McIntire Park bridge

The biggest project the city completed this year is the bridge over the Norfolk Southern Railroad within McIntire Park.

The cost of building a bridge is much higher than the cost of clearing or paving a trail. The bridge had a price tag of $2.1 million, with one-fifth paid by local dollars and the rest by federal dollars distributed by the state, Gensic said. But the value also is high because bridges and tunnels stitch together areas that have been close but separate for years.

People can generally find a way until they hit a river, a highway, a railroad, and then theyre kind of stuck. Breaching the barriers is the heavy lifting, Gensic said.

Gensic and Krebs are both advocates for the benefits of paths and trails beyond recreation. Krebs said that using paths and trails for everyday transportation reduces stress and is good for the environment. Gensic said that providing good walking and biking infrastructure helps the affordability of the region if families do not need to own a car or do not need to miss work if their car breaks down.

Gensic said he has found that residents already are using new city paths for transportation.

A device installed on the McIntire pedestrian bridge counted 24,000 crossings in the first month, Gensic said. He said spikes in crossings around 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. tell him that people are using the infrastructure to get to work or school and back.

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Five new places to bike or walk in the Charlottesville area this holiday season - Charlottesville Tomorrow

Courtyard House / The Marc Boutin Architectural Collaborative Inc.

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Text description provided by the architects. Designed for a couple in Calgary, the client asked for a home that would cater to their need for privacy, and their two tortoises. The responding logic is two-fold: (1) the burying of social program as a means to provide privacy with the resultant framing of nature; and, (2) a hovering volume characterized by a perimeter poch wall that structures privacy and animates the interior via the filtration of light. In the first instance, a perimeter is defined via the woods on the north of the site and its suburban condition on the east and west. This boundary is further emphasized through the concrete walls at ground level which define the social spaces.

In the second instance, this burrowed space is juxtaposed by the suspension of a wood-clad volume that has been sculpted to condition light and fold it into the space below. Through the calibration and sculpting of a series of apertures, natural light is invited to make its way through the house, projecting down through interconnected spaces including a central tortoise court, illuminating the space within.

These apertures, tuned to enhance views of the landscape, also serve to animate the movement of the sun in the sky and define privacy on the upper level. From both the front and back, the house presents itself as a floating box its monolithic object-hood defined both geometrically and by way of material application, a wooden mass hovering above a concrete frame. While the upper volume displays a syncopated fenestration, the lower body offers only a sliver of light emanating from above the front courtyards 7 retaining wall. In both cases, whether it is that of the calibrated openings that line the top, or the illuminated ceiling space below, both datums participate in the orchestrated screening of visual information.

The upper level planning is designed as two 'addresses' accessed from the central circulation that wraps around the tortoise enclosure. The first address is the master suite, with the bedroom situated along the private backyard and the more public office space facing the front yard. Similarly, the children's address is organized with the bedrooms overlooking the backyard and their play space facing the front. The courtyards that comprise the house are created as a field of landscapes - both natural and psychological.

And while their perimeters are defined relative to one another in plan, in essence, the tortoise court serves as the vertical connection between the private realm of the floating box above, and the sweeping landscape that slides underneath. It is the linchpin of two halves. As the tortoises are left to occupy this resulting negative space, the final courtyard serves as a counterpoint for reflection in understanding the houses existence in the broader community. Assuredly introverted. Content. Quiet, and contributing to the broader communal courtyard from its position on the periphery.

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Courtyard House / The Marc Boutin Architectural Collaborative Inc. - ArchDaily

A full closure of Highway 1 in both directions approximately two miles north of Ragged Point in southern Monterey County will take place on Thursday, Dec. 19 during the overnight hours from 9 p.m. until 5 a.m., weather permitting.

This closure will extend from the traffic signals which maintain 24/7 traffic control north and south of the project area between the San Carpoforo Creek Bridge and Ragged Point.

Local residents will be able to proceed through the closed area when heavy equipment is not on the highway. Delays are anticipated not to exceed one hour. Electronic message boards will be posted to alert the public.

