Old Dog, New Tricks….it can happen!

Pashek Associates is committed to integrating sustainable design in all of their endeavors.  Toward that end, the firm encourages staff to prepare for a take the LEED Accreditation exams sponsored by the US Green Building Council.  Now to the ‘Old Dog’ part.  Jim Pashek, president of Pashek Associates, and a self-proclaimed old guy, recently passed his LEED exam to become an accredited LEED Green Associate.  He joins is colleague Nancy Lonnett Roman, RLA who is LEED-AP accredited.  Jim hopes that others in the firm will follow his and Nancy’s lead and study for and take the exam soon.

“The green building movement strives to create a permanent shift in prevailing design, planning, construction, and operational practices toward lower-impact, more sustainable, and ultimately regenerative built environments.” (from the Green Building and LEED Core Concepts)

ThinkBike Workshop Brings Dutch and Pittsburgh's Bicycling Advocates Together

On June 21^st and 22^nd Pashek Associates staff member Mike Kotyk attended the ThinkBike workshop at Carnegie Mellon University.  This workshop, organized by Mayor Luke Ravenstahl’s Office in partnership with the Royal Netherlands Embassy, brought together Dutch bicycle transportation experts, Pittsburgh transportation planners, engineers, advocates and cyclists to plan and discuss how Oakland’s Fifth and Forbes Avenue corridor can become more bicycle-friendly.

During the two-day workshop, participants were split into two teams which surveyed the existing conditions of the corridor and then provided constructive recommendations and solutions on how to make this busy corridor more bicycle and pedestrian friendly.  The team’s outcomes and recommendations were then presented to the public, decision makers, cyclists and other interested parties at the closing session on the evening of June 22^nd.

About ThinkBike

Through a multi-city initiative, Dutch experts and companies are increasing bicycle use in the U.S. and Canada. Toronto was the first Canadian city to host such an event, while Chicago was the first U.S. city to host a bike workshop, followed by Washington, D.C., Miami, San Francisco and Los Angeles. For more information on ThinkBike, please visit: http://www.facebook.com/ThinkBike or www.dutchcycling.nl.

Here are few links to some media exposure on ThinkBike Pittsburgh:  

Post Gazette: Dutch Workshops Offer Biking Advice

KDKA: Dutch Consultants to Help Oakland Become More Bike Friendly

NPR: Dutch Bicycling Experts to Weigh in on Improving Bike Infrastructure in Oakland

Jamestown, NY Plans for Pedestrians and Bicyclists

Last night John Buerkle and Mike Kotyk presented a draft Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan to local residents, cyclists, and city officials of Jamestown, NY.   A standing room only crowd packed the Lillian Vitanza Ney Renaissance Center to review, discuss, and provide feedback on a draft of the City of Jamestown Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan.

John and Mike were extremely pleased with the turn out for this meeting.  30 to 40 members of the Hollyloft Cycling Team showed their support by taking time to stop by during their weekly Tuesday night ride.  A quick head count indicated that an additional 70 plus persons attended the meeting.  The high attendance really shows how Jamestown residents are interested in making walking and bicycling safer and more comfortable within the City.

The Chautauqua County Health Network's Creating Healthy Places to Live, Work, and Play is coordinating the plan to promote active transportation as a key component of healthy lifestyles. CHP is funded through the New York State Department of Health.

"We know that if the city is more walkable and bikeable, that will encourage the community to go out and be more active and we are focused on the public health aspect of chronic disease prevention," said Janet Forbes, CHP project coordinator. "Having this plan in place is going to be helpful for substantiating the need for funding and what the next steps are."

For more information about the meeting click here.

Beautifying the Northside

Saturday, there was lots of activity on the east end of the East Ohio Street business district.  Kids from the nearby Allegheny Alliance Church and neighbors worked to clean up some of the buildings and plant a recently updated entrance sign in the neighborhood.

Pashek Associates helped the project by donating design services for a planting plan for the entrance sign, arranging to pick up 40 bags of topsoil and mulch donated by Home Depot and acquiring plants from Best Feeds at their Babcock Boulevard retail outlet.  For a week, our office looked like a nursery with plants filling the conference room and hallways stacked with bags of soil and mulch, hoses, and garden tools.  John Buerkle, Vice President at Pashek Associates, oversaw the planting operations last Saturday.  Thanks John for donating some of your personal time to improve the Northside!