Latest news with #BobSmith
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Grand jury recommends more planning go into city bike lanes
A Kern County grand jury report found an increase in the number of bike lanes in Bakersfield has led to a decline in accidents but is recommending the city make changes to its pre-installation planning process. Titled "The Proliferation of Bike Lanes: Whose Road Is It?" the report issued Tuesday looks at Bakersfield's efforts to install more bike lines in recent years. "Initially funded by a federal grant for pollution reduction, bike lanes were later justified by safety improvements and reduced road maintenance costs," the report said. "However, concerns arose about biased urban planning, questionable pollution benefits and lack of prior bicycle traffic data." The grand jury wrote that the amount of pollution reduced by converting car users to bike riders was negligible, and that weather trends in the Central Valley don't support a transition to cycling. But the report also found the narrowing of automobile lanes to accommodate bicycle lanes often has a positive impact of tending to compel automobile drivers to reduce their speeds. "Motor vehicle vs. bicycle accidents are reduced by roughly 53% and injuries are reduced by approximately 40-50%, when bike lanes are installed on arterial roadways," the report said. It's that finding that Ward 4 City Councilman Bob Smith, a vocal cycling advocate, found most important. "I was shocked that they would state and find that bike lanes do reduce accidents and still recommend against them," Smith told The Californian. The report doesn't recommend against the installation of bike lanes, but it does question their usefulness. The report specifically notes the city's proposal to install bike lanes on a portion of H Street would reduce the road to one lane of traffic in each direction. "There are no practical alternatives for relocating traffic from H Street," one of the report's findings said. "Chester Avenue is too congested to move traffic to that street; Union Avenue and Oak Street are too far from H Street to be viable options," the grand jury report stated. The report faults the city for not conducting bicycle traffic counts prior to installing some bike lanes. According to the report, the consulting firm hired to draft a bicycle and pedestrian safety plan expresses a predetermined goal of moving many people from cars to bicycles. The report doesn't name the consulting firm or the year of the plan, but the city did publish a Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Plan in 2020, authored by the nationwide firm Alta Consulting + Design. The city of Bakersfield did not comment, saying only that a response would be provided for City Council approval within the 90-day timeline required by the grand jury. Smith said the grand jury report's apparent de-emphasis on the stated safety benefits of bike lanes was questionable. "What is the cost of the injuries and the lives lost?" Smith said. "Bike lanes do make it safer, where is the cost/benefit add up for that?" Traffic safety is an ongoing issue for the city, and Bakersfield regularly ranks among the most dangerous cities for pedestrians and cyclists. Residents appear regularly at City Council meetings to ask city leaders to do more to address road safety. Dozens of residents showed up at a council meeting in November following the death of a 13-year-old boy who was riding his bike, pleading for council members to take action. At the council's last meeting on May 14, two mothers who had both lost children to car accidents again asked members to take action to make city streets safer, particularly around schools. "It's all about safety to me," Smith said. "They say narrow lanes do slow traffic; that's what I'm all about." The report makes three recommendations with a required response from the city within 90 days, as well as requests a response from the Department of Public Works within 60 days. Recommendations made in the report are: • By July 1, the city should consider revising its Request for Proposal material to better identify potential conflicts or biases of proposals. • Starting Sept. 1, car and bike traffic counts should be conducted prior to installation of new bicycle lanes on existing roadways. • Also starting Sept. 1, a cost/benefit model should be developed prior to the installation of any bicycle lane.
