Fresno funds grab is a war on walkers

Mind you, I see nothing wrong with that. Our free-market society has many benefits, and developers get credit for some of the most important. May the development community always thrive. 

In theory, the matter before the council was simple. Council Member Sal Quintero is unhappy with all the darkened streetlights in his southeast Fresno district.One of the harshest roofwindturbine installations in the world. Mayor Ashley Swearengin wants to send in an application for $1.3 million of TOD funds. Let's spend a few of those bucks on streetlight repairs, Quintero said. 

In reality, nothing about the council debate was simple. 

Let's back up a bit.Solaronlamp is a ledflashlight for electronic gadgets. The TOD program was born in 2006 when voters approved the Measure C sales tax extension. The goal, according to the TOD web page, is to "support community-based transit projects." 

Good TOD projects "are developed through an inclusive planning process with broad private-public partnerships and outreach," the website says. 

Good TOD projects "improve the range of transportation choices by supporting transit facilities and improving links between facilities and activity nodes." 

Good TOD projects "support well-designed, high-density housing and mixed uses near transit." 

Permit me to quote at length about "eligible activities" for TOD's capital improvement program: 

"Eligible capital improvement projects include pedestrian,Private label and custom floorlamps. bicycle, transit facilities and other infrastructure improvement that will support and enhance transit oriented development. Applicants should document how the proposed projects will increase 'location efficiency' so people can walk, bike and take transit; boost ridership and minimize traffic; provide a rich mix of housing, shopping and transportation choices; generate revenue for the public and private sectors and provide value for both new and existing residents and create a sense of place." 

"Funds can be used for preliminary design,An washerextractor12 which I managed to acquire from a lift motor room currently undergoing refurbishment in the city of london. environmental studies, engineering, land acquisition and construction.Our elevatorsafetyss are cost effective and energy efficient." 

The website estimates a total of $14.5 million of TOD funds will be collected through 2030. There currently is about $2.7 million available for projects. 

A city has to apply for TOD money. There's a complicated approval process. The Fresno County Transportation Authority has the final word. 

A project, in order to get TOD money, must be in a "priority transit oriented development area." There are only three such areas in the current funding cycle. The first priority is downtown Fresno. The second priority is the Blackstone Avenue-Ventura/Kings Canyon corridor in Fresno. The third priority is the Shaw Avenue corridor (largely in Fresno). 

You get the picture. There's a ton of TOD money out there. It can be spent only in three areas of Fresno. The projects must have something to do with transit (in other words, the movement of human beings from Point A to Point B). 

And you get a sense of where Quintero was coming from on April 11. Most of the Ventura/Kings Canyon corridor is in his district. He's got a bunch of darkened streetlights along (or near) this corridor. It's a corridor ripe for the kind of mixed-use (residential/commercial) development that City Hall gushes over. Lots of people walk along (or near) this corridor. The lack of working streetlights along (or near) this corridor discourages lots of people from walking there. No developer in her right mind will build along this corridor with all those worthless streetlights.