Food for Thought::: The July issue of Lattitude 38 includes an article titled “To the Guillotine” by Max Ebb, on pages 78-80. The article stood out for this Port Townsend mariner because of the arguments described at the featured meeting against government’s frequent attraction to bright and flashy projects that don’t pencil out, especially in terms of economic development and equity. And then there is parking or lack thereof. A mundane thing such as parking is at the center of major initiatives even in a big city like San Fransisco. It is a monstrous issue here in Port Townsend where not enough people or businesses take advantage of the Haines Place Park&Ride. People seem to think it is OK to clog up limited waterfront access with parking. What is the real impact of this behavior? What is the answer? It is a deep subject that closely ties into both population and economic growth in small and large communities alike.
On a side note, the smaller foiling Navier concept pictured in the article as a possible alternative to foot ferry traffic has a connection to Paul Bieker, a well known naval architect right in our back yard, Anacortes, and someone who has often collaborated with our local marine trades. He is also a collaborator on a larger foiling ferry project with Washington State’s Maritime Blue initiatives. These innovative initiatives have a lot of potential benefits, and side effects, no doubt. Wouldn’t it be amazing if we could get similar brilliance & funding to address the less shiny parking and equity issues in the same package? Just food for thought…
