Livable Communities a Focus of Try Transit WeekLivable Communities a Focus of Try Transit Week
PHOENIX (August 31, 2000) - Growth. Transportation. Air quality. These
and other quality
of-life issues remain at the top of the Valley's hot-topics
list. They are also just three of the
components planners must consider when
developing livable communities.
As part of National Try Transit Week, the Maricopa Association of Governments
and the City of
Scottsdale are sponsoring "Livable Communities Day,"
featuring a short walking media tour to
demonstrate the many important
planning components that go into creating a livable city.
The tour will be held on Monday, September 11 at 9:00 a.m. and will feature
interviews with
Scottsdale Mayor Mary Manross as well as local and national
experts on transit and pedestrian
planning. The media tour will begin at
Chaparral Park, on the corner of Chaparral and Hayden in
Scottsdale, continue
a short distance through the park along a multi-use pathway, and conclude
at
a transit stop on the west side of Hayden Road.
Try Transit Week is a week-long series of events focusing on the importance
of transit. It is
being held in cities across the nation to call attention to
the many benefits a community
experiences when more people ride together to
their work, shopping and school destinations -
whether by bus, light rail,
carpool or vanpool. The use of transit can also reduce traffic
congestion and
air pollution.
The first stop of the walking media tour will feature Mayor Manross, a member
of the MAG
Regional Council, who will provide an overview of some of the best
planning practices in use
throughout the region. The City of Scottsdale has
been named as one of the "most livable" cities
by the U.S. Conference of
Mayors.
"If you could create the most perfect community, chances are it would contain
a mix of housing,
shops, work places, schools, parks and civic facilities,"
says Mayor Manross. "Transit would be
within easy reach, and you could walk
or bike to many daily destinations. Although I think
Scottsdale has been
highly successful in creating a 'livable community,' there is certainly
more
all of us can do to build neighborhoods that make home a great place to
be," she says.
The second stop of the tour will be on a multi-use path in the park. It will
provide an interview
opportunity with landscape architect and
nationally-known speaker Angela Dye, a regional
expert on pedestrian and
bicycle planning issues.
The third and final stop of the walking media
tour will be at the transit stop on the corner of
Hayden and Chaparral.
Scottsdale Director of Transportation Planning Michelle Korf will
discuss the
importance of a wide variety of transportation choices in creating
livable
communities.
"A viable transportation system is the backbone
of all livable communities," says Director Korf.
"A community must be
designed to incorporate all modes of transportation, whether by foot,
bike,
car or bus. Focusing on livable communities during Try Transit Week may help us
better
demonstrate the importance of the connection between transportation
and our quality of life."
For more information about Livable Communities Day or to arrange coverage,
please contact
Kelly Taft at (602) 452-5020, or Jim McIntyre at (480)
312-7607.
VIDEO/STILL OPPORTUNITIES