSJXoG5kA93DA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="733" data-original-width="519" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgx68zJiVGJpD6d_WPBcLmgoFET0y2CV0m3NfmgXAWhk5zX6E2IpBxOHv2JMpqsvYsO-NyVsqYwZxlpcFpDYd8HD5nWFKhRdoEfL6hZWwthpUa-v9uyM_tbc2e6GBLx-UUxOngCVe-81lwtZxlKfsjQVk6ifOPI14-ig97U7iSJXoG5kA93DA" width="170" /></a></div><br />Artesia Blvd used to be CA 91 but the cities assumed control, so their traffic volumes are no longer measured and reported by Caltrans. I looked up a bunch of traffic studies on the Torrance, Lawndale and Redondo Beach websites and it looks like the RB section of Artesia gets about 35,000-40,000 vehicles/day. <p></p><p>Let's take a closer look at the zoning map in these two areas. </p><p>South PCH has large areas of Single Family Home R-1 zoning. It's low density by design. Yet, the commercial and mixed use areas along PCH from Avenue A to Prospect are all C-2-PD, C-4A, MU-3A. PD stands for Pedestrian-Oriented. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjAMd1S0cPgEqqh2PNevxhvp-aQvl9KRXgvX94xu9UrtXjqQKHpAkkKoJ6w_3_i6-nyv_-EAoOh1Z08CobLHvfkW7dnDVPK7qAmrVgRfzGF1MGr0EXgsuwWNow_ge8sr1LxVJqGmhzqEoXnjjs-NR6HiHm5taTH1bs3K9c4WIB1gRzOqLBCdw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1337" data-original-width="1104" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjAMd1S0cPgEqqh2PNevxhvp-aQvl9KRXgvX94xu9UrtXjqQKHpAkkKoJ6w_3_i6-nyv_-EAoOh1Z08CobLHvfkW7dnDVPK7qAmrVgRfzGF1MGr0EXgsuwWNow_ge8sr1LxVJqGmhzqEoXnjjs-NR6HiHm5taTH1bs3K9c4WIB1gRzOqLBCdw" width="198" /></a></div><br />Along the Artesia Corridor, the residential zoning is R3 or R2, 2-3x as dense as along PCH. Yet, the commercial and mixed use areas along Artesia Blvd are zoned mainly for lower-intensity MU-1 and C-2, with 3 blocks zoned at C-2-PD. <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhw1PkSPrqhmM10OPLVQZBnShJ55RVV9f3D1wkR5uDsA-_RCpcTHs2f9k-tuFdV0_BbYLr3Kxqm9qeO6Vl0Udkci7oYIQczE_CnW_j3FUVBrWA1W2nuAS0Y9oT8SQRwPwVahYbblfZauJ00aIiBgYMd-ctS2NR0XHK08WaF9ads8tN8Oz1yow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="889" data-original-width="1377" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhw1PkSPrqhmM10OPLVQZBnShJ55RVV9f3D1wkR5uDsA-_RCpcTHs2f9k-tuFdV0_BbYLr3Kxqm9qeO6Vl0Udkci7oYIQczE_CnW_j3FUVBrWA1W2nuAS0Y9oT8SQRwPwVahYbblfZauJ00aIiBgYMd-ctS2NR0XHK08WaF9ads8tN8Oz1yow" width="320" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://library.qcode.us/lib/redondo_beach_ca/pub/municipal_code/item/title_10-chapter_2-article_5-10_2_1706">Redondo Beach Ordinance 10-2.1706: Commercial, industrial, and other nonresidential parking standards.</a><div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiw-xYLXGoAtBT7GJAwl_liMNEtixBpPssCisbIDSlOwRHVKiFhbXftX0hpUdoUSU_uxRVdWlyWpsm8bBsMyMB9He7WSGLag0hNl70ZsdML8gA3l1LBPak36Mf-sBk6N45UoVplPS5n_OA_uqZriE2i0OmSh83cq2_hORgvoNWHffuUUGtdhw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="284" data-original-width="925" height="98" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiw-xYLXGoAtBT7GJAwl_liMNEtixBpPssCisbIDSlOwRHVKiFhbXftX0hpUdoUSU_uxRVdWlyWpsm8bBsMyMB9He7WSGLag0hNl70ZsdML8gA3l1LBPak36Mf-sBk6N45UoVplPS5n_OA_uqZriE2i0OmSh83cq2_hORgvoNWHffuUUGtdhw" width="320" /></a></div><br />This zoning has a major impact on how the land is developed and how much the land is worth. Take a look at the parking minimums. A restaurant in C-2 needs one parking stall per 50 sf of dining space, including aisles or one space per 4 seats. A restaurant in C-2-PD only needs 20% as much parking, or one space per 250 sf of dining space. </div><div><p></p><p>This guarantees vast moats of parking lots, and no new sit-down restaurants can be permitted. Look at the west end of the RB Artesia Corridor. The only restaurants are take-out or drive-through (blue boxes). Even the coffee shops, Starbucks and Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf must be drive-through. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi9tLobVz489ogg907qmheHX7iDJNrazTZkqO4MR2FhpkLgPk7wh2aily_V6eQko114iQ2k0LAgalK4TYIVFx9nvJs249s4K70gyQnrUj5jKPULSh0U3zxLZ4er5flzVASpOfwF_KTM909SVXb0mnF3Wntt6ImLl-Nllyl0ectXTooSDM-24w" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1149" data-original-width="2506" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi9tLobVz489ogg907qmheHX7iDJNrazTZkqO4MR2FhpkLgPk7wh2aily_V6eQko114iQ2k0LAgalK4TYIVFx9nvJs249s4K70gyQnrUj5jKPULSh0U3zxLZ4er5flzVASpOfwF_KTM909SVXb0mnF3Wntt6ImLl-Nllyl0ectXTooSDM-24w" width="320" /></a></div><p>Needless to say, walking through this area is dreary and hot, with all that asphalt. There is one sit-down restaurant, Las Brisas, that predates the parking ordinance and is allowed to operate. However, should they want to sell the place, and the new owner wants to remodel, they will be subject to the current rules. </p><p><a href="https://www.redondo.org/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?BlobID=39040">According to the city's own 2019 study</a> (Appendix A), existing uses along Artesia only have half as much off-street parking as is currently required. Yet, only 0-95% of that is used at peak times (except at 2 small parcels, where people park on the street or in adjacent lots). Here's the parking census at peak times. See all that green? That's 0-40% utilizations <b><i>at peak</i></b>. The rest of that time, the asphalt is mostly empty. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEilJzCvq_aXP_sRabreabnVs3w7POPNee86sr70OJC_TnXJEY_ZJfLqAEVVq8LSFH-lvWQI0JriJjsD-ZrZhGHrw6s84b8cZ3leSHZjN1H2XNNFEGbItxN3elFGf7Or-_y0lsCt_fOa-MKke6KQ8yPRRJKG4_iK_E1dw34zVZVl2y9SNJpETQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="894" data-original-width="1155" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEilJzCvq_aXP_sRabreabnVs3w7POPNee86sr70OJC_TnXJEY_ZJfLqAEVVq8LSFH-lvWQI0JriJjsD-ZrZhGHrw6s84b8cZ3leSHZjN1H2XNNFEGbItxN3elFGf7Or-_y0lsCt_fOa-MKke6KQ8yPRRJKG4_iK_E1dw34zVZVl2y9SNJpETQ" width="310" /></a></div>Donald Shoup explained in <a href="http://shoup.bol.ucla.edu/PrefaceHighCostFreeParking.pdf">The High Price of Free Parking</a> that 85% parking utilization is optimal for attracting customers in cars. Above that, people don't bother to drive there. Below that, they can confidently go with the expectation that they will find parking nearby. <p></p><p>It gets worse. A <a href="https://southbaycities.org/sites/default/files/documents/Sustainable%20South%20Bay%20Strategy.09.08.09_0.pdf">2009 South Bay Sustainability Report</a> showed that Artesia gets 67.4% of their visitors from within half a mile (walking distance) of the corridor while Riviera Village (South PCH area) gets only 31.7%. Artesia gets another 6.5% between 0.5 and 2.0 miles (bicycling distance) while South PCH gets none, 0%. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhg_GEf6jepefS1IYXdn-0vjgHZkJCP0iC2ctw_wF2hQgZFQ5beM9QV-2RwHObiTqDUG5cJeq2qPxGCwjQ-ZSHBJV_cacQY3gPBEKaMP8rKpNNAQ8OJaKZZ38cCV0VhRDQpbHltjLcMXazCjOjSBmLv4hCcNZIBQQl2n7_vufZUrui-2gZG6w" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="511" data-original-width="604" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhg_GEf6jepefS1IYXdn-0vjgHZkJCP0iC2ctw_wF2hQgZFQ5beM9QV-2RwHObiTqDUG5cJeq2qPxGCwjQ-ZSHBJV_cacQY3gPBEKaMP8rKpNNAQ8OJaKZZ38cCV0VhRDQpbHltjLcMXazCjOjSBmLv4hCcNZIBQQl2n7_vufZUrui-2gZG6w" width="284" /></a></div>Here's a map of the 1/4 and 1/2 mile study area. <br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgeAYTp56c3tYCGLCyKbRkJTlSDlJ0WmZ0iFQRqvTXrJnRgDsMCusCNKGM_tyrqmRV5sOqgLdyscKZUCz0zlZPb33lM8sg2c4Wm46TGfo2Yq79jwvfq4lPOeLKxGaQi-n_7k4c_lmOvliQIREadYvUVWQr3F8OIjoxEN9PEi0apEBYUL-OM7Q" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1021" data-original-width="933" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgeAYTp56c3tYCGLCyKbRkJTlSDlJ0WmZ0iFQRqvTXrJnRgDsMCusCNKGM_tyrqmRV5sOqgLdyscKZUCz0zlZPb33lM8sg2c4Wm46TGfo2Yq79jwvfq4lPOeLKxGaQi-n_7k4c_lmOvliQIREadYvUVWQr3F8OIjoxEN9PEi0apEBYUL-OM7Q" width="219" /></a></div>The Artesia Corridor leads the South Bay in percentage of dollar sales that come from people who live within walking distance, 38.5%. Riviera Village in South RB only gets 13.3%. <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj_Xn9MQXf6GprLRa19FwqFFwJixZ4Bx7jmVsWcKqAcpy5HLnAoajllX9HPfMHpjrd3x_bgFGzWF_M70yLDg0ohEI7LRWGsKb4IDeqsVmJkP6ec8ErGtNPMnUUadYtf7WkiFJIO3O3dZVA0H1syefs7-Z0OLk5kyE6FIstjFKyBzo-ONUbQNg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="205" data-original-width="384" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj_Xn9MQXf6GprLRa19FwqFFwJixZ4Bx7jmVsWcKqAcpy5HLnAoajllX9HPfMHpjrd3x_bgFGzWF_M70yLDg0ohEI7LRWGsKb4IDeqsVmJkP6ec8ErGtNPMnUUadYtf7WkiFJIO3O3dZVA0H1syefs7-Z0OLk5kyE6FIstjFKyBzo-ONUbQNg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>That was 2009. What's changed since then? Well, infill of R1 to R2 or R3 townhomes is nearly complete. The Artesia Corridor residential density is now 17,000 people/square mile, 2-3x denser than the R1 zoned areas of South RB. While SRB has the main library and post office, the smaller NRB branch libraries and post office are highly utilized. So are the grocery stores and pharmacies. In fact the <a href="https://www.walkscore.com/score/2001-artesia-blvd-redondo-beach-ca-90278">Walk Score of this NRB mixed use development</a> is 86/100, Bike Score 64/100. </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjFy-kp5BMGiQDvAhif6SWPPjqi_ZuIAThqpWCpw3CEyS3BJLRb1AI23hls-pzbBwZu0q81YMVpy_n0jF9yfxJdQ39hElYpvaVAPZt_kE72gYWIxz2c8ODvXFiUwsZ38EBAMUPF0XNLPPLrMSbzjnPphBvkedg1lEmlC3lN975bDe3wTylKqg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="371" data-original-width="638" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjFy-kp5BMGiQDvAhif6SWPPjqi_ZuIAThqpWCpw3CEyS3BJLRb1AI23hls-pzbBwZu0q81YMVpy_n0jF9yfxJdQ39hElYpvaVAPZt_kE72gYWIxz2c8ODvXFiUwsZ38EBAMUPF0XNLPPLrMSbzjnPphBvkedg1lEmlC3lN975bDe3wTylKqg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Meanwhile, this "Pedestrian Oriented" stretch of South PCH in SRB has <a href="https://www.walkscore.com/score/1914-s-pacific-coast-hwy-redondo-beach-ca-90277">a lower Walk Score</a> of 76/100, Bike Score 49/100. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhZzSISYfk2pGhVe7xCHm-WvYw_BZg_pohngTEKsW8WQBU14Ks_QIIMHEjqVZ0IltjPdvhFBJ22NXhzlwwOskaow5Cu095G_Nmc4ponu5eAMuQ9LJUP-jKq6HUIa4Bzmkf9FLj1Wuf_Z3fsbO9KiMkLUjys-SS2-yqOcgtwZP2F6UCkzQwekA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="370" data-original-width="630" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhZzSISYfk2pGhVe7xCHm-WvYw_BZg_pohngTEKsW8WQBU14Ks_QIIMHEjqVZ0IltjPdvhFBJ22NXhzlwwOskaow5Cu095G_Nmc4ponu5eAMuQ9LJUP-jKq6HUIa4Bzmkf9FLj1Wuf_Z3fsbO9KiMkLUjys-SS2-yqOcgtwZP2F6UCkzQwekA" width="320" /></a></div><br />Why is the less dense neighborhood with a lower Walk Score zoned for Pedestrian-Oriented use while the denser neighborhood is zoned for parking lots? Why does one neighborhood get sit-down restaurants and the other gets parking lots and drive-through businesses with idling cars? </div><div><br /></div><div>It all comes down to who is "deserving" of nice things, like sit-down restaurants; and who deserves to serve as a car sewer for people driving between the freeway and the beach.</div><div><p></p><p>The HOLC "Redlining" map provides a clue. The Riviera area gets a Green rating due to Covenants that "Restrict ownership to the Caucasian race in perpetuity. All providers are strictly enforced."</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEimijBUlCApy7PrKy0GHx8Z6guCCsPlSN_oSh1_vYcKNHxLHhuJ092JdLq6GPbTtxf_7E3XE8F-0rSjtCNqfTpghiaom9yGieNGb2z8ePTjw2Z-X3XY0B0L8KFjahr0Qa-wWtNnZ4mItBT1j1WejLXU7323gXhBRqzjL_rMHyu5TcRqZpYqkQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1137" data-original-width="1390" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEimijBUlCApy7PrKy0GHx8Z6guCCsPlSN_oSh1_vYcKNHxLHhuJ092JdLq6GPbTtxf_7E3XE8F-0rSjtCNqfTpghiaom9yGieNGb2z8ePTjw2Z-X3XY0B0L8KFjahr0Qa-wWtNnZ4mItBT1j1WejLXU7323gXhBRqzjL_rMHyu5TcRqZpYqkQ" width="293" /></a></div><p></p>