Otago Daily Times
21-05-2025
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Peacock issue unsolved
It has been my pleasure to come to know a man called Bob Smith. We share a love of birds and I've gone to him for advice on numerous occasions. My grandchildren enjoy visiting the aviary and have been spoilt with a trip out the back to see birds nesting and getting a peacock feather. Bob has looked after the Gore aviary for 27 years. Birds are his passion and he devotes himself to keeping them healthy. He is well respected among the bird community and has a great knowledge of many different species. I've had experience with peacocks running free near Gore. We all like to think of them enjoying their freedom and living their best life. The reality is they are killed on the roads, their young are slaughtered by predators and they struggle for food in the winter months. They can fly over deer fences and upset people by roosting in their sheds and pooping everywhere. Along comes a lady from Invercargill with her little tick sheet. She stands outside the Gore aviary and decides she is not happy with the way the peacocks are housed. She complains to the council and suddenly the peacocks have to go. The council stress that the peacocks will go to a good home, but Bob is just told to get rid of them. They could easily have enlarged the peacock enclosure and had actually measured it out, but choose to do nothing. The vets thought the enclosure should be bigger, but acknowledged the birds were not showing any sign of stress. Bob has had the peacocks for 12 years and the male has known no other life. The cages are kept spotless, the birds are fed greens each day from Bob's own garden and they are well looked after. The council has undermined and completely disrespected a good man who knows far more than they do about looking after birds. REPLY — The Gore District Council has worked closely with Bob over the years, and has greatly valued his support with the aviary. The physical structure of the aviary has changed over the years, with the location of different birds being moved around and enclosure sizes changing. With the peacocks, we have received a number of concerns, raised by various people, over many years and the SPCA became involved in 2024 and highlighted that the peacock enclosure was not big enough for a bird of that size. It was not possible to enlarge the enclosure to a suitable size, due to the constraints created by nearby protected trees, without significant cost, and/or removing other birds housed in the aviary. The SPCA has the authority under the Animal Welfare Act 1999 to enforce minimum standards for the care and treatment of animals, and as such, Gore District Council was required to act. After consulting with a vet, rehoming them was the best option for the peacocks. We explored possibilities for re-homing the peacocks, but ultimately, once it became clear the peacocks could not stay in their enclosure for their own wellbeing, we left the decision on their future home up to Bob, who has looked after them for many years. — Gore District Council parks and recreation manager Keith McRobie
The Independent
19-04-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Age not a barrier to exercise says octogenarian running his 28th London Marathon
A grandfather hopes to encourage people that age is not a barrier when long-distance running ahead of his 28th London Marathon at the age of 80. Bob Smith, a former headmaster from Upminster, went viral on TikTok last year aged 79 when he crossed the finish line at the London Marathon and hopes to complete the 26.2-mile run again this year all while raising money for Sense, a charity providing support for disabled people. Mr Smith said he was roped in to run his first marathon in 1992 to support his colleague, a supply teacher at the primary school where he was headmaster, whose daughter was blind and deaf, to support Sense. Since that first run, the former headmaster has not looked back having run the London marathon yearly since 1999 and has supported Sense every year since 2004 marking his 21st year running for the charity. He hopes his run will help others to realise age should not be a barrier to keep fit and trying new exercises. 'One run will improve your day; several runs will improve your whole life,' he told the PA news agency. 'Don't allow yourself to think that getting older means that you've got to get old. 'You are getting older, and everybody is, but you have to work with that and use the experience that you've gained over the years and keep yourself as fit as you can, and then some.' Mr Smith said each run becomes more difficult every year, but said it does not deter him from running. 'It feels a little bit more difficult, but you're a year older, so you learn how to deal with it, learn how to incorporate it into your training, which is very important, I think, always remain positive,' he said. The former headmaster began long distance running when he was in college and joked 'long before there were designer tracksuits', but said drinking lots of coffee and training every day is key to maintaining his fitness as an octogenarian. 'Keep drinking plenty of cappuccinos. That's the important thing,' he advised. 'I go out every day because, obviously, at 80 if you stop, it will be more difficult to start again. 'From the point of view of mental health and not wanting to allow my brain to slow down, it's very important. It's all part of the life choice.' He said training for the next marathon begins the day after the event, once he has been for a massage to loosen his muscles and drunk a large cup of cappuccino. He added that 'variety is so important' as he takes part in a range of workouts including early runs starting at 5.30am, running on an incline for improved lung capacity and short bursts of running to build stamina. Mr Smith said he motivates himself to complete the marathon by reminding himself about why he runs for Sense. 'Thinking about the visits I've made to the Sense training centres, and knowing that the pain barriers that you're going through are actually helping youngsters there, that's a very important motivation,' he explained. He said the marathon spectators across the capital are often surprised by his age, but added their cheering helps get him through the challenging parts of his run. 'You have your name printed on your vest, and if somebody calls out, 'Come on, Bob', it's a great boost and keeps you going over the painful miles,' he said. Mr Smith expects to take around six hours and 30 minutes to complete the run and joked 'the difference between my fast walking and slow running is not very great'. 'I set a pace that I know I can manage,' he added. He credits running for maintaining his mental health and has urged older people to be more fearless about exercise. 'Don't be afraid. Don't set your goals or set your sights on the people who are the top athletes, the professionals. Work within your own capabilities and then just gently push the boundaries out,' he said. 'Try to do something every day and actually think about it, because the thinking about it is important for mental health.'
