Midtown...the Old Boys Club of Reno...and Those of Weak Political Will.

***Warning this is a rant***

Oh...Midtown...What an ironic logo.

Well kids.  Midtown officially hit the skids in the last two days.  Thanks to some of the Midtown business owners who have long time contacts and personal inroads with city council and RTC board members.  

Unfortunately, only two of these folks seem to have much vision (far left if your wondering).  Truly sad...I thought this group was different.

Yep, apparently it's that simple.  Doesn't really matter if you organize, plan, start coalitions, provide detailed alternatives, sit on advisory boards designed for this purpose, or get the majority of public sentiment and votes on your side.  You really just need to be one of a few people associate with "junk, hardware, or records" and know who's ear to whisper (your poorly informed opinions) in to derail what could have taken Reno to the next tier of livable cities.

Don't get me wrong...Midtown will definitely get wider sidewalks.  The bus service should improve too.  However, if you want to ride a bike in Midtown you get two options with current plan.  Ride in the middle of the traffic lane marked with sharrows (currently planned at 30 mph!?) or what I suspect will be more common....ride your bike illegally on the nice wide sidewalk...which I suspect will be the default for many people.

So...thanks for nothing RTC and Reno City Council.  It was good to hear you throw words around like "Complete Streets" and "Great Streets" at the last years worth of meetings....but you clearly don't have the ability to follow through.

Perhaps in another 50 years when we redo the Midtown Virginia St. section again your children will get it right.  Sigh.....