This full highway closure is necessary so that Caltrans can install pre-cast beams as part of a project to construct a viaduct and retaining wall along this portion of Highway 1.

This $4.1 million project is Souza Engineering of San Luis Obispo, CA. Its scheduled to be completed by the Spring of 2020.

Caltrans reminds motorists to move over and slow down when driving through highway construction zones.

For traffic updates on other state highways in Monterey County, travelers may contact Caltrans District 5 Public Affairs at (805) 549-3318 or can visit the District 5 website at: https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-5

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About the author: News Staff

News staff of the Paso Robles Daily News wrote and edited this story from local contributors and press releases. Scott Brennan is the publisher of this newspaper and founder of Access Publishing. Connect with him on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, or follow his blog. He can be reached at scott@pasoroblesdailynews.com.

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Highway One full closure near Ragged Point happening Thursday - Paso Robles Daily News

Gov. Ned Lamonts 10-year, $21-billion transportation plan announced in early November included funding for two new Hartford Line train stations in Windsor Locks and Enfield, which are seen as key to driving transit-oriented developments in those two northern Connecticut towns.

But while funding for those stations could be in jeopardy after Lamont failed to garner political support for wide-scale tolling, those communities and others hoping to one day land a train station have already kick-started plans to build apartments and other mixed-use developments that could thrive with easy access to rail service.

Were actually doing things, said Chris Bromson, town manager of Enfield, which plans to spend up to $4.2 million for a train platform if state funding for a $50-million train station doesnt materialize. Were not waiting, were not sitting on our hands with our hand out.

Lamonts CT2030 transportation investment plan, which included tolling cars and trucks in 14 locations, was soundly rejected by Republicans and Democrats, forcing the governor to support a scaled-down, trucks-only tolling option he says would raise $187 million in annual revenue, helping to finance $19.4 billion in transportation improvements over a decade. A spokesman for Lamont said the administration still views the train stations as a critical investment, but stopped short of guaranteeing funding for them under the trucks-only tolls plan.

Lawmakers could vote on that plan in January during a special session.

The Hartford Line currently has eight stops seven in Connecticut, and one in Massachusetts which have already spurred various developments along the 62-mile Springfield-to-New Haven route.

Investments in new mixed-use developments near existing or proposed Hartford Line rail stations have totaled approximately $430 million, according to Judd Everhart, spokesman for the state Department of Transportation.

Those projects, which encompass 1,400 residential units and 242,000 square feet of commercial and office space, date back to at least 2010, years before the Springfield-to-New Haven line expansion debuted, but in anticipation of its potential impact.

In Berlin, for example, there is an $18-million plan to build a mixed-use village with 76 apartments and 19,000 square feet of medical office and commercial space on a four-acre parcel near the towns recently built train station at 51 Depot Road.

However, there wasnt enough funding to build train stations in five other communities: Enfield, West Hartford, Windsor Locks, Newington and North Haven.

In recent years those towns have quietly put together development plans near potential train-station locations, hoping that would get them to the front of the line when state funding becomes available.

Lamonts transportation plan originally chose Windsor Locks and Enfield as winners, though that funding now remains uncertain.

Regardless, most of these towns are still moving forward with transit-oriented development plans, hoping that stations or platforms will one day be built in their backyards.

Enfield has long lobbied for a train station in its Thompsonville section, Bromson said. That desire played a large role in recent development in the area, like the conversion of the former Bigelow-Hartford Carpet Mills factory on North Main Street into a 471-unit apartment complex adjacent to where the train station or platform will go.

The luxury apartments are about 95 percent occupied, Bromson said, adding that such living units with close proximity to rail service attract older individuals who are downsizing, and younger people fond of public transportation.

There isnt this love affair as much today, especially among young people, with cars, Bromson said. They use mass transportation like my parents and grandparents did; so thats a remarkable change.

