The Facts: The city council elections wrapped up last night and as the vote counts are confirmed, policies are already being thrown onto the drawing board.
Our Opinion: We have a civic responsibility to attempt to shape policy, not only to benefit ourselves but others as well. The idea that one group must always win and another must lose is fictitious. If we take the time, we can form solutions that attend to our unique needs as well as those of a greater population.
With the elections all but wrapped up we must look forward to the changes we want to see this city council and our new mayor make.
Going forward, we should have modest expectations for our city council. The type of power wielded by the city council is not the type of power that can affect changes on grand issues; however, they do hold considerable power over how we experience our everyday lives. We should confine our calls to action to problems with solutions that can be feasibly executed by our city council.
As a population, college students are outliers in their surrounding environment. We are a transient bunch. We have concerns about housing, work, commuting and nightlife that sparsely affect other residents of the Raleigh area. However, the uniqueness of our lifestyles should not blind us from the needs of the majority.
When we call for action from our civic leaders we must not only look at our needs but the needs of others. The best calls for action are those in which the needs of everyone are met. While this plan sounds idealistic and fictitious at best, it is not.
Take the issue of transportation throughout Raleigh. There is a great need among students for a change in our transportation system. Specifically, we need improve transportation through alternative means. The addition of farther-reaching and more interconnected bike lanes could improve student access to downtown locations and other hot spots around the Raleigh area. Bike lanes also provide a solution to students who find themselves without a car and a desire to be independent from bus schedules.
In addressing the issues of transportation for students, one need not sacrifice assisting a greater portion of the population.
The addition of bike lanes around Raleigh would have an impact that is beneficial to Raleigh as a whole. The North Carolina Department of Transportation commissioned a study on the bike facilities of the northern Outer Banks and found benefits all around. The $6.7 million invested in bike facilities over 10 years annually yielded $60 million to the region. The investment created or supported an estimated 1,400 jobs. And, 87 percent of people who use the bike facilities earned more than $50,000 annually.
The effect of investing in bike facilities in the Raleigh area should yield a greater impact than the northern Outer Banks study. The population of Raleigh, approximately 400,000, is greater than the 33,000 year-round residents of the Outer Banks and the median household incomes for the two areas within $2,000 of each other. With a similarity found in its citizenry, all we are talking about is scaling up the Outer Banks operation and tweaking it to suit the needs of the people of Raleigh. This is a task that can be easily tackled by the city council.
Before you start emailing your newly elected city officials on what you’d like to see changed, examine the feasibility of the request, and then think about if this change will meet the needs of others as well.
