A planner became frustrated when they asked for plan input and I replied “oh joy, another plan.” Here’s the thing: The planning process is the problem. I’m burnt out. I discovered the #Denver bike plan a few years after it was completed and I was very excited! Then I found out there was no money nor desire to implement it. Then a few years later we updated the plan. /1
“That’s strange,” I thought. We hadn’t done anything with the first plan so why were we updating it? But whatever, we’re putting more time and effort into it so maybe now we’ll start. Nope, now since we’ve got a bike plan we need a #pedestrian plan and a #transit plan. /2
Okay, but we’ve barely touched the bike plan and now we’re putting it off some more in order to complete these other two plans. So we add two more plans, with the attendant time and energy needed for them. THEN it’s decided we need a coordination plan! /3
So now we get Denver Moves Everyone. More planning, more asking questions like “do you think it should be safe to walk down a sidewalk?” Fuck Yes! Stopping asking me about it and make it happen! There are basic principles that don’t require detailed input! /4
So now we’ve got four plans, can we start implementing them? Of course not. Now each time we want to actually do what’s written down we gotta go have a neighborhood meeting where old people get to yell about the changes and the plan gets watered down to nothing in order to appease them. /5
So even when we have a plan, even when we’ve spent years creating it, untold energy being put into its creation, even when we find the money, we still get no reward because any line on a map can be vetoed by local NIMBYs. /6
So now, after well more than ten years (personally) of planning and arguing with neighbors over whether my life is worth one #parking spot you want input on yet another plan. I don’t want to give it. You know what I want. A safe, connected network that allows me to bike across the city. Stop asking and just do it. The process is broken. /end #BikeTooter
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