Kristen Gorski, Economic Development Specialist, West Hartford

West Hartford was hoping for a train station near its CTfastrak busway stop on Flatbush Avenue, said Kristen Gorski, the towns economic-development specialist.

A rail stop would bolster efforts the town has made to attract developers to the New Park Avenue corridor, and make the area less car-centric, Gorski said.

In 2015, the town amended zoning regulations to allow for mixed-use development inthe New Park Avenue district, which is home to several key manufacturers like Colt, to allow for residential as well as industrial development.

Three years later, Trout Brook Realty Advisors completed the $20-million 616 New Park mixed-use development, which includes 54 apartment units and 3,000 square feet of retail space, Gorski said.

The developer has already proposed a similar 52-unit mixed-use apartment project nearby, Gorski said.

West Hartford and Department of Transportation officials were relatively early in the planning stages for the train station when funding was cut, Gorski said. But she believes development that has already occurred near the CTfastrak station at the intersection of New Park and Flatbush avenues demonstrates the likelihood of further development benefiting Hartford as well as West Hartford if the train station were built.

We were incredibly disappointed as a community to find out that funding was cut, Gorski said. I think the Fastrak stations have helped us a great deal in terms of increasing transit-oriented development and having conversations with prospective developers who may now have interest in that area where they may not have before.

The Hartford Line has eight stops: seven in Connecticut, and one in Massachusetts.

Windsor Locks already has a Hartford Line rail platform, but the town wants to build an actual station on Canal Bank Road.

That station would sit next door to the $64-million, 160-unit Montgomery Mill apartment redevelopment that debuted in August.

Windsor Locks Director of Planning and Development Jennifer Rodriguez said the project was partially meant to encourage DOT to build a train station nearby, but its demonstrating other benefits.

The Montgomery Mill is a perfect example of a transit-oriented development project, a catalyst site, Rodriguez said. Weve had an uptick in small businesses on Main Street, we have more inquiries than we have space right now, so were hopeful that more new construction proposals will come in the near future.

Additionally, the town recently selected a development group Windsor Locks TOD LLC, led by project manager Todd McClutchy of Stamford-based JHM Group of Cos. to lead the conceptual planning of a mixed-use development on Main Street near where the train station would be built. The area is known as Windsor Locks Commons.

The development group proposed a multi-phased project that would include construction of one or two four-story buildings with 15,000 to 20,000 square feet of commercial space and up to 70 residential units.

The town also proposed fixing a retaining wall and developing a parcel across the street from the Commons into another mixed-use building and parking garage, but no developer has officially expressed interest in that project.

Meantime, the town of Newington recently created a 64-acre mixed-use overlay zone north and south of Cedar Street, where a $55-million train station would go.

The zone would make transit-oriented development possible, said Andrew Brecher, the towns economic-development director.

Brecher said a train station in Newington would be good for the town, and the Hartford Line.

This Newington station has the greatest potential for any [proposed station] along the Hartford Line, Brecher said

Michael Freda, First Selectman, North Haven

North Haven First Selectman Michael Freda said his town is an attractive place for a train station because of recent development thats been done near the proposed site off the Route 40 connector, which is also accessible to Hamden and Cheshire residents.

The spot abuts a 144-unit apartment building, and medical facilities that employ about 400 people, Freda said.

The train station could also be a catalyst for redeveloping the vacant Pharmacia and Upjohn Company LLC site on Stiles Lane, but without state funding, North Haven cant muster the funds necessary for the project, he said.

The unknown is when the state transportation fund will have enough funding in it to get this project under construction, Freda said. So where it leaves us right now? Were in a pause phase, were on hold.

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As five towns wait for Hartford Line train stations, transit-oriented developments move forward - Hartford Business

Updated: May 25, 2018:

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Walls and Fences Are Not The Same | Farrell Fritz, PC - JDSupra - JD Supra

A 23-year-old Boston man who was allegedly speeding and driving under the influence of alcohol rolled over a 2019 Nissan Rogue on Storrow Drive early Monday and then struck a retaining wall and a building, according to State Police.

