Open Streets Burlington. What's it going to take?......

to move from talking about it, to getting in done in Burlington?

Regardless of who reads Hamilton's document or Peñalosa's 125 page Ciclovia implementation & advocacy manual, without champions to implement & drive the event, it will languish.  

The mayor & city managers will endorse the project but that's a far cry from implementation.  In any organization, when you're high up the hierarchy, your salary & pension is based keeping things the same, what incentive do you have for advocating change, rocking the boat?

It will take a champion(s) to overcome the "insurmountable" (difficult but not impossible) obstacles.  Someone who cares & is willing to put the effort & time navigating through the obstacle course or through the mediocrity that will water down the event (eg 1 event instead of 3).  Someone who can overcome the status quo, the negative comments ("There are too many closures down town.  Not enough time to plan.  It will tie up traffic." etc.),  the inertia to change at city hall.  They've got to work within the organization to get things done following the rules (bending them if necessary) & make it happen.  

Portland got it done because they had champions like Mia Birk & her team of champions, who persisted in the face of all obstacles.  I suspect the Sound of Music & Ribfest succeeded because they had these champions who over came the insurmountable obstacles.

Alex Bilodeau, gold
& family 

I believe there are a number of individuals from various departments at city hall that would come together.  A team that wants to see it done, believes it can be done & is willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen.  It remains to be seen if the mayor's & council's willingness to promote & go forward with this project is compelling & forceful - enough to get this group to coalesce into the team of champions we need.

Happy Canada Day everyone!  Wouldn't it be a rush if one lane on Brant where closed from Costco, allowing people in north Burlington to use the paved hydro corridor path to cycle to the festivities at Spenser Smith - all day!

"Don't tell me the sky's the limit, there's footprints on the moon" -  Paul Brandt