Our Mayor Wants To Hear From You

The Process

• Get involved with the progress and design of your community.
• The Mayor's current question is about REGIONAL SUSTAINABILITY.
• To learn more about sustainability, click here for links.
• Pull together your ideas you want to tell our Mayor.
• Then go to the bottom of the page to "Click to express you ideas to our Mayor."

Mayor George Heartwell is very interested in hearing your ideas about our growing, changing city.

Links are posted for you to consider and to respond to the Mayor. Please use the proper respect of beginning your letter with "Dear Mayor Heartwell" and closing with "Sincerely," and your full name.

Numerous sites are posted to give you background, facts, and to stimulate your creativity and resourcefulness. All the letters will be regularly delivered to our Mayor for increased communication between the generations.

RESPONSES

Dear mayor Heartwell,

According to sustainablemeasures.com, CO2 emissions from transportation are ranked highest on the list for air indicators. For too long our state has been accommodating the fossil fueled automobile. This is evident by the layout of our neighborhoods in relation to daily services like grocery stores, banks, and restaurants. Our addiction to fossil fuels is also evident by the layout of our public transportation system. Its spread is minimal in comparison to the size of the city. Bus stops are inaccessible by foot or bike due to the lack of pedestrian friendly sidewalks and bike lanes.

Necessary to enjoy the Triple Bottom Line of a strong economy while practicing environmental stewardship and social equity is an investment in the Grand Rapids public transportation system. This would create jobs-staff to build and operate street cars, city busses and railcars. Expanding the public transportation system would also decrease the use of the personal automobile and increase the quality of the environment. Lastly, social equity would benefit from an expanded public transportation system because it would provide low income individuals with adequate, affordable transportation, allowing such individuals to join the work force of Michigan, thus contributing to Michigan\'s growth rather than hindering it.

Sincerely,
Lindsey M. Troast