The crash occurred on Storrow Drive eastbound at Clarendon Street around 2:20 a.m., Dave Procopio, a State Police spokesman, said in an e-mail.

Troopers arrived to the find the Rogue lying on its side up against a building at the corner of Clarendon and Back streets, Procopio said. They talked with the driver, Devansh Kumar, who was the Rogues lone occupant and was uninjured, and gave him a portable breath test.

The troopers determined that Kumar was impaired and placed him in custody, taking him to the Boston barracks and administering a breathalyzer test, Procopio said.

Kumar faces charges of speeding, operating under the influence of liquor, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, and a marked lanes violation, Procopio said. He is expected to be arraigned at Roxbury Municipal Court.

Jeremy C. Fox can be reached at jeremy.fox@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @jeremycfox.

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Driver charged after car rolls over on Storrow Drive, strikes building - The Boston Globe

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Hello from the Magic Kingdom! Or more specifically, from the construction site that is Magic Kingdoms entrance. When guests arrive off the monorail, ferry, or bus, theyre greeted with a mess of green construction walls. All of these enhancements (as theyre called by Disney) are happening in preparation for Walt Disney World Resorts 50th anniversary.

The most noticeable progress has been on the structure nearest Seven Seas Lagoon.

Since our last update, construction wrap has been put on the structure, covering the insulation. The buildings exterior panels have begun to go up.

On the underside of the roofs eaves, paneling has been installed.

The same panels have been added to the underside of the open air sections ceiling. Lighting fixtures have been hung. The bulbs match the other lights around Magic Kingdoms front entrance. Gutters have been attached to the front of the buildings roof, as well.

A new gabled dormer has appeared on top of the rooftop. This dormer is the first theming element added to the building. Metal roofing has been applied to part of the roof.

The red concrete now stretches the full length of the construction site. In our last update, the new concrete was only under the structure.

The interior side of the building has been completely enclosed.

A retaining wall has been built toward the end of the structure.

Our best guess is that this structure is going to be a new security screening area for guests traveling to the Magic Kingdom from resorts on the new gold line ferry. The new gold line ferry dock is currently under construction. As for the enclosed portion at the end of the structure, were thinking this could be possible guest service windows.

Its exciting to see theming elements being added to this new structure. Were interested to see how it will change the appearance of Magic Kingdoms entrance. Keep checking WDWNT for updates on all of the construction happening around the Disney Parks.

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PHOTOS: Exterior Panels and Dormer Added to Upcoming Structure at... - wdwnt.com

A former college football player is teaching young men with autism how to boxand theyre teaching him some lessons, too

By Steve Roberts

| Published: 2019-12-16 09:25

On Jan. 1, 1981, Ken Gear played wide receiver for the University of Michigan at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. A crowd of 104,863 watched the Wolverines pummel the University of Washington by a score of 23-6. These days, Gear runs the Bethesda Boxing & Kickboxing Academy, a small storefront gym on St. Elmo Avenue, where he teaches a class of four young men with autism. There are no marching bands or television cameras, no cheerleaders or championships. But at 59, he is rediscovering the passion and purpose he felt long ago as a college athlete.

In our autism class, at the end of each class we put our hands together and we say, team on three, he tells me. Were a team, and I think thats resonating with them. Were all in it together, and thats the approach that seems to work.

They were not allowed to be on sports teams, and I view this like its a sport, Gear says of his students, who range in age from their late teens to mid-30s. Were just practicing, we dont have any games, but practice is our game. Were getting better every time, and theyve responded very well. People rise to the expectations that are set for them. Thats always been my experience.

Progress is measured in very small steps. Gear describes one class regular who could not learn to throw a left hook. Finally, the boys mother, who was observing the lesson, suggested he move his left foot at the same time. As soon as he turned his left foot, his shoulder turned as well, he was doing the form I was looking for, Gear recalls. That was a huge breakthrough, I could see in his face how happy he was at getting it.

