(10th in a series of posts on Walkability and Bikeability)
Stephen Thode is recently retired as director of the Murray H. Goodman Center for Real Estate Studies at Lehigh University. These comments appeared today in the Lehigh Valley Ramblings blog.
Several factors mitigate against increased “walkability” in Bethlehem. Let’s walk through them:
1) The urban cores of both the North Side and South Side have relatively low population densities (both residents as well as day visitors and workers) resulting in
2) A paucity of mass transportation AND a paucity of resident services in the urban cores, i.e., supermarkets, medical services, shopping, entertainment, etc. resulting in
3) The automobile becoming the default mode of transportation for all residents who can afford a car (or know someone who can drive them around).
Bethlehem will not become more “walkable” unless:
a) The urban cores become much more densely populated by residents as well as office, retail and shopping venues which will only occur if
b) A substantial number of high-rise apartment buildings and office buildings (with first-floor retail) are developed in the urban cores, and;
c) Mass transportation becomes frequent enough and broad enough to be a viable option for people to take to and from the urban cores.
Since Councilperson Van Wirt is on record opposing high rise development of any kind in the urban cores of Bethlehem, good luck with that.
I wonder how many miles Councilperson Van Wirt logs on her car each year. Where does she shop for groceries? Where does she go for medical services? Where does she shop for household items? Where does she go to see a movie, or hear a concert? Does she walk to these places? Does she take LANTA? Or, does she take private transportation?
Stephen Thode
As a medical provider to area Medicare recipients, Councilmember Van Wirt is probably in her car far more than she wants, and is likely to consolidate trips and errands so she can rest and do paperwork when she gets home. Does she walk to the Frank Banko Alehouse Cinema? Maybe; neither she nor anybody else is walking to the Boyd these days.