Transportation Strategies
Faculty Adviser: Jennifer Hurley
Field Site: Lower Merion Building and Planning Department
Field Supervisor: Christopher Leswing
Course Description:
This course focuses on researching the parties and processes involved and steps needed to transform the space, defining a continuous last-mile transit solution along the Main Line in a written report, with the goal of producing designs for those multi-use pathways. City Avenue originally developed as the first exit outside of Philadelphia and served as the first suburban port to the city. With increasing development, that advantage has since been lost; the Township will need a more balanced transportation strategy to succeed. About 8 years ago the District was rezoned to promote higher density mixed use development. New development is required to install multi-use pathways around the perimeter.
Praxis Project:
Hannah created a StoryMap on first/last mile transportation connections in Lower Merion as part of her course. Take a look here!
This is super interesting to hear how this theory of first/last mile applies to our home. Micromobility devices appear to be quite varied in type and clearly the law has not caught up with this new technology. From all the research you’ve done this semester, what is your opinion of the best method of implementing these devices?
Hannah, I enjoyed the interactive story map you created. I see it was created in/with arcgis – a resource I started becoming familiar with during the pandemic – my county has a page where we can see the daily number of cases by township and their site draws from/uses arcgis. So amazing! I also appreciated the dynamic images and format of your presentation. I learned some things and enjoyed experiencing it. Thank you for sharing this! And, congratulations on your upcoming graduation from Bryn Mawr College!
Hi Hannah
Your interactive story approach was very engaging. I enjoyed the images and video; it kept my interest up and led me to keep reading.
Are the ninebots safe? Especially without the handle, I would be nervous to ride one, especially in areas where they are cars/people around. Can they go up the hills that one would have to navigate in Lower Merion?
In our Climate Change 360, we learned about transportation in Freiburg, Germany where they have a high level of bike usage. Their having a large bike garage near the main train station was an important component. I wonder how much bike storage (or electric bike storage), one would need for the various train stops on the Main Line if bike use was to increase. I sometimes ride my bike to the Bryn Mawr train station and never have trouble getting one of the bike spots that is under cover.
Hi Hannah! I thought your presentation looked very professional and I enjoyed looking through it. I thought it was very interesting to see how the township is thinking about the first mile/ last mile. It’ll be interesting to see how your work is used in the future!
Your research looks really interesting and I love the way that you presented it!! I think that car culture can be very problematic, so it was great reading about the micromobility in an easy-to-follow, yet comprehensive format.
Hi Hannah,
I loved your StoryMap! It is a really engaging format for presenting the results of your micromobility first-mile & last-mile transit connections in Lower Merion Township study. I biked everywhere when I lived in Philly, but gave up biking when I moved to the suburbs because it was so dangerous. It’s wonderful that Lower Merion Township is working towards the possibility of multi-use pathways that would encourage people to leave the car and use other more environmentally friendly forms of transport. It was very interesting to learn about what some of those options are. Most days on my way to the Friends Center from the subway, I would see a woman zip by on what I presume was a hoverboard. It was just a set of wheels connected with a platform for her to stand on, without the handle of the ninebot. I was very intrigued, noticing that she moved quickly and didn’t seem to have any trouble navigating obstacles. Maybe these vehicles will be coming to the suburbs before long, too.
Hannah,
The visuals you created were fantastic. I really want to learn how that all works; it was reminiscent of scrolling through a product page on apple.com!
Your project intersects so many areas and I especially appreciate its inherent environmental impact. The fewer cars on the street the better. Moreover, last mile transportation is so meaningful from a convenience standpoint. I distinctly recall riding electric bikes all around Berlin. Unlike PA, there were very few small vehicle regulations in Germany – hence the unbelievable popularity of bikes. Your ultimate recommendation for Segways is excellent. Also, I hope PA removes restrictions on Lime scooters soon. I find them a great a last mile option.
I will say…the bike lanes in NYC are a bit problematic. Essentially, they’re very dangerous and people often get injured. I imagine, with Philly drivers, this might be a concern. Nonetheless, I am sure your specific approach is well tailored to the area.
Best,
Jeremy
Hi Hannah, loved your StoryMaps and how you have used it both in Praxis and in the Tri-Co Philly course. Micromobility presents such a potential for alleviating the stressfulness of the Main Line, which comes at an apt time when the Township is considering a Green Way. Your work will be a huge part in engaging ridership through non-vehicular means and showcasing the ease of its implementation. Often times when scooters get dumped into a city, the infrastructure for them has not caught up to provide specific lanes for their usage. Having Lower Merion be proactive in this endeavor makes for a more integrated mobility scheme, something that your work will surely have an impact on.
This is incredibly interesting. I didn’t realize that there were so many different forms of micromobility and different classes of e-bikes and scooters. The fact that some of the items don’t have a clearly defined legality shows that modern transportation is evolving faster than our ability to regulate it.
Hi Hannah,
I loved this presentation! I am a huge fan of walking places and it was really interesting to see the different options people have. The presentation was very engaging and easy to read. It taught me a lot about how fast technology is changing and how Lower Merion wants to add multi purpose lanes.
Hannah, I really like the use of the storyboard to showcase your Praxis experience. As a resident of Lower Merion, I also think it’s a very important topic. There is so much traffic and speeding on the roads. I wonder whether people would feel safe using the ninebot, even on the sidewalks?