Last updated: 21st June 2004
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From Dr. Joseph LeMaster, University of Missouri Healthcare:
Mayor Darwin Hindman Re: Proposed Amendments to the Columbia Subdivision Street Design Standards Dear Mayor and Colleagues, This letter comes in support of the proposed Street Design Standards. I have reviewed these and see that they strongly support the placement of appropriately wide sidewalks, ped-ways and bike lanes. As you are all well aware, obesity has become a problem of mammoth proportion in our nation, afftecting more than 25% of the adult population. Interestingly, also only 25% of the population currently participates in the amount of physical activity recommended by the Surgeon General and the American Colleage of Sports Medicine: 30 or more minutes per day most days of the week. Walking and bicycling are the most appropriate means of obtaining adequate physical activity and controlling this public health emergency. I am a member of the Faculty of the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Missouri Columbia. I conduct physical activity research among people with diabetes and other chronic illnesses, and have just received funding to conduct a study investigating the effects of physical activity among a group of people with complicated diabetes. This study will take place here in Columbia, and has been funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. I strongly endorse the proposed Street Design Amendments. Yours sincerely,
Joseph (Joe) W. LeMaster, MD MPH
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From Leigh Lockhart, owner of Main Squeeze Natural Foods Cafe To the Council, I am sorry I missed the discussion at Monday night's meeting. I heard there was a great deal of support for the Proposed Street Standards and I wanted to add my voice. As a citizen who enjoys being able to safely bike or walk to work and around town, the advantages of the Proposed Standards seems obvious. Often if I am passing a person in a wheelchair or a person pushing a stroller with another child in tow, there isn't enough room. Wider sidewalks would remedy this problem. Also I believe the aesthetic of wider sidewalks is very appealing. It does, I think, encourage activity. If our trails and walkways are lovely, comfortable and maintained, who wouldn't want to get out? As a downtown business owner I would like to address this same issue from the view of the minimum wage workers who bike and walk to work, not by choice, but by necessity. Making the thoroughfares in our great city more accessible, safer and more appropriate is really a great service to the hundreds of employees that rely on snow removal and safe sidewalks to get to work each day. As a sidebar, in my 7 years in business and 137 employees later, only about 30 of those 137 have had a car. I think it's awesome. Well, I am excited about the Standards. Having Pedways in Columbia is a dream come true for thousands of us. I understand the Council had some questions to resolve before moving forward, and by all means, it has to make sense. But for me, money spent on improving the infrastructure of Columbia, especially in a way that promotes a healthy, active community, is money very well spent. Thanks for the opportunity to express my support.
Leigh Anne Lockhart
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From James Werner and Christine Bird Dear Mr. Loveless: I am writing to urge you to support the "Street Standards" for the sake of our community. Nothing on the City Council agenda will do more to enhance the long term economic viability of Columbia than these street standards. Much of what initially attracted people and businesses to Columbia is fading - they were investments made in the 1970-1990s. Now, sprawl has gripped Columbia to such an extent that it is now indistinguishable in many ways from East Los Angeles, Northern New Jersey or strip development in Florida. Like many people here I am a transplant, drawn here because of a job and the prospect of raising my family in a small town. Though we moved here from a "big city", it was more like a small town than Columbia, because every street had sidewalks. Kids could visit their buddies. Senior citizens could stroll in the evenings. People got to know one another walking to the store or to dinner, and nobody could get sick without neighbors pitching in to help by bringing casseroles and retrieving the newspaper. Here in Columbia folks drive everywhere including into their garage at the end of the day, and never have the spontaneous and casual opportunity to get the know their neighbors. I have heard the street standards will have health benefits and save money through lower health care costs. I do not doubt that that is true, but I can attest that street standards to include sidewalks and people-friendly streets will make this a more attractive community to live and work. Please vote to support the street standards. These standards were developed after much research, debate and discussion. It's time to act. We will be watching how you vote. Sincerely,
James D. Werner and Christine A. Bird
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