<p>The Artesia Corridor (formerly Redondo Beach Blvd) gets a Low Red rating due to "Mexicans, Japanese & Italians". </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZgwK358BabbwWg8_C6dqJCSlKtpSaZJeUpdi8-vaVMBKlSJV0XWSn_IqPDMl7iBv1UKRfmUquG_HTT9zjpiICwWFDM5_MD18FzWc-NfOcrPkUSRQEQrTU9W_JZqueeA4NcGqs1MdE_pN0iWfDH0XYlp-NM6CAmMUt6qrD9UJx-7oWoxrBSA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="917" data-original-width="1119" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZgwK358BabbwWg8_C6dqJCSlKtpSaZJeUpdi8-vaVMBKlSJV0XWSn_IqPDMl7iBv1UKRfmUquG_HTT9zjpiICwWFDM5_MD18FzWc-NfOcrPkUSRQEQrTU9W_JZqueeA4NcGqs1MdE_pN0iWfDH0XYlp-NM6CAmMUt6qrD9UJx-7oWoxrBSA" width="293" /></a></div><p>This is ancient history, right? These covenants have not been legally enforceable for 50 years. </p><p>In the 2020 Census, LA County was 26.7% non-Hispanic white/47.9% Hispanic/14.2% Asian/8.3% Black/2.2% Mixed. </p><p>Yet, this SRB census tract is 75.3% white/10.4% Hispanic/9.5% Asian/1.5% Black/3.3% Mixed. It is an outlier many standard deviations away from the mean. </p><p>It didn't happen by accident. </p><p>Zoning has become the proxy for race. "Preserving Neighborhood Character" and Single Family zoning restricts the number of new people who can move in. It also ensures that the new people who move in (if they didn't inherit their home) have to be very high bidders. Because whites have more net worth than any other group, the new people who do manage to buy there are much whiter than the general population. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjT09xq3iSjPrFh5BlQsQJbTB1i0sroOeK8Y73kij_SLsW87rMVFvilaiJ7lIDZDrv9Tm-rjwM8pxyMRF4NfivttgymxkIV0ZGOQjOfS4Mx-PtMfxS3CmFlmLEVlG1lPpIUMBcLxLbvMF-prYlikp-RXdbs-ePc4qyfgxEZ5QFyYkBKEkeD1Q" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="901" data-original-width="1005" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjT09xq3iSjPrFh5BlQsQJbTB1i0sroOeK8Y73kij_SLsW87rMVFvilaiJ7lIDZDrv9Tm-rjwM8pxyMRF4NfivttgymxkIV0ZGOQjOfS4Mx-PtMfxS3CmFlmLEVlG1lPpIUMBcLxLbvMF-prYlikp-RXdbs-ePc4qyfgxEZ5QFyYkBKEkeD1Q" width="268" /></a></div><br />In contrast, the census tract containing the 2008 mixed use building on Artesia is 55.9% non-Hispanic white/14.6% Hispanic/16.5% Asian/4.4% Black/8% Mixed. This is more integrated than usual for a coastal Los Angeles County suburb. This census tract started out more diverse. Through infill, it was able to preserve diversity even as it gentrified. <p></p><p>The ratio between Blacks and Asians reversed in the last 25 years, but nearby Madison Elementary School has both a Title I designation (22% low-income children) and an annual multi-cultural potluck that is lit. The children live in homes where dozens of different languages are spoken. The school population is 34% non-Hispanic white/29% Hispanic/13% Asian/5% Black/15% Mixed. </p><p>[Note: I wrote about this building in <a href="https://badmomgoodmom.blogspot.com/2022/01/new-construction-subsidizes-old.html">New Construction Subsidizes Old</a>; it has been called "a failure" by Mayor Bill Brand, who subsequently (with aid from some council members) downzoned Artesia so that nothing taller the commercial height limit is 1-story now.]</p><p>A 20-year old <a href="https://nrbba.org/">North Redondo Beach Business Association</a> survey showed that the business owners along the one-mile stretch of Artesia, between Inglewood and Aviation, represented 20 different countries with many first-gen immigrants. </p><p>Which brings me back to Engineering Disinvestment. By requiring parking minimums that existing buildings don't meet, and forcing new construction to meet the new impossibly high standards, and then piling on FAR (floor area ratio) and height limits, the city can ensure that nothing "pencils out". Nothing can be replaced. It will just slowly rot. </p><p>When business owners retire, the lot is their retirement fund. When they try to sell their lot, no one can pay very much. If the new owners modernize it, it would trigger the new zoning and parking rules. This is literally robbing these small business owners of hundreds of thousands of dollars on small lots, perhaps over a million on the larger lots. </p><div>Anyway, I may lament the lack of sit-down restaurants in my neighborhood, but at least I enjoy a 15-minute neighborhood where I can visit the library, post office, grocery, pharmacy, UPS/Kinko's, hardware store, and even a sewing machine store that sells high-end Swiss Mettler thread. </div><div><br /></div><div>The shop owners that I depend on, though, are being robbed of their life's savings.</div><p>In <a href="https://kottke.org/21/02/conservatism-and-who-the-law-protects">the words of Frank Wilhoit</a> (the composer):</p><blockquote>Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition, to wit: There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect.</blockquote></div><div><p></p><p><b>Further reading:</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://southbaycities.org/sites/default/files/documents/Sustainable%20South%20Bay%20Strategy.09.08.09_0.pdf">SBCCOG Sustainable South Bay Strategy Report</a></li><li><a href="https://www.governing.com/community/why-californias-parking-reform-matters-for-housing-and-climate">Why California’s Parking Reform Matters for Housing and Climate</a> </li><li><a href="https://noparkinghere.com/">No Parking Here</a> </li><li><a href="https://www.shoupdogg.com/reforms/">Donald Shoup's Evidence-based Parking Reforms</a></li></ul><p></p></div>badmomgoodmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11569728075698885020noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15350975.post-40332776647206867662022-08-23T23:36:00.006-07:002022-08-24T12:18:22.721-07:00eBikes vs Direct Air Capture<p>Following up on <a href="https://badmomgoodmom.blogspot.com/">my previous post about the relative carbon intensity of eBiking vs driving.</a> and another post about <a href="https://badmomgoodmom.blogspot.com/2022/07/utility-cycling.html">utility cycling around town</a>...</p><p>I read that the <a href="https://www.denvergov.org/Government/Agencies-Departments-Offices/Agencies-Departments-Offices-Directory/Climate-Action-Sustainability-Resiliency/Sustainable-Transportation/Electric-Bikes-E-Bikes-Rebates">Denver eBike Voucher program</a> has already put 2,100 eBikes on the streets. I did a little back of the envelope math. </p><p>Suppose each of those bikes replace 3,000 mi/year of automobile travel in gasoline vehicles that get 20 mpg in the city. Then they collectively avoid almost 3 Million kg of CO2/yr or 3,000 mT (metric tons).</p><p>3,000 mi/yr * .444 kgCO2/mi * 2,100 eBikes = 2,797,200 kgCO2/year </p><p>Further suppose that the eBike riders are using 10 Wh/mi or .01 kWh/mi (calculation from Utility Cycling). Collectively, they are using 63 MWh/yr.</p><p>3,000 mi/yr * .01 kWh/mi * 2,100 eBikes = 63,000 kWh/yr = 63 MWh/yr</p><p>The electricity comes from the grid, and Colorado's grid has a CO2 intensity of 537 kgCO2/MWh. We need to subtract that from the CO2 savings. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCfwoMvOngE5qLTvdg9lztJjCKL2ZCQoWdg2fw8vLHzoUZ9ulSkJkowVr3MG5vtkkbsEBDIqBbvA-RY2qWe9osZL7cE-CF6iZa7MBrRcISpMIJmNmsmZX5quLN7Z4DApg0gafP4DAh60uLuZzGPaSO5NP_Z047kOYAA5wBDnmXYXGtmOdzqw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="549" data-original-width="672" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCfwoMvOngE5qLTvdg9lztJjCKL2ZCQoWdg2fw8vLHzoUZ9ulSkJkowVr3MG5vtkkbsEBDIqBbvA-RY2qWe9osZL7cE-CF6iZa7MBrRcISpMIJmNmsmZX5quLN7Z4DApg0gafP4DAh60uLuZzGPaSO5NP_Z047kOYAA5wBDnmXYXGtmOdzqw" width="294" /></a></div><br />537 kgCO2/MWh * 63 MWh/yr = 33,831 kgCO2/yr<p></p><p>Unleashing 2,100 eBikes being ridden instead of cars for ~8 mi/day (short, local trips), makes 2,763.4 mTCO2 disappear every year. </p><p>2,797,200 - 33,831 = 2,763,369 kgCO2/yr = 2,763.4 mTCO2/yr of avoided CO2 emissions per year. </p><p>As the Colorado grid becomes cleaner, the CO2 savings grow.</p><p>There are many ways to make CO2 disappear from the atmosphere and they all have issues. People love nature-based solutions, but we're emitting too fast for them to be effective. If it's sequestered in a tree, then a fire can release all the carbon back into the atmosphere. If it's sequestered in soil, and someone comes and plows it up, some of it is released again. Trapping CO2 in the ocean, e.g. with kelp, is very inefficient and will only take a nibble out of current emissions. </p><p>There are a couple of high-tech solutions, Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) and Direct Air Capture (DAC). CCS can only be done at the source, like in the outflow of a power plant. CO2 is concentrated right at the source, but removing it costs 30-40% of the energy you just produced in burning stuff at the power plant. </p><p>But, CCS is viable (as long as you have a place to sequester the CO2 forever), and the people who produce the CO2 pay for removal of the CO2. That makes accounting easier. Those who pollute, pay. </p><p>But all of us are out there, driving cars, flying in airplanes and getting stuff delivered in trucks. We're not going to carry around a CCS plant in our vehicles. So we emit CO2 into the atmosphere where it gets well-mixed. </p><p>Remember thermodynamics class in college? The more disordered a system, the more energy it takes to bring order to it? DAC is enormously expensive and energy-intensive compared to CCS, which is already expensive and energy-intensive. </p><p>No wonder people <a href="https://www.utilitydive.com/news/california-climate-change-plan-CARB-carbon-capture/626014/">question whether DAC is a good use of money</a> vs not emitting so much CO2 in the first place. I think those people are right, it's a waste of money. </p><p>However, we've emitted so much CO2, that we painted ourselves into a corner. We don't want to pay for DAC, but we have to do it anyway. Did I mention that it's enormously expensive and only the government has that amount of money to spend? </p><p><a href="https://www.enr.com/articles/54152-doe-advances-35bb-for-atmospheric-co2-removal-projects">DOE announced it will spend $3.5 Billion to build 4 DAC plants</a>. That won't even cover the full cost of building them or include the cost of running them. </p><p>Meanwhile, <a href="https://www.gjesm.net/article_247328_b12cf974dfe8a67a57717a255b325014.pdf">a single bike lane installed in Thailand in 2015 </a>has removed $1 Billion worth of DAC CO2 removal in avoided vehicle trips. And they use smaller vehicles like motorcycles in Thailand. Click through the read the very detailed journal article! It takes a while to load, but the full article is available for free. </p><p>It sucks that individuals emit CO2, and the richest emit the most, but we don't price carbon so we socialize the cost of building DAC plants to clean up after the rich. Yes, we will all end up paying for Kylie's 2 minute private jet jaunts around Los Angeles. Removing the CO2 she dumped may end up costing the public more than it cost her to take the flight.</p><p>The Energy Information Agency (a part of the US Dept of Energy, DOE) estimates that <a href="https://www.iea.org/commentaries/is-carbon-capture-too-expensive">Direct Air Capture (DAC) to pull that much existing CO2 out of the atmosphere costs</a> about $250/mTCO2, not counting the cost of putting it someplace. Let's just use $300/mTCO2 for our calculations*. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjirQYomu4zi84E64WpCfxLMyi1xgHIqyU4q7l2ZfNkXpAaNH73Ax7EONda-hOaWVbgMufMIIP13oBYFQcTR447mAdOogkLGCwHm45cyiCTXpGYsAdrwSKznakyAOkgHwsrlXrRkdrt8Ul2LUcrRtQCHfPoGxUd3BaZtm4B3LTfSY213L3CfA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1200" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjirQYomu4zi84E64WpCfxLMyi1xgHIqyU4q7l2ZfNkXpAaNH73Ax7EONda-hOaWVbgMufMIIP13oBYFQcTR447mAdOogkLGCwHm45cyiCTXpGYsAdrwSKznakyAOkgHwsrlXrRkdrt8Ul2LUcrRtQCHfPoGxUd3BaZtm4B3LTfSY213L3CfA" width="288" /></a></div><p></p><p>The value of not driving 2,100 vehicles 3,000 mi around the city is worth ~$830,000/yr in DAC CO2 removal.</p><p>2,763.4 mTCO2/yr * $300/mTCO2 = $829,011 </p><p>Suppose they gave a rebate of $400 for each bike, then Denver spent $840,000 in vouchers. </p><p>But, the vouchers can only be spent in local shops, which generate sales tax. By the time you add that in, the two numbers are roughly equal. </p><p>But the eBikes keep rolling, year after year (my eBike is 5 years old), avoiding CO2 emissions while you have to keep using huge amounts of energy pulling CO2 out of the atmosphere and throwing lots of $ at DAC year after year. Avoiding CO2 emissions by swapping eBikes for cars looks like a pretty good deal. </p><p>Anyway, Denver gave out vouchers of $400 ($1,200 for low income) and an additional $500 for more expensive cargo bikes capable of carrying passengers or lots of cargo. They also targeted delivery workers, who put in a lot of miles. </p><p>It may take more than a year for the avoided cost of CO2 to pay for the vouchers. But, it has other benefits of reducing traffic congestion, air pollution and improving public health. It's a very cost-effective program and we should scale it up and replicate it. </p>
Which brings us to the <a href="https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ZdK2wzeSSSWik9yNBLMlKw">California Air Resources Board (CARB) meeting on Wednesday, August 24, at 3:30 PDT</a>. Click on the link to register for the Zoom meeting.