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Age not a barrier to exercise says octogenarian running his 28th London Marathon
A grandfather hopes to encourage people that age is not a barrier when long-distance running ahead of his 28th London Marathon at the age of 80. Bob Smith, a former headmaster from Upminster, went viral on TikTok last year aged 79 when he crossed the finish line at the London Marathon and hopes to complete the 26.2-mile run again this year all while raising money for Sense, a charity providing support for disabled people. Mr Smith said he was roped in to run his first marathon in 1992 to support his colleague, a supply teacher at the primary school where he was headmaster, whose daughter was blind and deaf, to support Sense. Since that first run, the former headmaster has not looked back having run the London marathon yearly since 1999 and has supported Sense every year since 2004 marking his 21st year running for the charity. He hopes his run will help others to realise age should not be a barrier to keep fit and trying new exercises. 'One run will improve your day; several runs will improve your whole life,' he told the PA news agency. 'Don't allow yourself to think that getting older means that you've got to get old. 'You are getting older, and everybody is, but you have to work with that and use the experience that you've gained over the years and keep yourself as fit as you can, and then some.' Mr Smith said each run becomes more difficult every year, but said it does not deter him from running. 'It feels a little bit more difficult, but you're a year older, so you learn how to deal with it, learn how to incorporate it into your training, which is very important, I think, always remain positive,' he said. The former headmaster began long distance running when he was in college and joked 'long before there were designer tracksuits', but said drinking lots of coffee and training every day is key to maintaining his fitness as an octogenarian. 'Keep drinking plenty of cappuccinos. That's the important thing,' he advised. 'I go out every day because, obviously, at 80 if you stop, it will be more difficult to start again. 'From the point of view of mental health and not wanting to allow my brain to slow down, it's very important. It's all part of the life choice.' He said training for the next marathon begins the day after the event, once he has been for a massage to loosen his muscles and drunk a large cup of cappuccino. He added that 'variety is so important' as he takes part in a range of workouts including early runs starting at 5.30am, running on an incline for improved lung capacity and short bursts of running to build stamina. Mr Smith said he motivates himself to complete the marathon by reminding himself about why he runs for Sense. 'Thinking about the visits I've made to the Sense training centres, and knowing that the pain barriers that you're going through are actually helping youngsters there, that's a very important motivation,' he explained. He said the marathon spectators across the capital are often surprised by his age, but added their cheering helps get him through the challenging parts of his run. 'You have your name printed on your vest, and if somebody calls out, 'Come on, Bob', it's a great boost and keeps you going over the painful miles,' he said. Mr Smith expects to take around six hours and 30 minutes to complete the run and joked 'the difference between my fast walking and slow running is not very great'. 'I set a pace that I know I can manage,' he added. He credits running for maintaining his mental health and has urged older people to be more fearless about exercise. 'Don't be afraid. Don't set your goals or set your sights on the people who are the top athletes, the professionals. Work within your own capabilities and then just gently push the boundaries out,' he said. 'Try to do something every day and actually think about it, because the thinking about it is important for mental health.'