Gear grew up in Madison, Wisconsin, where his father worked as an extension agent for the University of Wisconsin and his mother was a nurse practitioner. At the beginning of his junior year at Michigan, six months after the Rose Bowl, he pulverized his liver when he ran into a retaining wall during preseason practice. That ended my football career, he says, but it opened the door for me to explore as a student.

He took a creative writing class, hung out with a group of grad students, read a lot of black literature and, after graduation, earned a masters degree in urban policy at the New School for Social Research in Manhattan. Gear was working on Wall Street for Standard & Poors, the bond-rating agency, when his wifes job with a financial services company brought the family to this area in 2006. They settled in Potomac with their three children, who are now in their 20s, and Gear cycled through jobs with Fannie Mae and the D.C. government.

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Former College Football Player Teaches Boxing to Men with Autism - BethesdaMagazine.com

Two people are dead and three others were taken to a hospital Saturday morning after a single-car crash.

The car, a 2008 Saturn Aura, was headed east on Dewey Avenue at a high speed, Omaha Police Sgt. Neal Bonacci said. The car, with five people inside, left the roadway to the south, struck a tree, then hit a retaining wall near 37th Street, Bonacci said.

The crash occurred before 3:15 a.m., police said.

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On Saturday afternoon, police identified one of the two men who were killed as Justin Estrada, 18, of Omaha. He and the other person who was killed were in the back seat with Eltio Plater, 19, of Omaha, police said. Plater suffered a life-threatening head injury.

The driver of the Saturn was identified as Angela Alejo, 21, of Omaha. She suffered a serious head injury that is considered life-threatening, police said.

The front-seat passenger was identified as Alisha Jones, 20, of Council Bluffs. She suffered a serious injury to her arm.

At least four of the occupants were ejected, Bonacci said. The two people who were fatally injured were declared dead at the scene, and the other three were taken to the Nebraska Medical Center.

Most of the occupants were not wearing seat belts, said Officer Michael Pecha, a police spokesman. Alcohol use and speed were considered factors in the crash, police said.

World-Herald staff writer Chris Machian contributed to this report.

Omaha's 10 busiest intersections

2016 rank: 9

2018 vehicles per day: 64,000

Traffic trend: Dropping

This intersection, just north of Interstate 80, saw its traffic numbers dip over the two years. But the totals are up significantly from 2014, when it ranked as the regions 40th busiest intersection.

2016 rank: 14

2018 vehicles per day: 65,100

Traffic trend: Growing

The 108th Street and West Maple Road intersection is a gateway to and from the Interstate. It draws 16,300 more vehicles a day than the 120th and West Maple intersection.

2016 rank: 8

2018 vehicles per day: 65,900

Traffic trend: Decreasing, too

This one held its place as the eighth-busiest intersection.

2016 rank: 5

2018 vehicles per day: 66,200

Traffic trend: Decreasing

Traffic counts are down through the stretch of Dodge Street east of Omahas busiest intersection and through intersections including 86th, 84th, 78th, 72nd and 69th Streets. Its still Dodge Street theyre still busy intersections. Just not as busy.

2016 rank: 26

2018 vehicles per day: 69,150

Traffic trend: Increasing greatly

Traffic at this intersection backs up often, and its counts grew by 14,450 in the two-year period.

2016 rank: 3

2018 vehicles per day: 72,300

Traffic trend: Dropping, too

The 72nd and Pacific intersection ranked third but now is fifth.

2016 rank: 2

2018 vehicles per day: 75,850

Traffic trend: Dropping

The 72nd and Dodge Street intersection is still a busy one. But the numbers show that traffic there has dropped a bit in the past few years. In 2016, it ranked as Omahas second-busiest intersection. With the daily vehicle total dropping by 7,750 and with southwest Omaha traffic picking up 72nd and Dodge fell a couple of spots.