<blockquote>The California Air Resources Board (CARB or Board) invites you to participate in a work group meeting to discuss the Electric Bicycle Incentives Project. We invite all stakeholders to attend and provide their input and feedback on program design. The meeting agenda and any handouts will be posted to the Low Carbon Transportation Investments and Air Quality Improvement Program website ahead of the meeting.</blockquote><a href="https://cal.streetsblog.org/2022/07/19/where-is-californias-e-bike-incentive-program-part-2/">California set aside $10 Million for eBike rebates/vouchers</a>, but has yet to select a vendor or even an implementation program (despite promising a roll-out in July 1, 2022). So attend the meeting tomorrow and tell them to quit studying equity and just do something. They can refine the system later as they study the outcomes. <div><br /></div><div>If you want, cite the economic efficiency of avoided CO2 emissions versus future DAC. <div><div><br /></div><div>I'll get you started with the math. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.eia.gov/electricity/state/california/">California's grid has a CO2 intensity of 225 kgCO2/MWh</a></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh3RnAcOQNSGnr1VPI0kYC7J-kpFYKuSknSWdknoppKRlK4n1khTL6bm09mEENfnQKXTpDusI8Szg5LX9eqONe897hC9zBh9CYvR4n5yH12Y-srdQtWxk314XLnKbmHC1MalRC9YciSzQuLbs9sbRQnAg3ppmdvYyQfE5k627pBR_rhaEsXCg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="530" data-original-width="672" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh3RnAcOQNSGnr1VPI0kYC7J-kpFYKuSknSWdknoppKRlK4n1khTL6bm09mEENfnQKXTpDusI8Szg5LX9eqONe897hC9zBh9CYvR4n5yH12Y-srdQtWxk314XLnKbmHC1MalRC9YciSzQuLbs9sbRQnAg3ppmdvYyQfE5k627pBR_rhaEsXCg" width="304" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div>If each bike displaces 3,000 vehicle miles/yr at .444 kg/mi = 1,332 kgCO2/yr. </div><div><br /></div><div>But they will use 30 kWh = .03 MWh/yr of electricity</div><div><br /></div><div>.03 MWh/yr * 225 kgCO2/MWh = 6.75 kgCO2/yr</div><div><br /></div><div>That's 1,332 kgCO2/yr - 6.75 kgCO2/yr = 1,325.25 kgCO2/yr</div><div><br /></div><div>A metric ton is 1,000 kg so each eBike results in 1.325 mTCO2/yr in avoided emissions, worth $398/yr.</div><div><br /></div><div>* Estimates of the cost of DAC are about as real as the Hyperloop because we have so little real data. <a href="https://www.iea.org/reports/direct-air-capture">The International Energy Agency report on DAC</a>:</div></div></div><blockquote>There are currently 19 direct air capture (DAC) plants operating worldwide, capturing more than 0.01 Mt CO2/year, and a 1Mt CO2/year capture plant is in advanced development in the United States.</blockquote>
So all the DAC plants currently in existence can pull 0.01 Million metric tons (1,000 kg) CO2 out of the atmosphere. That's 10,000 mT. The modest Denver program avoids almost 3,000 mT/year of emissions. I would say that the Denver eBike subsidy is the most successful existing CO2 removal program in the US. <div><br /></div><div>No wonder countries around the world are increasing their eBike subsidies. </div>badmomgoodmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11569728075698885020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15350975.post-22052259054837651162022-08-23T15:13:00.002-07:002022-08-23T15:22:06.650-07:00Carbon Intensity of eBiking vs Driving<p> <br />Remember when I ran some numbers about <a href="https://badmomgoodmom.blogspot.com/2022/07/utility-cycling.html">my utility cycling</a> around the South Bay (SW region of Los Angeles County)? I use a <a href="http://www.p3international.com/products/p4400.html">Kill A Watt meter</a> to plug in my eBike charger so I know how much electricity I use. I also keep track of my miles so I know that I use 5-10 watt-hours/mile while running errands that I normally would do by car. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEje8CzTLGOfAvWtQmi5jz1qkFtbN20hSkB4Csb17IvvF8mYkBh9KzFHz7jvENi5ltwFI8qSb3nf6h1SnyycWXF51vdJnJkGZ4SCRH8GJotX4NFnvipYNQCdoLtq87z_ZxIzDbnYC-spSNDHKo7qea3yqWrYHVhVW5hpuuFLULU6w0dSqbip3Q" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="558" data-original-width="450" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEje8CzTLGOfAvWtQmi5jz1qkFtbN20hSkB4Csb17IvvF8mYkBh9KzFHz7jvENi5ltwFI8qSb3nf6h1SnyycWXF51vdJnJkGZ4SCRH8GJotX4NFnvipYNQCdoLtq87z_ZxIzDbnYC-spSNDHKo7qea3yqWrYHVhVW5hpuuFLULU6w0dSqbip3Q" width="194" /></a></div><br />Let's use the higher 10 watt-hours/mile number for when I want to get somewhere quickly but don't want to get sweaty. <p></p><p>My Class 2 eBike tops out at 20 mph, but my area has a lot of stop signs and stop lights. </p><p>My Prius hybrid calculates my trip average speed and I know that I average 16-17 mph on those 3-12 mile round trip errands. </p><p>Basically, I go the same speed by car and eBike. </p><p>This is why people complain about traffic in my area. Driving speeds are slow. Alternatively, we can reframe that to "eBikes will get you there just as fast as driving, while building moderate exercise into your daily routine."</p><p>[My census tract has 17,000 people/square mi and the California DMV found that the South Bay has anomalously many cars/registered driver (over 1!). Anyway, we are a car-dependent suburb even though we have the density to support better ways of getting around. People also complain about parking. It's a problem when we own so many cars and we don't put them in our garages because our garages are stuffed with things that are not cars. Anyway, I digress.]</p><p>This post is about the carbon intensity of eBiking vs Driving. </p><p>California passes lots of regulatory laws, including one that requires us to track the carbon intensity of our electricity supply. <a href="http://www.caiso.com/about/Pages/default.aspx">CAISO</a> is the public agency in charge of operating our electricity grid and they publish data from real-time statistics to year end reports to help us track whether or not we are meeting our myriad goals. </p><p>As the League of Women Voters California Energy Subcommittee team leader, I stalk the CAISO data website a lot more than the average Californian. </p><p>Visit the <a href="http://www.caiso.com/TodaysOutlook/Pages/emissions.html">CAISO Emissions page</a> and see the instantaneous CO2 intensity of the California grid. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZAqOdXQSfavDw-J6pfhmQuHXvt6VvzIz0MubHECmfMGB6hnLYkG8S4NqZTtrXWJXMuzLYZXQP_lHvtkZe4u6cxBnjB-tH0mht143jZimIoE2WqUgTqYbjYGiSHycPYpk2-hiqBDQqS9EAlz_uHfjQtDJX7fSrhUYImw9rNVrWinjYoRS3RA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="987" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZAqOdXQSfavDw-J6pfhmQuHXvt6VvzIz0MubHECmfMGB6hnLYkG8S4NqZTtrXWJXMuzLYZXQP_lHvtkZe4u6cxBnjB-tH0mht143jZimIoE2WqUgTqYbjYGiSHycPYpk2-hiqBDQqS9EAlz_uHfjQtDJX7fSrhUYImw9rNVrWinjYoRS3RA" width="320" /></a></div><br />Last Sunday, I hung out the laundry and plugged in my eBike at midday, when the grid CO2 intensity was at it's daily nadir, 0.14 mTCO2/MW. (Midday on weekends, on sunny but not overly hot days, have the lowest CO2 intensity.)<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhRhtCv5x19DA9u3INUovey-DjztmgDxULKHCGR-yEM9nBYZkgGzYRzQdja8vdw0r4EP8jN-N7okP2WL5PqqgPHK7HvdlvuwzuBXrEcHKktSKblQsk-P8DmAB29Fav3znUgr9KmocaWcFMzrk8il24FBNA2C0JNiO2W-J2xT1jgKV0Y6bGqwg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="506" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhRhtCv5x19DA9u3INUovey-DjztmgDxULKHCGR-yEM9nBYZkgGzYRzQdja8vdw0r4EP8jN-N7okP2WL5PqqgPHK7HvdlvuwzuBXrEcHKktSKblQsk-P8DmAB29Fav3znUgr9KmocaWcFMzrk8il24FBNA2C0JNiO2W-J2xT1jgKV0Y6bGqwg" width="135" /></a></div><br />If you missed it in real-time, you can still reconstruct the CO2 intensity by downloading the 5-minute grid CO2 emissions and total system demand data for a given day, and then dividing it for the ratio. I pulled the <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1upU03p0uaCWsxqrZVk_mTmh8UJUknz_ZIma4pn67TD8/edit?usp=sharing">data for Sunday, August 21 and put it in Google Sheets</a>. LOL, I really took a screen shot at the absolute minimum for the day. <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiDaT63EIsypUftGsjxdJnW_dqtRmwv__7PZm50NHw_CmH4cOD7rRR4F4pwlj9y71cG0PnEDdDZjI7LqUZoUMReSXy3J16fEJIiY73DRoVBIn-GP-OewDAb5-WCs9VSG_BvX8DP0Azce0mOtFtU_p9CMV1iHfiwXjDFVHGa8vykygskoL1nTA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="371" data-original-width="600" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiDaT63EIsypUftGsjxdJnW_dqtRmwv__7PZm50NHw_CmH4cOD7rRR4F4pwlj9y71cG0PnEDdDZjI7LqUZoUMReSXy3J16fEJIiY73DRoVBIn-GP-OewDAb5-WCs9VSG_BvX8DP0Azce0mOtFtU_p9CMV1iHfiwXjDFVHGa8vykygskoL1nTA" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>A mT or metric ton is 1,000 kg. A MW = megawatt = 1,000 kilowatts. Metric conversions are so easy. <p></p><p>.14 kg CO2/kWh </p><p>.14 g CO2/Wh </p><p>At 10 Wh/mi, I emitted 1.4 g CO2/mile running my errands last Friday and charging at midday on Sunday. </p><p>The <a href="https://www.epa.gov/greenvehicles/greenhouse-gas-emissions-typical-passenger-vehicle">EPA publishes stats on GHG emissions from passenger vehicles</a> assuming 22 mpg. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEji9Bz1VAg_KlVc6_MTwK5Y8e4R26mSdKgG3kamc-E5ui53lu0bqcCApWvisWmeJ50VYQ49lznmZixY6W_4CfdGWYmqr_i_p5zmrMVlXrQPm4A5IFqFF_Z1QMYvkfond2nISRCLSc49jSm2ur9QplHNI2vKYsaLouFlrxgS5J4MwCzhEf1VPQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="198" data-original-width="669" height="95" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEji9Bz1VAg_KlVc6_MTwK5Y8e4R26mSdKgG3kamc-E5ui53lu0bqcCApWvisWmeJ50VYQ49lznmZixY6W_4CfdGWYmqr_i_p5zmrMVlXrQPm4A5IFqFF_Z1QMYvkfond2nISRCLSc49jSm2ur9QplHNI2vKYsaLouFlrxgS5J4MwCzhEf1VPQ" width="320" /></a></div><br />I was tweeting from my phone and mis-remembered it as 440 g/mi using 20 mpg. That's only 1% off from the actual 444 g/mi. Anyway, using the 440 number, I got a cute number of very close to 100*pi <p></p><p>440/1.4 = 314</p><p>Of course, I drive a hybrid and get ~40 mpg so the ratio for me driving vs eBiking is 159. </p><p>I looked at Tesla drivers' forums and it seems they use about 300 Wh/mi or 30x as much electricity as me on my eBike. If they charge only at midday, then they would be emitting 42 g/mi, which is not bad. But, if they are charging in the middle of the night, as utilities encourage them to do, then the CO2 emissions intensity doubles to 84 gCO2/mi. </p><p>Then there's the embodied emissions of producing electric cars. Their batteries are hundreds of times larger than my eBike's and about 10x the size of a plug-in hybrid.</p><p>Tesla Y: 75 kWh battery</p><p>eBike: 0.5 kWh battery</p><p>Prius Prime: 8.8 kWh battery (plug-in hybrid)<br /></p><p><a href="https://techcrunch.com/2021/08/22/the-tough-calculus-of-emissions-and-the-future-of-evs/">There are serious environmental issues with battery production for EVs. We're up against physical limits</a>. We can't produce them fast enough for the fossil-fuel transition unless we drive a lot less than we currently do. </p><p>Anyway, the bottom line is to minimize your car driving, do it in an EV if you have one. Hybrids, particularly plug-in hybrids, are a decent trade-off as long as you don't drive it a lot in gasoline mode.