Ventura County Civic Alliance — Livable Communities Newsletter – May 15, 2020

A few months ago, some of the adjustments we have had to make to our daily lives would have been unthinkable. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed all that. What we define as “livable” has now changed, of necessity, but what does this hold for the future?

It is said that every cloud has a silver lining and while this cloud is incredibly dark- economically, emotionally and physically-there may be the faintest glimmer of a silver lining. The stay-at-home mandates have drastically reduced the numbers of cars on the road. Save for the trucks delivering food, packages, medical supplies and essentials to us from across the country, the freeways seem eerily empty. In lieu of commuting to jobs, many people are tele-commuting. Whole industries have shifted how they conduct business. Have you noticed how much bluer the sky looks without all those carbon emissions? According toYifang Zhu, a professor at UCLA’s Fielding School of Public Health, in the month since the March 16 stay-at-home order the Los Angeles region has experienced about a 20% improvement in its EPA Air Quality Index, and recorded the longest stretch of “good” air quality in March seen since at least 1995. It has been noted that if everyone who commutes just stayed home one day a week and tele-commuted, the air quality here would have a marked reduction in emissions. Meetings are now held on ZOOM and other sites. Just think how it would affect our carbon footprint if driving to LA or flying cross country for corporate meetings was replaced with those methods!

Driving through Ventura, we’ve noticed that we’ve never seen so many people out during the day: families pushing stollers, siblings biking, folks walking their dogs. In our suburban area there is room to do that. In denser, urban areas this is not as easy. An adjustment brought about by physical distancing has surfaced in some large cities. Now in order to keep people safely spaced when they leave their urban enclaves for exercise and a bit of fresh air, cities have looked at walk-ability. Too many urban streets are wide and the sidewalks narrow, forcing people closer than recommended. In order to create a pedestrian-friendly, more open space for walking, Oakland took the step in several neighborhoods to close off a number of streets (74 miles in all) to through traffic for all but emergency vehicles and residents going to and from work. People could walk on the road or sidewalks with plenty of room. Minneapolis and St. Paul did the same to enlarge the walkable space around parks. Beverly, MA, another city with narrow sidewalks where people walking in opposite direction would be forced to pass face to face, decided to designate one-way directions on either side of the street with people walking facing the oncoming traffic. Other major U.S. cities and Toronto are considering street changes as well. By the end of April, New York City had announced that by the end of May 40 miles of city streets would be open to only pedestrians and cyclists, with the ultimate goal of 100 miles in the coming months in anticipation of greater need as the weather warmed in summer. On May 13, the City of Ventura announced a similar Shared Streets pilot program for five streets across the town, and has invited community input. This includes Olive Street, San Nicholas Street, Preble Avenue, Mound Avenue, and Darling Road.

Ironically, the Chinese word for crisis is made up of two characters, one meaning danger and the other, opportunity. This pandemic has brought incredible danger to us, personally and economically, but it has also provided an opportunity for change. As cities, states and our country recover, we have the chance to keep or extend those adjustments we made to make that crisis situation more livable, lessening our impact on the environment and improving our quality of life. If only we have the courage. Carpe diem.