Sharing is Caring: Bike Edition

          Public transportation allows for quick and easy access to predetermined locations. Once you arrive at your stop, you generally have to take one step further to get to your final destination. This can be spent walking, or, in some cities, biking. For those who do not have a bike, but want to do some easy physical activity, a bike share is the best choice. With its relative ease, and affordability, it can become an afternoon adventure.
          Recently, when I was in Washington DC, I decided I wanted to explore my surrounding area. Rather than walk, which would have forced me to stay relatively close to my place of stay, I walked a block to a bike share stand. A collection of bikes awaited me, along with a map of the city marking where different stands were available. Within two minutes I was on the road. As I biked around the city I never went five minutes without seeing a stand where I could drop my bike off and be on my way. The people I saw taking advantage of this bike share system were not only tourists, but residents of the DC metro area, and friends out for a weekend adventure. The bike share program in DC made access to the city readily available.
          Similar Bike Share initiatives have sprouted up in Boston, New York, Denver, and Tampa. All of these bike share programs have faced their fair share of problems, whether it be technical, or monetary, but all have seen success. Providence, and the surrounding communities would be an ideal place to add to the list of cities with bike shares. Bike share stands could be downtown, college hill, the east side, Blackstone Boulevard, India Point park, Hope Street, Smith Hill, Federal Hill, and throughout the rest of Providence. A fixed destination point could draw new businesses to cater to those who take advantage of the system, invigorating the economy and small business growth.

          Starting a Bike Share program takes the public's support, months of preparation, and considerable sums of money. While the startup of such a program would be difficult, the possible benefits to come would support, and provide growth for surrounding communities. 

And The Roads Came Tumbling Down

Minneapolis Bridge Collapse, 2007

          The infrastructure in America has been steadily falling apart since its birth. The road, bridge, and train systems are the veins of America, where each destination is another heart. They lead the traveler to their point of arrival, hopefully with ease and speed. The quality of a country's infrastructure is a good indicator of its wealth, and economic health. Having money to spend on improvements of highways, and streets directly parallels the well-being of a country. It is no surprise then, our infrastructure is in need of repair, just like our economy.
          Following the War of 1812, Henry Clay introduced his economic plan, the "American System." The main principle behind this plan was it's call for expanding the country's road, and canal systems. At a time where Nationalism was high, the United States did not want to turn to Britain's laissez-faire economic policy, but instead provide subsidies for internal improvements which would cultivate agricultural advancements. Our country needs a new "American System."

The ASCE Report Card for Rhode Island

         On March 29th, 2013, President Obama discussed our country's need for infrastructure improvements. Across the nation, our roads and railways are lacking, but first lets look at the small scale, the smallest scale there is for a State, Rhode Island. According to the ASCE's (American Society of Civil Engineers) 2013 Infrastructure Report Card, 70% of roads are "poor or mediocre quality", this in turn takes $467 from the pocket of a Rhode Island driver. Let's turn the bridges of Rhode Island, 20.6% are "structurally deficient", and 33.7% are "functionally obsolete."The shape of Rhode Island's infrastructure also mirrors the fiscal standing of the state, meek. This year the US received an astounding D+ from the ASCE's Report Card, which is quite a step up from the 2009 ranking of a D. These grades are a clear indicator of the lack of initiative there has been to improve the infrastructure throughout America.
          Rebuilding our infrastructure would provide for thousands of jobs, jumpstarting our economy and improving our means of travel.

For more information on the infrastructure throughout the Country visit the following:
http://www.infrastructurereportcard.org/a/#p/home
http://www.infrastructurereportcard.org/
http://www.infrastructurereportcard.org/a/#p/state-facts/rhode-island