</p><p>If you don't have solar panels, charge when your grid is cleanest. (This varies by region.) If you have solar panels, charge when your panels are producing more than the rest of your home needs. </p>badmomgoodmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11569728075698885020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15350975.post-61303282105125240212022-07-27T00:40:00.013-07:002022-07-28T08:57:26.976-07:00Neighborhood Defenders Wrong Again<p><a href="https://www.planetizen.com/blogs/110079-review-neighborhood-defenders">Neighborhood Defenders</a> bring up aesthetics, the environment and property values as reasons to oppose things. There are quite a few in my city (and likely yours, too). Sometimes, it seems like nothing must ever change or else we will incur their wrath. I've been begging for bike lanes for 25 years, to no avail. Bike lanes must never take away on-street parking (mostly <a href="http://shoup.bol.ucla.edu/PrefaceHighCostFreeParking.pdf">FREE PARKING</a>) so they don't get built. Instead, we'll just keep making <a href="https://bikinginla.com/2017/05/05/teenage-girl-killed-by-metro-bus-on-pch-in-redondo-beach/">blood sacrifices of our children on the streets</a>. </p><p>Anyway, I digress. This is a blog post about electricity and pollution. But I have to digress a little bit longer first. </p><p>Since 2019, I have been a director on the boards of both League of Women Voters of the Beach Cities and of Los Angeles County. Due to my science background, I was assigned the <a href="https://lwvc.org/our-work/issues/natural-resources">Natural Resources</a> Portfolio.</p><p>I've been passionate about water and the environment since I took Field Biology in high school. So I also joined the <a href="https://lwvc.org/issues/california-water-resources">LWVC Water Committee</a>. I was a little bit too outspoken at the Water Committee meetings because I ended up being assigned to write nearly half the <a href="https://lwvc.org/californias-water-and-our-league">Overview of California Water articles</a>, including the one on the <a href="https://lwvc.org/water-energy-nexus">Water-Energy Nexus</a>.</p><p>This led the LWVC chair of Natural Resources to ask me to serve as her deputy in the area of Energy/Electricity. Thus, I found myself the Energy Subcommittee team leader. I promptly ordered and read a bunch of books about energy and clean energy in particular. It's a fascinating topic. I never imagined that I would know the names and boundaries of the regional balancing authorities of <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/26073005-the-grid">The Grid</a>, or that I would have opinions on their governance. But, I do now. ;-)</p><p>Back to electricity. </p><p>There's been a spate of articles lately about the fate of a handful of power plants along the California coast that use ocean water for cooling. OTC (Once Through Cooling) plants have to suck in large volumes of ocean or river water, which can suck in small sea/aquatic life. That is totally no bueno.</p><p>At one time, we had quite a few of them. They sit on prime ocean-front land so their real value is often more due to real estate than power production. OTOH, they also have infrastructure, such as existing transmission lines, that would be difficult to assemble today. </p><a href="https://www.latimes.com/environment/newsletter/2021-04-01/how-a-beachfront-gas-plant-explains-californias-energy-problems-boiling-point">How a beachfront gas plant explains California’s energy problems</a> lays out some of the issues. <div><br /></div><div>So I started researching the fate of the OTC plants that are no longer using ocean water for cooling. It turns out that I didn't have to look far. In 2013-2014, a similar power plant just a few miles to the north, the <a href="https://www.energy.ca.gov/powerplant/combined-cycle/el-segundo-energy-center">El Segundo Energy Center</a>, was repowered* from Boiler-type OTC to a dry-cooled <a href="https://www.ge.com/gas-power/resources/education/combined-cycle-power-plants">Combined Cycle Gas Turbines</a> (CCGT). </div><div><br /></div><div>* Repowering means updating an older power plant with newer equipment that is more efficient and pollutes less. Switching from a gas boiler system to CCGT yields 50-70% more energy per amount of gas burned or per molecule of CO2 produced. They can be powered up in 20-30 minutes compared to many hours for older boiler plants. </div><div><br /></div><div>Newer <a href="https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/features/combined-cycle-power-plant/">Reciprocating Internal Combustion Engines</a> (RICE) can be powered up in 2 minutes, meaning they can react quickly to things like the marine layer moving in and decreasing local roof-top solar power output. RICE are air-cooled, yielding substantial water savings of millions of gallons per day. </div><div><br /></div><div>You know how much I love data. I discovered the <a href="https://campd.epa.gov/data/custom-data-download">EPA Clean Air Markets Program Data Portal </a>(aka Cap and Trade). I looked up the characteristics and 2021 data for five area power plants, including the repowered one in El Segundo and AES Redondo Beach. </div><div><br /></div><div>The comparison is stark! On every pollution metric, AES RB is much, much worse than ESEC--about 2-3.5x as much pollution per unit of power, over the course of a year, and it operates 4x as many hours.</div><div><br /></div><div>I summed up the data from Jan 1, 2021 to Dec 31, 2021 to get an idea of how much power and pollution each plant puts out in a year. </div><div><br /></div><div>Each Facility/Power Plant has more than one generator. They turn on the amount they need to meet the anticipated electricity demand/load. No one wants to burn more fuel than they need to because that's just burning money. </div><div><br /></div><div>El Segundo has 2 generators, Redondo Beach has 3. Operating time is summed up over generators. If all 3 are running for one hour, that's 3 hours of operating time. </div><div><br /></div><div>Gross load is how much power they are making. </div><div><br /></div><div>Despite providing comparable amounts of power over the course of a year, the older AES RB plant puts out 2x the SO2 and CO2 and 3.5x the NOx than the AES plant. It also operates over more hours. (Click on the table to enlarge it.)</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwhC-7Ztke3oREGnhXaQvihlIlxtGlLoqU9UTkTyxr4tGW1Ej4XgHuhtGEW_zRCEDWhBgnWOj3__9xTEsz-jQxj0vb1CcFIwpeM1PkFdu5hUFUAVob4p6slHZDBA8IulzMXPs266rMoRXCLq8pniLNBmEKOtvUg1oNkT9ula5uvCqWWbbrCg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="150" data-original-width="1012" height="59" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwhC-7Ztke3oREGnhXaQvihlIlxtGlLoqU9UTkTyxr4tGW1Ej4XgHuhtGEW_zRCEDWhBgnWOj3__9xTEsz-jQxj0vb1CcFIwpeM1PkFdu5hUFUAVob4p6slHZDBA8IulzMXPs266rMoRXCLq8pniLNBmEKOtvUg1oNkT9ula5uvCqWWbbrCg=w400-h59" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I made histograms for hours of the day that each plant ran. Redondo Beach, which has the older boilers, has to run pretty much continuously to keep warm so that they can deliver electricity during the peak demand hours on hot summer evenings. Incredibly wasteful and polluting. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgEOlhvwv7sXf_oUYc9mbAfooYtWutQENAtPvbvV6NREsbE68tMwPR1GxoXv9TSipcHgPmZ2uUH9uH9_qUEDJqsIQ_YKQIgaaZj4LRkw63cryCk-Caa3JJptdFSrqEtM1z3IXBvBHTi6sJX5tFz0LV2wJCsQWyH_dbnnsdSKgUcm7Taq8HHzA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="371" data-original-width="600" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgEOlhvwv7sXf_oUYc9mbAfooYtWutQENAtPvbvV6NREsbE68tMwPR1GxoXv9TSipcHgPmZ2uUH9uH9_qUEDJqsIQ_YKQIgaaZj4LRkw63cryCk-Caa3JJptdFSrqEtM1z3IXBvBHTi6sJX5tFz0LV2wJCsQWyH_dbnnsdSKgUcm7Taq8HHzA" width="320" /></a></div>El Segundo EC can ramp up and ramp down each day that it runs. Notice the vertical axes on AES RB are 2x higher. ESEC has 2 generators, running an average of 50 days a year, mainly during the late afternoon and evening hours. It shuts down at other hours because it can. Saves money, saves CO2/SO2/NOx. It's just better all around. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgtv_7mES3meeSuxSLvqG9YdoB8Nuo_I75IXfbpuPJGauxxllEp2jMftsqmoFlVAGtjL7rPJeV1tKxJCn102POiVbtpctpMwyo-kN_YK5ZTbZKCaXMzfTZG9-S1Bcrx4YdRYpwJS_Lv0ka5yvRXcw-IH4RfuZTLMos7gaDD7qnAkzkR4UJeJQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="371" data-original-width="600" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgtv_7mES3meeSuxSLvqG9YdoB8Nuo_I75IXfbpuPJGauxxllEp2jMftsqmoFlVAGtjL7rPJeV1tKxJCn102POiVbtpctpMwyo-kN_YK5ZTbZKCaXMzfTZG9-S1Bcrx4YdRYpwJS_Lv0ka5yvRXcw-IH4RfuZTLMos7gaDD7qnAkzkR4UJeJQ" width="320" /></a></div>I made a scatterplot of power output by each hour of operation. Redondo Beach operates a lot of hours with low power output. (This is summed up over all generators. Sometimes, 2-3 generators are working at the same time.)</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEinoxn_gpPaufZTtFMmpS0ww0qYC3L_gtLVMPsdierG1LsXXtqd_u4wV5u6T2xEer6a0tsxD6e18Wcw_98b2XjmGSWHZFNKFiVD7jNSgA18zNsJL_IROz4GgutD2eu2-CFoFa7mx0QtbrWlP8QSLSnkTCvy4wnpZrBgohDLT93Qbw4Pcmc-Xw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="371" data-original-width="600" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEinoxn_gpPaufZTtFMmpS0ww0qYC3L_gtLVMPsdierG1LsXXtqd_u4wV5u6T2xEer6a0tsxD6e18Wcw_98b2XjmGSWHZFNKFiVD7jNSgA18zNsJL_IROz4GgutD2eu2-CFoFa7mx0QtbrWlP8QSLSnkTCvy4wnpZrBgohDLT93Qbw4Pcmc-Xw" width="320" /></a></div><br />El Segundo rarely operates both generators at the same time. It also runs some warm up hours with little power output, but uses a lot less gas to do it at those times (if you look at the full data). </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhnuXcw5zXGOaK93wYtsSRDZ2RmPvIYa7P8ijxphcuLECosLRjlqbIKCbkW3gs0VQIWToP3RBOqoGlU6ON4a7YJsuzrjdzI3Bwruo82h2ZUd76RKQuRsXm7iWMnbISvY3Xq3sSIX7KO0MHozClKNbSFFhOK-3M_mDxsrey_1PJ40IzYDjhRVw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="398" data-original-width="644" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhnuXcw5zXGOaK93wYtsSRDZ2RmPvIYa7P8ijxphcuLECosLRjlqbIKCbkW3gs0VQIWToP3RBOqoGlU6ON4a7YJsuzrjdzI3Bwruo82h2ZUd76RKQuRsXm7iWMnbISvY3Xq3sSIX7KO0MHozClKNbSFFhOK-3M_mDxsrey_1PJ40IzYDjhRVw" width="320" /></a></div><br />Nameplate capacity is how much power a plant can generate, if it ran at full tilt. ESEC has a nameplate capacity of 560 MW with both generators operating. They ran one for part of 538 hours and the other for 626 hours. There are 8760 hours/year. If it ran at full capacity the entire year, it would generate 4,905,600 MWh of energy. It generated 227,487 MWh in 2021, so it ran at .046 capacity factor in 2021. ESEC is an example of a "peaker" plant, that runs only when the grid demand is high.</div><div><br /></div><div>AES RB is another peaker plant. Nameplate capacity is 496 MW so annual capacity is 4,344,960 MWh. It generated 251,192 MWh for .058 capacity factor. </div><div><br /></div><div>There are activists who want to block all fossil fuel investments. That's seductive because why would people spend money on something that they are going to idle most of the time? If we have it, we will use it. Right?</div><div><br /></div><div>Induced demand has been shown to apply to car traffic. When you add a lane (like we did to the 405 freeway), then more people drive until the congestion is just as bad or even worse than before. If there is parking at a destination, people tend to drive. If there isn't, they tend to find another way to get there (e.g. transit for DTLA or bikes for the beach).</div><div><br /></div><div>The converse is also true. When you make driving a hassle, people do it less. If people don't have cars, they make fewer trips. If they are thinking of driving somewhere, and that place doesn't have parking, they may forgo the trip rather than deal with the hassle. </div><div><br /></div><div>So, if you have a car, how often do you use it? The answer is ~5% of the time, about the same percentage of time as a peaker power plant!