2016 rank: 7

2018 vehicles per day: 84,250

Traffic trend: Increasing a lot

The 132nd and L Street/Industrial Road intersection isnt far behind its counterpart a mile east at 120th and L, seeing just 500 fewer vehicles per day. But its increase is greater growing by 13,500 vehicles a day in the two-year period. It draws a lot of traffic from Millard, and Sarpy County beyond that, along with traffic from west Omaha and the West Center Road corridor. In 2013, the Streetsblog website named it the Worst Intersection in America for the trouble it poses pedestrians.

2016 rank: 4

2018 vehicles per day: 84,750

Traffic trend: Increasing a lot

A several-mile stretch of L Street/Industrial Road -- including the 132nd and 144th Street intersections -- is drawing a lot more traffic. Traffic at 120th and L Street grew by 10,200 vehicles a day over the two-year period, according to MAPAs numbers. Thats a nearly 14% increase. Its an important corridor through southwest Omaha. At 120th Street, the intersection is essentially a gateway and exit point for Interstates 80 and 680.

2016 rank: 1

2018 vehicles per day: 106,900

Traffic trend: Growing

This is Omahas busiest intersection, as it has been since construction of the elevated West Dodge Expressway, which addressed traffic backups at 114th Street and West Dodge Road. When that $100 million project happened, it was expected that the busiest intersection would shift down Dodge to 90th Street. It has 90th Street and West Dodge Road now has more traffic than 114th and West Dodge did before construction of the elevated expressway.

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Omaha police ID 1 of 2 people killed in Saturday morning crash at 37th and Dewey - Omaha World-Herald

RAVEto whomever decided it was a good idea to put a grid on the back of wrapping paper as a cutting guide. Every Christmas, I send good vibes to the genius who started this and to the companies who adopted this practice.

RANTto the Seattle Aquarium for its plans to create a $113 million pavilion with sharksandstingrays for the new waterfront promenade. BOOOO! No more sharks and rays in captivity. Have they not seen the horrendous situations around the world with orcas and dolphins in captivity for the last 40 years? Shame on you, Seattle Aquarium.

RAVE to Courtney, who came to my rescue at the cashiers counter on Thanksgiving eve when I found I had left home without my wallet. Ill pay it forward, thank you.

RANTto people who make you take your shoes off when entering their home and dont warn you ahead of time or provide slippers/socks for you to wear. I have very unattractive feet and do not like to flaunt them. Imagine my horror at a recent holiday party when I had to be barefoot all evening. Never mind that the floors were tile and hardwood. My feet are still frozen stumps! Had I known, I would have made the proper footwear choice.

RAVE to all the parents who have taught children good table manners, chewing with a closed mouth being the most important. It is not pleasant to watch people chew their food.

RANT to whoever designed those gaudy, tacky lights that dance across the girders above T-Mobile Park at night. They are way too bright and cheesy and there are too many colors. I call them Galloping Girders. A simple, staticone-or-two color display (like the oneabove CenturyLink Field) would be better.

RAVE to Seattle Public Utilities and the graffiti-intake staff. I made an online report of new graffiti on a retaining wall across the street from my property, received acknowledgment and a tracking number for my report, and the graffiti was removed a few days later. Another email informed me my report had been resolved. Their system made the reporting process easy and I was impressed with their speed and efficiency! Thank you.

RANT AND RAVERave to pedestrians who make eye contact with drivers to be sure theyve been seen before crossing the street. Rant to pedestrians who jump out from behind cars that are parked too close to the corner, so theyre not visible to passing drivers until the last second. Think and look!

RANT AND RAVE Rave to the Phinney Neighborhood Association for putting on their 39th annual Winter Festival & Crafts Fair, which supports many local artists. It is so much fun! Rant to the parking Grinch that called Seattle police, who ticketed me because my car was parked within 5 feet of her driveway (not blocking it). I had no idea this was a law in Seattle!

Originally posted here:
Rant & Rave: A toast to the inventor of cutting guides on wrapping paper - The Seattle Times