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
SC can prevent data centers from increasing power bills
Transmission lines carry electricity from NRG Energy's Joliet Station power plant on May 7, 2015, in Joliet, Illinois. (File photo by) As a former regulator on the South Carolina Public Service Commission, I've kept up with national trends that could impact our state and your bank account. Guess I'm still in the habit. Here's a national trend that has the potential to dramatically increase electric utility bills for all classes of ratepayers: new data centers. State lawmakers around the United States have long sought to attract new industries with generous tax breaks and financial incentives. But research analysts with Good Jobs First, a policy group that tracks government subsidies, have said these data centers don't bring in enough tax revenues to cover their tax breaks. The alarm bells are ringing. We need to stop recruiting new data centers. Good Jobs First concluded that new data centers are 'not a winning program for state budgets.' Legislators in other states have discovered the increasing risks that data centers bring with them. Data centers often require upgrades to the state electricity grid. These added costs for new transformers, substations and distribution lines will have to be paid for by all ratepayers through increased utility bills. New Jersey state Rep. Bob Smith, a Democrat, said 'we have a crisis coming our way in electric rates. These outrageous increases are going to be put on our citizens.' Data centers typically run nonstop. They need much more electric power compared to manufacturing plants. In Oregon, state Democratic Rep. Pam Marsh said 'there's lots of evidence that the demand of those data centers has already been shifted onto residential ratepayers.' Marsh sponsored a bill that would require data centers to be assigned to a separate rate class that accounts for their added costs. Utah just passed a new law that allows large load customers like data centers to craft separate contracts with utilities as a way to insulate residential customers from increasing electricity bills. Tyson Slocum is the energy program director for Public Citizen, a consumer advocate nonprofit. He observed that 'the normal model is you spread that investment costs across all customers. That's not reasonable here.' Gary Wood, CEO with Central Virginia Electric Cooperative has more than 30 years of experience in electrical engineering. Wood says that rolling blackouts are very likely in his region in the next few years. He's concerned about growing electricity loads that these data centers are bringing with them. A December study commissioned by Virginia legislators found that power demand in the state could double in a decade and increase by up to 183% by 2040.' Virginia's Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission recently found that consumption could reach more than 30,000 gigawatt hours per month due to new data centers. Just one gigawatt is a billion watts. To put that in perspective, that's equal to nearly 2 million solar panels. The Virginia commission found that new solar facilities, wind generation, new gas plants and transmission facilities will all be needed to meet 'unconstrained demand,' which will be 'very difficult to achieve.' The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has taken steps to reduce the impact of increasing demand for electricity. FERC recently approved a request to keep some older power plants running past their expected retirement. The commission also recommended pairing renewable sources like solar with battery storage with natural gas plants. While this strategy will help, it still won't meet the challenges created by increasing demand. Here are my suggestions for South Carolina lawmakers and utilities to consider: 1. Eliminate all financial incentives and tax breaks to new data centers who want to locate in South Carolina. 2. Encourage data centers already here to improve their energy efficiency with newer more efficient computer chips while implementing energy management standards. 3. Require Duke, Dominion and Santee Cooper to create demand response programs for any utility customers who use 25 megawatts or more per year. This would reduce their financial impact on other ratepayers. It would also reduce the impact of future rolling blackouts. 4. Allow South Carolina electric cooperatives to create their own for-profit subsidiaries to provide electricity through retail sales to their customers with load capacity exceeding 90 megawatts. 5. Require electric utilities to install advanced conductors which use aluminum cores instead of steel cores in all new transmission lines. This change would increase transmission capacity by 50%. These changes can enable South Carolina to meet the increasing demand for electric power.