</div><div><br /></div><div>Does induced demand work for natural gas power plants? Do operators have the self control to build new, highly efficient and clean ones, and then let them sit idle most of the time? ESEC spent $ rebuilding the power plant, but they run it profitably by only running it during the hours when power buyers are paying the highest prices. They also installed advanced emissions controls. Under cap and trade rules, they can sell emissions credits to other operators. </div><div><br /></div><div>AES Alamitos and Huntington Beach are much bigger plants and serve "baseload" instead of running only at peak demand times. AES proposed another peaker plant in Redondo Beach. The question becomes, do you think that AES will adhere to the plan they submitted? </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.caiso.com/about/Pages/default.aspx">CAISO</a> (California Independent System Operator) runs the CA Grid and has the authority to tell power plants when to operate, when to curtail/go offline. Do you think that CAISO, the Coastal Commission and the CPUC (CA Public Utilities Commission) would allow AES RB to deviate from their plan/permits? Would they all be in on the same conspiracy? I trust not, but I know that many of the voices that carried the day did not feel the same.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here's something in a report from San Diego Gas & Electric. See how the generation capacity of gas power plants remains high, but the amount of electricity produced from them ramps down over time? That's due to California's Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards (RE PS). Power producers are required to serve more Renewable Energy over time. Even if they are tempted to run their gas plants more to recoup their investment, they really can't. </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjHffWQIxhxfx5iWFGPF082u6tTinQJwzpnFhH3GTbnQM-M9hiPGXqgZ6gUp1E2tCpDEAo4fEiC0Z8LFc2urUB90y4vpSUFiICcpVYPKaAl41pATdvq3vbdS-u1TBN-45SOd3MInTqEQL_uajpf8hRR9uE7s4Pmd-JKVz2y--DL9VLx1Uc_YQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="531" data-original-width="952" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjHffWQIxhxfx5iWFGPF082u6tTinQJwzpnFhH3GTbnQM-M9hiPGXqgZ6gUp1E2tCpDEAo4fEiC0Z8LFc2urUB90y4vpSUFiICcpVYPKaAl41pATdvq3vbdS-u1TBN-45SOd3MInTqEQL_uajpf8hRR9uE7s4Pmd-JKVz2y--DL9VLx1Uc_YQ" width="320" /></a></div><br />In the future, with high integration of renewable energy sources, all gas plants will operate as peaker plants. If they can't be nimble enough, they will be retired. It's the most rational and economic choice. It's also the only way they will meet California's RE PS which is the law of the land. </div><div><br /></div><div>However, if they don't make the investment in modern facilities that can ramp up and down in minutes, the old technology requires them to run many more hours than needed, burning more gas and generating more pollution along the way. </div><div><br /></div><div>These old plants are so, so bad. They aren't responsive enough to serve the needs of today's grid with high renewables content. They are wasteful of money and fuels. They generate high amounts of pollution per unit of energy. They require water in a water-scarce region. The OTC plants are even worse because of their ocean water intakes. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>So why wasn't AES Redondo Beach repowered? AES tried. But there was so much opposition from Redondo Beach leaders, they gave up. <a href="https://patch.com/california/redondobeach/complete-coverage-aes-redondo-beach-power-plant-and-measure-a">RB Patch covered it pretty thoroughly</a> and doesn't have a paywall. </div>
<blockquote>AES officials say the new plant will run more efficiently, have a smaller footprint and provide flexibility for the grid when energy from renewable resources isn't available. </blockquote><blockquote>
Opponents, on the other hand, argue that the plant will continue to decrease property values and blight the waterfront, despite a $300 million revitalization effort. Additionally, they point to AES' application and say a new plant will run more often than the current one, and thus produce five to 15 times more particulate pollution.</blockquote>
Anyway, for almost a decade, Redondans have suffered 2-3.5x more pollution than we would have if AES RB had been repowered to the same scale and technology as ESEC. We lived with more noise as the proposed upgrade would have been enclosed to contain sound and ran much fewer hours/days. We also continued sucking marine life into the water intakes. </div><div><br /></div><div>All for what? To say we won? To say that we stopped AES? To cost AES money? </div><div><br /></div><div>It certainly didn't help the marine life or reduce CO2/SO2/NOx emissions. </div><div><br /></div><div>It didn't have to be this way. </div><div><br /></div><div>(I'll write about Grayson another day as it's past my bedtime.)</div>badmomgoodmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11569728075698885020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15350975.post-82694812788799950102022-07-18T22:56:00.005-07:002022-07-18T23:31:49.979-07:00So your city has declared a climate emergency<p> We are experiencing record heat in both North America and Europe, during a La Nina year (when the planet surface tends to be cooler than average). The only way to stop this long-term runaway heating is to quit emitting so much CO2 and other planet-warming gases. Yet, our elected leaders, even in deep blue states, are not doing the necessary work.</p><p>I am so tired of fighting for substantive changes that I wrote about in <a href="https://badmomgoodmom.blogspot.com/2020/01/data-driven-climate-action.html">Data Driven Climate Action</a>. We know that 44% of LA County's GHG emissions comes from the transportation sector. If you add fossil fuel refining, it's over 50%. Over 2/3 of transportation emissions comes from private light-duty vehicles (cars, trucks, SUVs, minivans). Much of those miles are "junk miles" in the sense that they are short trips that could be done without a car if the built environment were not so auto-centric. </p><p>I have been a bicycling advocate since graduate school in the 1990s, when I was studying gas-phase chemical physics. We knew it was cars back then, and it's still true today. </p><p><a href="https://gml.noaa.gov/webdata/ccgg/trends/co2/co2_annmean_mlo.txt">Global Atmospheric CO2</a> was 360 ppm (parts per million) when I volunteered for my first Boulder BikeWeek. </p><p>CO2 was 367 ppm when I volunteered for my first El Segundo Bike to Work Day Challenge in 1998. </p><p>CO2 was 369 ppm when I went to my first Beach Cities Bicycle Network Community Outreach meeting in 1999. Community outreach took forever. My 21 year old daughter wasn't even conceived yet, which was why I had time to attend the meeting. </p><p>CO2 was 392 ppm in 2011 when <a href="https://bchd.org/docs/healthy-communities/South_Bay_BMP_Draft_Final_Plan.pdf">the South Bay Bicycle Master Plan</a> was adopted. Cities pledged that they would add the bike lanes when they repaved or did work on any of the streets in the network. Over time, the network would be completed. A few cities did the bare minimum, striping in door zone bike lanes or stenciling <a href="https://usa.streetsblog.org/2016/01/14/study-sharrows-dont-make-streets-safer-for-cycling/">sharrows</a> when they repaved streets. Others, just ignored the plan. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgREp_3tT5Kpp4UkPVMUjZT-eLh9ObwpiSyzXeOiFAfNpEHQMnHW-s06fSpYxyfsdofqsNLbdZTmOBY8ox2otFnZB0nwM2sQdoPo-fnUP4J7jlIy0FT0ycW3bPvxRlMjUlW9FXSqOs7nVQp8bvsiuvP8Xp_tnGr7OvYjG4ttn2zF5gbmNtRzA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1261" data-original-width="1955" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgREp_3tT5Kpp4UkPVMUjZT-eLh9ObwpiSyzXeOiFAfNpEHQMnHW-s06fSpYxyfsdofqsNLbdZTmOBY8ox2otFnZB0nwM2sQdoPo-fnUP4J7jlIy0FT0ycW3bPvxRlMjUlW9FXSqOs7nVQp8bvsiuvP8Xp_tnGr7OvYjG4ttn2zF5gbmNtRzA" width="320" /></a></div><br />CO2 is 428 ppm in mid-2022. Here are the existing bike lanes in the Beach Cities. Transportation planners are still expecting people to drive to the beach and ride along the Strand as recreation, not as every day transportation.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_cBIas8JCUNfbLJtgPF8nDAQR4i2PPjOkdwoScw48DnVwIoaug8ARKTGeespSa7e7ADXwnLTHcFNV2t4oiMiSkkcm3vfCUHIfOAC_gr0J6t3bJFBQiNQHbC2WfzezgIvyE-JtOr0GYs4G8Tu7CoUP7aH7xzCk5zOnwo59LK249VnOtTSGcA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1259" data-original-width="1941" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_cBIas8JCUNfbLJtgPF8nDAQR4i2PPjOkdwoScw48DnVwIoaug8ARKTGeespSa7e7ADXwnLTHcFNV2t4oiMiSkkcm3vfCUHIfOAC_gr0J6t3bJFBQiNQHbC2WfzezgIvyE-JtOr0GYs4G8Tu7CoUP7aH7xzCk5zOnwo59LK249VnOtTSGcA" width="320" /></a></div><br />Here's the innovation in 2022. Those promised bike lanes will become a <a href="https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/157cffcbae244fa39eb5b22c9575e563">Local Travel Network</a>, LTN, suitable for use by all sorts of low-carbon vehicles such as electric golf carts, eBikes, eScooters, motorized wheelchairs, skateboards, etc. They plan to start delivering this network in 2024. Notice how much less ambitious it is than the 2011 plan. It will not include anything other than <a href="https://usa.streetsblog.org/2016/01/14/study-sharrows-dont-make-streets-safer-for-cycling/">sharrows</a> and a few <a href="https://www.calbike.org/begging-off-beg-buttons/">beg buttons</a> at <i><b>existing</b></i> traffic signals. Unlike the 2011 plan, there will be no new traffic signals to allow cyclists to cross busy arterial streets. <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi5KLHTklKPjxQd-gaSOlemCeA0fpfF1KimQhozkP2MFQvKjWw_BLag_4-y3lmb0unyv2lqL-FOuQg6aMdtcfuizkZ54xD9BBzeIQp8r7cgE4tGVquYGBWCtvf9L3qeFv4rFEzERauDTOU9E0Y-qnck5MhZvr9W9Xd_Mav--yBBECnO2uk2sQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="985" data-original-width="1294" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi5KLHTklKPjxQd-gaSOlemCeA0fpfF1KimQhozkP2MFQvKjWw_BLag_4-y3lmb0unyv2lqL-FOuQg6aMdtcfuizkZ54xD9BBzeIQp8r7cgE4tGVquYGBWCtvf9L3qeFv4rFEzERauDTOU9E0Y-qnck5MhZvr9W9Xd_Mav--yBBECnO2uk2sQ" width="315" /></a></div><p>These purple lines are streets/roads where speed limits are 35 mph or less and are not truck routes. But notice how few of them cross the 405 Freeway or any of the high-traffic arterial roads/state highways. </p><p>Not only are the legal crossings few and far between, necessitating long detours, but some of those purple streets are one-way. Going in the reverse direction will require an even longer detour. I can't make anything this ludicrous up. </p><p>Consider the case of a student in North Redondo Beach who attends Mira Costa High School on an inter-district transfer. (The bus from North RB to RUHS in South RB is jammed and leaves kids stranded at the bus stop. To avoid this, some families beg for an inter-district transfer to the closer MCHS.)</p><p>If they had delivered on a bike lane along Artesia Blvd when they repaved it, students could take a direct route with a maximum grade of 5%. Not super pleasant, but doable if you had a protected bike lane. Of course there is no bike lane of any kind because that would have removed free on-street parking. Which is more important than our kids' lives and planetary health. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg1OdcMfQhgB7w4xeGpLxaf-FUlRbE4Q3teJequLKoi5rKGKy-0hP2YsAaoFGjuQEoCirD-pNlJas3EA4xUT2F4utysQqhNRXXj7Uauzvo6GJnv4jZI2aEeI1dVPU2Eo1Sk49BVcOeI_NDqWuSwhoW4PNyFF2WzpsB67d33zcMAncO2XNPZZA" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="1012" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg1OdcMfQhgB7w4xeGpLxaf-FUlRbE4Q3teJequLKoi5rKGKy-0hP2YsAaoFGjuQEoCirD-pNlJas3EA4xUT2F4utysQqhNRXXj7Uauzvo6GJnv4jZI2aEeI1dVPU2Eo1Sk49BVcOeI_NDqWuSwhoW4PNyFF2WzpsB67d33zcMAncO2XNPZZA" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Direct route: 1.6587 km, max 5% grade</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Instead, students must take a roundabout way to an existing traffic light at Robinson/2nd St. <p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhr4vfrb41V-XRH9HU3SHMWW5qiD7hTaiQSTZK3Q96V_0FsyjjqEbBRm0WY61exkf3rVb-v8WScslXn1eY3ZD3l0srdGu02UgwWr2qiE227SX6PKWXJ7rnEYFqZ4m-AVl37osF1PXcTPC2u_BCpvkBvHvx1wQ4lwsyte9sbXW7AikeeUg-Ecg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="1062" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhr4vfrb41V-XRH9HU3SHMWW5qiD7hTaiQSTZK3Q96V_0FsyjjqEbBRm0WY61exkf3rVb-v8WScslXn1eY3ZD3l0srdGu02UgwWr2qiE227SX6PKWXJ7rnEYFqZ4m-AVl37osF1PXcTPC2u_BCpvkBvHvx1wQ4lwsyte9sbXW7AikeeUg-Ecg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Westbound detour: 2.2982 km, killer 15% grade short hill</td></tr></tbody></table><br />But Robinson is a 1-way street going westbound, and so is Plant, the only other street connected to the east side of that traffic signal. To get home, our student has to take a different detour that crosses Artesia Blvd (CA 91) twice and Aviation at an angled intersection. <p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiHHdJz1B3Qgs-KPlk9jSZVn5XBb5SCalSPjsu4uCZnHTtdGzOMk_Bs7KUxMKoe01q84p0_TFsg-glk20BOftMxgDT1CT_ovTmURY9jOVXpd9hzUFWL-HO2oS6D5u-tKyat3ZTK_DRU6aqT4ekLJK-Z_BlkpriK8W_lsw82nFvTcvcF_YyPCg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="1070" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiHHdJz1B3Qgs-KPlk9jSZVn5XBb5SCalSPjsu4uCZnHTtdGzOMk_Bs7KUxMKoe01q84p0_TFsg-glk20BOftMxgDT1CT_ovTmURY9jOVXpd9hzUFWL-HO2oS6D5u-tKyat3ZTK_DRU6aqT4ekLJK-Z_BlkpriK8W_lsw82nFvTcvcF_YyPCg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2.874 km, wheelie territory 15+% grade sustained climb</td></tr></tbody></table><br />If they had built the 2011 Bicycle Master Plan, with a new traffic signal at Voorhees, our student would have had a reversible direct route. There's a 13% grade climb for half a block. But it's doable with an eBike or a very low gear or if they dismount and walk that section. <p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjfc5gGm2yqkRarRNlfAueP_IV5oBnEgE_-mY1BfoU1guQAxOxqN7_ibJmSpj6bKYyr5xp1vkizDOdXqyKUF78sxEINmTm3k0AKsS38IwIrkIhvO-OPGXuX6jJC6pi25erYDMUw0vUD8-TO3-nSouzaZSZAr7fp34fBuvh_lBxjupZBLX4_MA" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="963" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjfc5gGm2yqkRarRNlfAueP_IV5oBnEgE_-mY1BfoU1guQAxOxqN7_ibJmSpj6bKYyr5xp1vkizDOdXqyKUF78sxEINmTm3k0AKsS38IwIrkIhvO-OPGXuX6jJC6pi25erYDMUw0vUD8-TO3-nSouzaZSZAr7fp34fBuvh_lBxjupZBLX4_MA" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1.6991 km, max 13% grade</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>(I used mappedometer.com in metric to make calculating grades easier. )<br /></p><p>In what world do we expect people in an automobile to take a detour that adds 75% more length to their trip and steepens climbs from 5% to 15% grade? That's just abusive. </p><p>It's late, so I won't dissect why kids are riding eBikes in all sorts of unsafe ways. Spoiler, it's because the streets are hostile and don't allow them to take more direct and safer routes. <br /><br />This LTN will not make any difference when completed. </p><p>2024 will look a lot like 2022. Only CO2 will be higher still. <a href="https://bikinginla.com/2017/05/05/teenage-girl-killed-by-metro-bus-on-pch-in-redondo-beach/">And we'll have more dead kids</a>*. </p>* "the crash may have been a result of misaligned crosswalks due to the single diagonal cut handicap ramp, rather than two separate ramps aligned with the crosswalk." <div>I have written before about <a href="https://badmomgoodmom.blogspot.com/2022/03/diagonal-single-curb-cuts-i-dont-care.html">the danger of single diagonal curb cuts</a>.</div>badmomgoodmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11569728075698885020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15350975.post-80558308886263657582022-07-04T15:25:00.002-07:002022-07-05T22:04:18.603-07:00Utility Cycling<p> I do a lot of utility cycling around my suburban LA area since I bought an eBike. It's so easy to stop and take photos when out on bikes, I document some of the delightful or ridiculous things I see along the way. If you follow me on Twitter, you see the photos. </p><p>There are some bike snobs who insist that riding eBikes is cheating and we are not exercising. So I wrote a <a href="https://twitter.com/gspeng/status/1540156798635630592">Twitter thread about a recent 9.2 mi loop</a> covering 3 errands. </p><p>I found some numbers in <a href="https://www.latimes.com/opinion/la-xpm-2013-oct-11-la-ol-driving-bicycling-burns-calories-20131011-story.html">a 2013 LA Times Opinion </a></p>
<blockquote>Sure enough, bicycling 10 miles in an hour burns 484 calories, according to the chart. Walking three miles in an hour burns 353 calories. And driving 30 miles in an hour burns — wait for it — 170 calories!</blockquote>
<p>That presumes a lighter person on a lighter bike. My 53# eBike, 9# U-lock, 2" wide tires, middle-aged weight, and groceries mean I'm burning over 500 calories/hour if not using e-assist. I turn on e-assist only when going up steep or long hills, to get started at traffic lights/stop signs, to hit green lights (which are timed for car speeds), or to keep up with traffic on fast/busy roads.</p><p>I'm also a bit obsessed with data so I bought a <a href="https://t.co/Y7RFet6n7I">Kill-a-Watt device</a> to track how many watts I use recharging my eBike battery. I typically use 9-10 watt-hours (Wh) per mile in utility riding. </p><p>1 food calorie = 1 kilocalorie of energy = 0.0011622 kWh</p><p>I used 90 watt-hours = 77.44 kcal/food calories of electricity. </p><p>If I had ridden a non-assist bike at 10 mph, I would have used at least 500 calories. Assuming 77.44 of those calories came from e-assist, the breakdown would be 15% motor, 85% myself. </p><p>I did a little more searching for cycling speeds and calories burned. <a href="https://captaincalculator.com/health/calorie/calories-burned-cycling-calculator/">This website lets you plug in a weight and it calculates calories for a variety of cycling speeds</a>. I put in 175# for myself, my gear, my heavier-than-usual eBike. Stationary cycling doesn't have wind resistance, which is why outdoor riding uses more calories at higher speeds. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjryoJIE7SBCiDAsTdvwKABdDRozuIOVYW9F7zrYjT-cCVcYmJTWJLxzYQ1PVuTzasl14INLAHMrDcv9VjGGj4P6hvOsMvJ_sioHyBAjH5nOrPvbNQYcC_heFPp5xURe9ULz5zvYcmLz5Tl7fjdqZ2uGevkTp9ePJ9GU39qoFFST2nzcANrvg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="516" data-original-width="863" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjryoJIE7SBCiDAsTdvwKABdDRozuIOVYW9F7zrYjT-cCVcYmJTWJLxzYQ1PVuTzasl14INLAHMrDcv9VjGGj4P6hvOsMvJ_sioHyBAjH5nOrPvbNQYcC_heFPp5xURe9ULz5zvYcmLz5Tl7fjdqZ2uGevkTp9ePJ9GU39qoFFST2nzcANrvg" width="320" /></a></div><br />40 minutes of 15 mph riding on an eBike would be about 500 calories, same as the earlier estimate. This is reassuring confirmation. I'm using my eBike to ride faster and further. Hills will not stop me! <a href="https://www.treehugger.com/e-bikers-ride-much-farther-and-more-frequently-than-regula-bikers-5076231">Numerous studies show that I am not alone</a>.
<blockquote>The people who bought e-bikes increased their bicycle use from 2.1 kilometers (1.3 miles) to 9.2 kilometers (5.7 miles) on average per day; a 340% increase. The e-bike's share of all their transportation increased dramatically too; from 17% to 49%, where they e-biked instead of walking, taking public transit, and driving.</blockquote>
<p>I take my eBike instead of my car for more of my errands. That's a win for me (exercise in a busy schedule), for my community (no wear tear and parking to provide) and for my region (no air pollution). </p><p>I hope you try an eBike soon. If you have, drop a comment with your experiences. </p><p><br /></p>badmomgoodmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11569728075698885020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15350975.post-5154453493618567182022-06-20T11:14:00.007-07:002022-06-20T12:00:57.124-07:00Rhetorical Tricks: Water Edition<p> Sometimes, I read something that makes me so mad, I dash off a quick email to a friend who gets it. This time, I sent it off to the entire LWVC googlegroup and got some 'attagirl' affirmations back. So, let's share this take down. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvPcFwv5JkKA_V7gH74FLfHfPe_53KUIJ_SQMx4i6H8j2nZ0d9kfAuvksAzaKRBokl2Hiz4-gToGzivXTBLWUn3etpf7e0orvfpX8Yn3vrS6Yq84V161XFd12leNsJZZ3-y5u7fbg8H97s7-uP0Bn2zTQDEMneyT9fmlQ2csAMycjIhufLvg/s558/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-20%20at%2010.41.35.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="412" data-original-width="558" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvPcFwv5JkKA_V7gH74FLfHfPe_53KUIJ_SQMx4i6H8j2nZ0d9kfAuvksAzaKRBokl2Hiz4-gToGzivXTBLWUn3etpf7e0orvfpX8Yn3vrS6Yq84V161XFd12leNsJZZ3-y5u7fbg8H97s7-uP0Bn2zTQDEMneyT9fmlQ2csAMycjIhufLvg/s320/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-20%20at%2010.41.35.png" width="320" /></a></div><p>First, read <a href="https://www.latimes.com/environment/newsletter/2022-06-16/these-five-people-could-make-or-break-the-colorado-river-boiling-point?utm_id=58448&sfmc_id=2059544">These five people could make or break the Colorado River</a>. Do you see what is wrong with this quote by one of the five people, Imperial Irrigation District (IID) commissioner J. B. Hamby? </p><p></p><blockquote>Hamby also pointed to the huge amounts of water that are still wasted, in his view, in cities such as Los Angeles. "It’s very easy to point at the alfalfa field, but what about drying out the lawns and useless grass?"</blockquote><p> The Colorado River (CR) is subject to all sorts of <a href="https://uapress.arizona.edu/book/science-be-dammed">unrealistic math, well-documented elsewhere</a>. We have these benchmark Colorado River allocations based upon 16.5 Million Acre Feet (MAC). Mexico gets 1.5 MAF, and the Upper and Lower Basin states get 7.5 MAF each. </p><p><a href="https://www.ppic.org/wp-content/uploads/content/pubs/report/R_1016EHR.pdf">California gets the lion's share</a>. In the benchmark scenario, farmers, mostly the IID, get 3.85 MAF out of California's 4.4 MAF. The remaining 0.55 MAF goes to the <a href="https://www.mwdh2o.com/">Metropolitan Water District</a> (MWD), who sells it wholesale to 19 Million urban users based on a system of rights allocated decades ago. It's roughly a 70/30 split between farmers and urban users before water rights transfers. (Cities buy about 0.5 MAF of CR water allocations from farmers.)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpBU9NVqbcaCKGv_DaaPBLE_t4yVuyx_JvAgc_gyDNPBCnDMMzstKfuCacgl1mSvFjBdiWs-bB1QhWAJJu-E9uSHC4M1F1KUbg4aYM5OnVqXTMy4IUIflcsOHVLPUxPxKk-hGkcfP52OjnQsHK36_psfnCkquZuVa_48NA5JefpO6XvR0C4w/s735/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-20%20at%2010.52.03.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="464" data-original-width="735" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpBU9NVqbcaCKGv_DaaPBLE_t4yVuyx_JvAgc_gyDNPBCnDMMzstKfuCacgl1mSvFjBdiWs-bB1QhWAJJu-E9uSHC4M1F1KUbg4aYM5OnVqXTMy4IUIflcsOHVLPUxPxKk-hGkcfP52OjnQsHK36_psfnCkquZuVa_48NA5JefpO6XvR0C4w/s320/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-20%20at%2010.52.03.png" width="320" /></a></div><p>In practice, the CR does not have that much water and IID gets around 2.5-2.6 MAF and the cities get about half that, and then purchase more from farmers. </p><p>IID commissioner Hamby pointed to LA lawns in a rhetorical trick called misdirection. It's often employed by magicians so you don't look at what they are really doing. </p><p>Let's do the math! </p><p>If we take him literally, let's run the numbers for the City of Los Angeles' Department of Water and Power, LA DWP. </p>
IID receives 2.5-2.6 MAF from the CO River.
