August 29, 2011
Dear
Fellow Sierran
Here's what's in this week's edition of CoolCATs Weekly:
1) Stopping the Keystone XL Pipeline
2) Complete Streets, yeah we're still working on that
3) Recapping the RIPTA Board Meeting
1) Stopping the Keystone XL Pipeline
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It's no secret that I have been single minded in my work for the Rhode Island Chapter as I work to avert cuts to RIPTA. Yet, there are other battles to be won. On the national/global level, one of the most pressing environmental concerns is stopping the Keystone XL Pipeline, which if constructed will bring oil extracted from Canada's tar sands down to Texas. There is a massive grassroots movement underway to stop the pipeline, which has been forced to resort to civil disobedience. Find out more about it here, sign the petition, and if you can, join the movement in DC.
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2) Complete Streets, yeah we're still working on that
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So focused on transit have I been that I almost lost sight of the Complete Streets RI campaign. Still, it forges on. Three weeks ago, Pawtucket became the sixth RI community to pass a complete streets resolution. Check out this post on treehugger.com for some more good food for thought on why we need more transportation choices.
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3) Recapping the RIPTA Board Meeting
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We gained a small but meaningful victory last week as any cuts to RIPTA service were forestalled until at least September's board meeting. At the meeting last Monday, Charles Odimgbe, RIPTA CEO, gave a recap of the the service cut hearing process with some nice figures. 655 people attended the 10 hearings plus 2 community meetings. 277 people testified. 11 state senators and representatives attended as well as four councilman. He gave some selected quotes from testimony, notably he mentioned Darlene Thomson who is the woman that speaks on the online petition. He emphasized that RI is not alone in this crisis, saying that 80% of transit systems have been or are being forced to raise fares or cut service. He finished by bemoaning the fact that these were the 29th set of such hearings in the past 32 years and echoing the public calls for the Board to work to fix RIPTA's funding.
Odimgbe went on to have a discussion of the coming budget fixing recommendations (they should be given to the board in 2-2.5 weeks). He said there is no question that there will be adjustments in the frequencies of bus service but there will be no routes entirely cut. He hopes that the deficit can be mostly filled in his negotiations with the unions (he pointed out repeatedly that the Amalgamated Transit Union is doing a good job of working with management). In particular, doing away with scheduled overtime and addressing absenteeism looked like good opportunities for savings. Overall, he didn't go into many specifics, and I think that is because it's still very up in the air.
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Thank you for signing up for Cool CATs Weekly. You can make your community "Cool" by advocating for renewable power, green buildings and transportation choices. Visit the Cool Cities website for resources and toolkits.
Sincerely,
Abel G. Collins Sierra Club Rhode Island Chapter
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Help Us Keep Our Programs Running
Sign the Petition: Tell the Governor and General Assembly to Save RIPTA
Send a Letter to State Leaders Demanding Transit Funding
Monthly Chapter Meeting Tuesday, September 13, 6:30 - 8:30 pm Sierra Club RI Chapter Office 17 Gordon Ave., Ste. 208 Providence, RI 02905
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