<a href="https://www.ladwp.com/ladwp/faces/wcnav_externalId/a-w-dwqr2020-w;jsessionid=0GyTvtFbVGF9LLWCQJ3tvVXDQMLNH12MgtscMjQ7P5wDBsHDF8KL!1612045194?_adf.ctrl-state=aghfwb6q_4&_&_afrLoop=42062337663795&_afrWindowMode=0&_afrWindowId=null#%40%3F_afrWindowId%3Dnull%26_afrLoop%3D42062337663795%26_%3D%26_afrWindowMode%3D0%26_adf.ctrl-state%3D16ojp6vkfb_4">LADWP uses 0.5 MAF/year from all sources</a> and serves 4 M people. An acre-foot serves 8 Angelenos for an entire year. (An acre foot serves 20 apartment dwellers in new, efficient homes!) <div><br /></div><div>About half is imported river water purchased from Metropolitan. 0.25 MAF
The exact mix of SWP and COR water each year varies based on availability, but figure half on avg. 0.125 MAF </div><div><br /></div><div>City of LA residents are pretty water thrifty.
About 1/3 might be outdoor use (perhaps 1/4).
Not all of the outdoor irrigation in LA is lawns.
Trees and shrubs are necessary to improve urban livability. </div><div><br /></div><div>Even if it were all lawns, we're down to (at maximum)
0.125 MAF/3 or 0.04 MAF compared to 2.5-2.6 MAF for the farmers of the IID. </div><div><br /></div><div>Anyway, finger pointing is a standard rhetorical trick to hijack the discussion.
As always, verify. Does not pass the sniff test. </div><div><br /></div><div>Hamby said some other whoppers, which I won't go into here until I finish some other work with real deadlines. </div>badmomgoodmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11569728075698885020noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15350975.post-28548466813671115702022-06-13T14:24:00.004-07:002022-06-13T14:59:27.446-07:00Vacancy Truths 2<p>I got asked this again and decided to publish this as a blog post instead of in an email because this is such a common misconception. </p><p>First, read <a href="https://badmomgoodmom.blogspot.com/2021/09/vancancy-truths.html">Vacancy Truths</a> from September 2021 for background. There's a link to <a href="https://darrellowens.substack.com/p/vacant-nuance-in-the-vacant-housing?s=r">Darrell Owens' explanation about why home might be vacant</a> and what we can learn from US Census Data. If a rental changes tenancy every 2 years, and it takes a month to clean/rehabilitate/lease out the rental. Thus, a 1/48 or 2.1% vacancy rate can mean essentially no open homes available. </p><p>As housing stock gets older, it takes longer to rehabilitate the units. Supply chain issues are also increasing the amount of time it takes to build new homes or spruce up old ones. It's not unusual to spend 2-6 months remodeling. A major SoCal developer announced to investors that home building is taking 6-8 weeks longer due to lack of materials and/or workers, citing kitchen cabinets as a major pain point.</p><p>The particular question from yesterday was from new homes in Pasadena, CA. She was sure that the new buildings in Pasadena are vacant and that developers get tax breaks to keep them vacant. </p><p><a href="https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/investments-and-rental-properties/discussion/rental-expenses-while-vacant-and-listed-for-sale-and-or-rent-which-ever-came-first-and-then-rented/00/30541">Intuit explains that there is no tax break for loss of income while a rental (or for-sale) home is vacant.</a> A lot of subsidized homes are built with the <a href="https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/lihtc.html">Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC)</a>. Wait lists for subsidized homes are years (often decades long), so there is no difficulty filling the homes. If there are people who need subsidized homes, and you keep LIHTC-financed homes empty, <a href="https://www.novoco.com/resource-centers/affordable-housing-tax-credits/lihtc-basics/about-lihtc">you lose your tax credits</a>. No sane builder would do that. I checked the most recent HUD data on LIHTC units (nationwide data) and they had a <a href="https://www.huduser.gov/portal/Datasets/lihtc/2019-LIHTC-Tenant-Tables.pdf">3.97% vacancy rate in 2019</a>.</p><p>Darrell Owens has helpfully extracted <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1terObc-KueTvuyanSVPyiQgTgrTNjVQ1/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=107059636089398410683&rtpof=true&sd=true">US Census data from 2010 and 2020 for all cities in California and shared it in a Google Sheets</a>. </p><p>In 2010, Pasadena had 59,551 homes (4,281 vacant) and 137,122 people</p><p>In 2020, Pasadena had 61,643 homes (3,659 vacant) and 138,699 people</p><p>This means that Pasadena added more homes than people in the last 10 years. This is not a failure in planning. This reflects the general trend of households (HH) trending smaller and older people staying in their homes longer, even if they don't need all that space. Younger people can't afford the single family homes (SFH) or don't have the down payments required to purchase SFHs or condos, so they end up living in the apartments downtown. </p><p>It's possible that some of the new infill homes in central Pasadena are vacant, but they may still be under construction (lack certificate of occupancy), rentals being readied for a new tenant, or be for-sale condos waiting for a buyer. (For-sale homes are vacant longer than for-rent homes.)</p><p>Let's look at the data from the <a href="https://scag.ca.gov/data-tools-local-profiles">SCAG Local Profiles</a> for communities in the 6-county (Ventura, LA, OC, Riverside, San Bernardino, Imperial) SCAG region. I pulled these charts from page 12 of the <a href="https://scag.ca.gov/sites/main/files/file-attachments/pasadena_localprofile.pdf?1606011204">Pasadena Local Profile, 2018</a>. They are derived from building permit data. Some of them are rebuilds and do not produce net new homes. (Likely source of discrepancy between the SCAG and Census data.)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBKmwskv-26gkrkmeWZs5H20XrF_adHK3u4tHF_orXFDFCPEGS8Zb8TaFpLuxWsT6c7TF-JU4UEcr696wG2CrwRskMd29Fczh_kTs-akENhrG1L4dweeaX7xgqPuCkVTFoMbvGALwCMpAygLE7hkmtN-nTkgEVVz3AyU21K4IHeVMGvljd1g/s775/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-13%20at%2013.52.58.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="775" data-original-width="749" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBKmwskv-26gkrkmeWZs5H20XrF_adHK3u4tHF_orXFDFCPEGS8Zb8TaFpLuxWsT6c7TF-JU4UEcr696wG2CrwRskMd29Fczh_kTs-akENhrG1L4dweeaX7xgqPuCkVTFoMbvGALwCMpAygLE7hkmtN-nTkgEVVz3AyU21K4IHeVMGvljd1g/s320/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-13%20at%2013.52.58.png" width="309" /></a></div>Pasadena has done a better than average (for the region) job of building new homes in the downtown area. That is also why so many young people live there. New people (young people forming households, newcomers to the area) will flock to where the open homes are.<div><br /><div>It may seem like there is a lot of construction, especially downtown, but it's a sampling bias. The <a href="https://www.cityofpasadena.net/planning/planning-division/current-planning-and-zoning/development-activity-map/">City of Pasadena Development Activity Map</a> shows building permits distributed throughout the city, but many of them are remodels or ADUs. The big construction projects are downtown, along major streets and freeways, because that is the only place cities allow them to be built. If we are driving around on the major roads (as most of our driving should be) we'll see more of the major projects. Explore the map; click on the orange dots to view data on each building site.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHGSzTb2W4QZ5Ed7Ib257OZD6r64g6ejuPUhsAYekKAI-4tkdo6jeNcuUp1Sdn4PUZtP-oK-rpwNowa6-C-D_eS-eS1g-cBRvzcmR8rTmm9aE4przVkU7ssf2EvC0A2U8ITL5YCWKsbJNR-rJxYUUEyLAm7ZR5oTCjcZl0WteUbaEi4BZ1zg/s1269/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-13%20at%2014.01.14.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="801" data-original-width="1269" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHGSzTb2W4QZ5Ed7Ib257OZD6r64g6ejuPUhsAYekKAI-4tkdo6jeNcuUp1Sdn4PUZtP-oK-rpwNowa6-C-D_eS-eS1g-cBRvzcmR8rTmm9aE4przVkU7ssf2EvC0A2U8ITL5YCWKsbJNR-rJxYUUEyLAm7ZR5oTCjcZl0WteUbaEi4BZ1zg/s320/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-13%20at%2014.01.14.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>I checked <a href="https://www.apartments.com/apartments/pasadena-ca/?mid=20220614">Apartments.com and there are 164 apartments available for lease in Pasadena</a> with next day occupancy (June 14, 2022). I checked Zillow and it shows 218 homes for sale and 152 for rent. I checked hotpads.com and it shows 279 apartments for immediate lease. Anyway, that's well under 1% of rental homes truly vacant, looking for a renter. Sounds like a very tight housing market. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.rate.com/research/pasadena-ca">Rate.com says that Pasadena</a> has a 1.2% homeowner vacancy rate and a 2.9% rental vacancy rate. I found it informative to compare Pasadena and Redondo Beach. That "little old lady from Pasadena is real; <a href="https://www.rate.com/research/pasadena-ca">27% of Pasadena residents are seniors</a>. But 25% are 20-34.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0yu7WEc5wA0OB-iqOmN9518J073OzAiAutEFhftCf6XVHfUG3CKoyZXrxB-XWBswzN1OfFsMA7n_gXFalXukp6-jHDBxZCbKRwkvZG9Is4q-od2z-GT-qKnMhXN5kz-zvX01qto0__8GmP25k4AEK0InQRpAdWHpJQgXYFxO34bYMOwaemQ/s1012/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-13%20at%2014.46.22.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="1012" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0yu7WEc5wA0OB-iqOmN9518J073OzAiAutEFhftCf6XVHfUG3CKoyZXrxB-XWBswzN1OfFsMA7n_gXFalXukp6-jHDBxZCbKRwkvZG9Is4q-od2z-GT-qKnMhXN5kz-zvX01qto0__8GmP25k4AEK0InQRpAdWHpJQgXYFxO34bYMOwaemQ/s320/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-13%20at%2014.46.22.png" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><a href="https://www.rate.com/research/redondo_beach-ca">Compare with Redondo Beach</a>, where 33% are seniors and 19% are 20-34. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs3PQSuWC9SW6aUPC0yVHXY0ORTFW4mpWR1WVKth_1tz2xhIPyVpsN-HqV5dh0iP93c2hnZgthTapqS5BlOL8OcMHqLZYEnB6rw-1GvhBPBO8qJz0VQG9nOK1sgOmj05UDt8LXghCcZcVs4TdD931wRCNXggQU3wjNw3AHA2gy_Cbz4mqZjg/s1023/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-13%20at%2014.48.35.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="524" data-original-width="1023" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs3PQSuWC9SW6aUPC0yVHXY0ORTFW4mpWR1WVKth_1tz2xhIPyVpsN-HqV5dh0iP93c2hnZgthTapqS5BlOL8OcMHqLZYEnB6rw-1GvhBPBO8qJz0VQG9nOK1sgOmj05UDt8LXghCcZcVs4TdD931wRCNXggQU3wjNw3AHA2gy_Cbz4mqZjg/s320/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-13%20at%2014.48.35.png" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Pasadena has 53% working age population (20-64) supporting 47% elderly (65+) or youngsters (0-19) for a dependency ratio of 0.89. Redondo Beach has 44% working age population supporting 56%, for a dependency ratio of 1.27. If you don't provide for young people, then your children will have to move elsewhere, and that can socially isolate the elderly as they age out of driving. My home town of Redondo Beach is facing the Silver Tsunami with no plan.<div><div><br /><p><br /></p><div><br /></div></div></div></div>badmomgoodmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11569728075698885020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15350975.post-84849512469226166422022-03-31T12:15:00.001-07:002022-03-31T12:15:26.507-07:00Diagonal Single Curb Cuts: I don't care if you live or die<p>I was walking home from the library and thinking about all the ways that my city doesn't prioritize people trying to make trips without cars. </p><p>Behold, the Single Curb Cut, set at 45 Degrees (on the diagonal) with respect to the crosswalks. It's hard to see underneath the car blocking the crosswalk.<br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOXE_H4VGRBQ5XnZ9KRScDPG16IowsZUKeQOEB3deEEelofZdu8z3rw_fzMJbwoJDa4XVeKYq8X1Dqt3FC9ps62l1HQhiOuKGMQlyh57eLq-_cKJ-cjnEMS4GAIEqzadTjHc2fUiVVq1lncIl4t00joF8thYQ0ji8bmaGhI6k4MlApw76rCA/s640/IMG_1176.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOXE_H4VGRBQ5XnZ9KRScDPG16IowsZUKeQOEB3deEEelofZdu8z3rw_fzMJbwoJDa4XVeKYq8X1Dqt3FC9ps62l1HQhiOuKGMQlyh57eLq-_cKJ-cjnEMS4GAIEqzadTjHc2fUiVVq1lncIl4t00joF8thYQ0ji8bmaGhI6k4MlApw76rCA/s320/IMG_1176.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Here's the view after the car made a right turn right in front of me as I approached the crossing. If I were in a wheelchair, or using a walker or shopping (granny) cart to get to the grocery store on the other side of the crosswalk, I would have to step out of the marked crosswalk, make a 45 degree turn to the left, cross in the sidewalk, then pull out into traffic again to go up the other diagonal ramp. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKWbKuWM_AshUut0gAUdLnTdSx0fcvjnlHGqf1_nNmkovE5kQiJ5gSxqndqiMw2X_w82KBC77CYpG7WRq6Cnn1ZkH5NgJUegvSMRPgazAO9sCte6Bz4Bz09zRu2xMuYZxh4a6vkKiuzID_LZnzC3PXfmSlGCMJnuigtPkcLGFTAQ27I3RGnw/s640/IMG_1177.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKWbKuWM_AshUut0gAUdLnTdSx0fcvjnlHGqf1_nNmkovE5kQiJ5gSxqndqiMw2X_w82KBC77CYpG7WRq6Cnn1ZkH5NgJUegvSMRPgazAO9sCte6Bz4Bz09zRu2xMuYZxh4a6vkKiuzID_LZnzC3PXfmSlGCMJnuigtPkcLGFTAQ27I3RGnw/s320/IMG_1177.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Notice the dark stain at the foot of the ramp? That's the damp spot left after the recent rain because the Diagonal ramp cut is a gravitational well at the intersection of two crowned roads. People who roll things will always be directed into a puddle with these kinds of curb cuts. <div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxDWloaHjF92X12hD8sHoJKlS1hZZxA60qTvLtsh7GQJad2nJT8juHeXKe6EFT-ANn35_aWZKIpBAwkMhkVRQECos5aj9dGWakUiH0ynMx6cgUCQk8jMo14lX7xwO06Rc3Kp7MpPjBAM0u_oGuGcz2bhUD2hyEIRCiUoEJh7PjL20u85MoSA/s640/IMG_1178.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxDWloaHjF92X12hD8sHoJKlS1hZZxA60qTvLtsh7GQJad2nJT8juHeXKe6EFT-ANn35_aWZKIpBAwkMhkVRQECos5aj9dGWakUiH0ynMx6cgUCQk8jMo14lX7xwO06Rc3Kp7MpPjBAM0u_oGuGcz2bhUD2hyEIRCiUoEJh7PjL20u85MoSA/s320/IMG_1178.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div>Imagine yourself in a wheelchair, trying to roll to the grocery store. You have to turn, roll yourself diagonally into the street, slowing yourself down so you don't roll off the sidewalk into speeding traffic. After you stop yourself, you need to make a sharp turn to get into the crosswalk, then roll outside the crosswalk to approach the diagonal curb cut. </div><div><br /></div><div>Turning slows you down, so you could be at a near dead stop. To get back onto the sidewalk, you have to push uphill starting from a dead stop in a low point. Now imagine yourself coming home from the grocery store, laden with food. Do that in reverse with the extra weight. </div><div><br /></div><div>At this intersection, there isn't even a marked crosswalk in the other direction; why direct the ramp towards the middle of the arterial intersection? Omission of a marked crosswalk and a traffic signal across this 35 mph arterial road (40,000 vehicles/day) means you want to suppress people from walking across the arterial at this intersection. You've already decided to pay for only a single curb cut. So why not align it with the marked crosswalk? </div><div><br /></div>badmomgoodmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11569728075698885020noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15350975.post-9806259396669962022-03-30T06:00:00.001-07:002022-03-30T06:00:00.171-07:00CA Car Rebates and Our Underfunded Active Transportation ProgramThere's been much hoopla about California's budget surplus and high gasoline prices. So why not use some of that surplus to alleviate pain at the pump? That may be good political messaging when the impetus is the much more mundane <a href="https://calbudgetcenter.org/resources/qa-why-hitting-gann-limit-threatens-ongoing-investments-in-californians/">Gann Limit</a> on CA public spending. The ghost of Howard Jarvis strikes again. Not content to limit just property taxes, they sponsored and got the electorate to approve <a href="https://calmatters.org/commentary/2022/01/outdated-gann-limit-challenges-states-ability-to-support-public-services/">caps on overall spending that limit public investment overall</a>.
<p>I don't want to belabor the stupidity of giving people who own cars $400 per car, up to $800 per person, while not similarly rewarding people who are either too poor to own cars and/or care enough about the common good to not own a private car in the first place.</p><p>In a world without all the stupid laws that we inherited, we could have fully funded our <a href="https://scag.ca.gov/active-transportation-funding">Active Transportation Program</a> (ATP) to increase the proportion of trips accomplished by biking and walking. The majority of ATP-funded projects are <a href="https://www.saferoutespartnership.org/sites/default/files/resource_files/atp_guide_final.pdf">Safe Routes to School</a>s--to help children get safely to and from school. Basically, we need to protect kids outside of cars from the cars chauffeuring them around. </p><p><a href="https://la.streetsblog.org/2021/06/02/californias-active-transportation-program-cant-meet-statewide-needs-on-a-shoestring-budget/">Because of limited funding, ATP grants are extremely competitive</a>. </p><blockquote>In 2014, cities and counties across the state requested about $1 billion in funding for pedestrian and bicycle safety projects, but there was only $368 million available, meaning about 37 percent of applicants were funded that cycle. Fast forward to Cycle 5 in 2020 when over $2.5 billion in funding requests were submitted for $554 million in available funding, a success rate of about 22 percent. In Los Angeles County, only 14 of 64 applications were awarded even partial funding, or 22 percent total – demoralizing, yet consistent with the statewide average.</blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggmTad-R1Bb9S-L0sun94VDMLkYiBTWh-p1Rpu6Zq9RV4pOSRUhPABNGa_P1vX879O5AX8myeMqTmNQ07wwKGz9nQqKOVsCWcK3Uavf9NcTgSumzkB3LdBkVkwkJ5Rd6igK3HnOf7wU4sZb2yCE8ncsOMZB7g0d4ne_04AR_uHM6ltONGHSA/s638/Screen%20Shot%202022-03-29%20at%2014.48.32.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="414" data-original-width="638" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggmTad-R1Bb9S-L0sun94VDMLkYiBTWh-p1Rpu6Zq9RV4pOSRUhPABNGa_P1vX879O5AX8myeMqTmNQ07wwKGz9nQqKOVsCWcK3Uavf9NcTgSumzkB3LdBkVkwkJ5Rd6igK3HnOf7wU4sZb2yCE8ncsOMZB7g0d4ne_04AR_uHM6ltONGHSA/s320/Screen%20Shot%202022-03-29%20at%2014.48.32.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>The <a href="https://catc.ca.gov/-/media/ctc-media/documents/ctc-meetings/2022/2022-03/17-4-21-a11y.pdf">2023-24 ATP budget is even grimmer</a>. ATP has $147,670,000 to spend that is not already committed to other projects. That means, the 6-county SCAG region of 20 M people (including LA County, has only $31,242,000 or about $1.50/resident. </div><div><br /></div><div>In contrast, <a href="https://ebudget.ca.gov/2022-Infrastructure-Plan.pdf">Governor Newsom's proposed 5-year infrastructure plan </a>will devote $10 B to electric cars and $20 B for roads, roughly $5 B/year (pages 7-8). This isn't even counting the $ spent on CHP and traffic enforcement. Due to the Gann limit, every $ spent in one place is a $ we can't spend somewhere else. This is extremely discouraging. </div><div><br /></div><div>In the mean time, we depend on volunteers and advocates such as Safe Routes Partnership to <a href="https://www.saferoutespartnership.org/california/2021/apply-our-atp-technical-assistance-cycle-6">help communities hone their proposals to improve their odds of winning an ATP grant</a>. "<span style="font-family: goudy-old-style, serif; font-size: 16px;">In ATP Cycle 5, four out of the five communities we worked with scored an 86/100 or above." In other words, communities can compete to get technical help to further compete to get funds to improve street safety for school children. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: goudy-old-style, serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: goudy-old-style, serif; font-size: 16px;">My community finally won an ATP grant, but the funds allotted are well short of what we really need to remodel our streets. We're likely to end up with some paint and street signs. Sigh. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: goudy-old-style, serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: goudy-old-style, serif; font-size: 16px;">We have so much work to do. Spend some time exploring the <a href="https://tims.berkeley.edu/tools/atp/">California ATP Transportation Injury Mapping System</a>. (You need to register to create a free account, but it's worth it. UC Berkeley researchers built the system and don't do anything nefarious with your search terms.)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: goudy-old-style, serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: goudy-old-style, serif; font-size: 16px;">Here's a heat map of the 2017-2021 carnage. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: goudy-old-style, serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhif14oX5CfGK_fPeGRgaUdlJC7A35ZotKEkZft-9FnWDw_qfzpLB_NHa4NbB8RzdWAcm-PFfpNtJtj-JIdjI5cd8e_9fvUNiC3ejyUJhnylOAgr_88zAdrJ3UFm6VGdmCkBSf7IijaEvMT3wwDuWEp2sSxUDv3bAThRTSeeiN9bQWlkSz7IQ/s1142/Screen%20Shot%202022-03-29%20at%2015.27.02.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="898" data-original-width="1142" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhif14oX5CfGK_fPeGRgaUdlJC7A35ZotKEkZft-9FnWDw_qfzpLB_NHa4NbB8RzdWAcm-PFfpNtJtj-JIdjI5cd8e_9fvUNiC3ejyUJhnylOAgr_88zAdrJ3UFm6VGdmCkBSf7IijaEvMT3wwDuWEp2sSxUDv3bAThRTSeeiN9bQWlkSz7IQ/s320/Screen%20Shot%202022-03-29%20at%2015.27.02.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: goudy-old-style, serif; font-size: 16px;">People who live in the neighborhoods with the larges blotches of red are least likely to own a car but most likely to be killed or maimed by one. In Los Angeles County, over 5 years, 173 cyclists dead, 1323 pedestrians dead, thousands more injured and maimed. Their lives will forever be marked by pain and disability. (I'm not even counting the effect of air pollution in their neighborhoods.)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: goudy-old-style, serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6NGN3x9sYoOqlpOQ-3xqnZwMdCgq67XiS_M0sfqaqz-0ndj035d5AJp2-0Tv51wuiVPwhNOU3eqSLTIGn6QB0Y694bMVld6sY-mzAhXhzIeCnLi0lSzjWbBT-9IFdCh3Ozd8MbxDwV_w-ZNoaXoLP56ZLHq1y2NGB4FyeuYXo_mQJ7HjdIA/s1145/Screen%20Shot%202022-03-29%20at%2015.30.24.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="548" data-original-width="1145" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6NGN3x9sYoOqlpOQ-3xqnZwMdCgq67XiS_M0sfqaqz-0ndj035d5AJp2-0Tv51wuiVPwhNOU3eqSLTIGn6QB0Y694bMVld6sY-mzAhXhzIeCnLi0lSzjWbBT-9IFdCh3Ozd8MbxDwV_w-ZNoaXoLP56ZLHq1y2NGB4FyeuYXo_mQJ7HjdIA/s320/Screen%20Shot%202022-03-29%20at%2015.30.24.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: goudy-old-style, serif;">The Gann Limit requires CA to give out rebates. I wish that the rebates be used for restorative justice instead of rewarding people for owning cars. Who's with me?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: goudy-old-style, serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: goudy-old-style, serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: goudy-old-style, serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: goudy-old-style, serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div>badmomgoodmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11569728075698885020noreply@blogger.com2