Tuesday, May 17, 2016
Identifying Local Opportunities
1) Truck driver's trailer hit by train in Lake City
http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/15CDC7F7523CDA90?p=AWNB
In this story, a man decided that he didn't want to stop for a train and thought he had time to go around the barriers and make it across the tracks before the train struck. He thought wrong, and his trailer was destroyed. He walk away unharmed. I'm almost certain this trucker will not make the same mistake again. But since this is not the first person to think that they're faster than a train, perhaps we need to use this as an opportunity to put up barriers than cannot be so easily avoided.
2) Alachua County policy protects transgender students
http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/15CDC7F745008098?p=AWNB
The U.S. departments of Justice and Education sent a letter to school districts informing them that transgender students' rights are to be protected, or they risk losing federal funding. While Alachua County District Spokeswoman stated that this wouldn't be a problem for her county since there are always protections in place, Marion County Public Schools said that they will not comply and that students will continue to be banned from using the restroom that corresponds to their gender identity and must use their identity assigned at birth. Obviously, this is a problem for trans students. This is an opportunity for everyone to be more empathetic, and recognize that discrimination in all its forms, especially school sanction discrimination, is vile.
3) County looks for flexibility on bike lanes in repaving projects
http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/15CDC7F74EBBA310?p=AWNB
Alachua County has many roads that need to be paved. Many roads have extended sides that allow room for bike lanes. The problem that has arisen is that the county only has so much money to repave roads, and many more roads can be repaved if they don't have bike lanes. If you repave roads with bike lanes, more resources need to be used and less roads overall can be resurfaced. This is a problem for anyone that uses roads. Now we have an opportunity for bikers and drivers to come together and discover a solution.
4) With gym still closed, local climbers left hanging
http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/15CDC7F718C0D678?p=AWNB
The rocking climbing gym off Main Street has been shut down due to safety hazards. The owners need to find a new gym to build or buy, as the Gainesville rock climbing community grows restless. Bills are still accruing from the old place. This is an obvious opportunity to start anew, but in a place that can withstand time. Challenges will do doubt lie ahead.
5) Lane Ranger: Traffic jams common in once-rural area
http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/15CE71BE5E0A6E00?p=AWNB
Population growth in Jonesville at County Rd 241 and 39th has caused traffic to swell at peak commute times. This is causing traffic jams, and delaying folks going to and from work. This is an opportunity for the county to decide if the light at the intersection is at the most efficient red/green cycle that would allow the most flow of traffic.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1- They could include a feature in GPS apps to advise times when trains pass certain railroad crossings, and propose routes to avoid railroad crossings, particularly at those times.
ReplyDelete2- This represents an opportunity for a private financial institution to offer funding to these institutions if they may lose federal funding.
3- This could be an opportunity for less expensive materials or processes in the repaving process.
4- One of our classmates referred to the same story. It could be an opportunity for a larger gym to buy the rock climbing gym and put up the money for the repair, gaining the business of the rock climbing gym’s customers. Also it could be an opportunity for financial services for the gym to fund the repair themselves.
5- This could be an opportunity to widen the roads or construct alternate routes.
1- Anytime there is a train, people should stop. There should be a button or sound the truck makes whenever there is a train coming to reassure the driver not to go.
ReplyDelete2-This is a problem and funding is going to be very scarce in the coming years. There needs to maybe be a private investor or something to help with the money.
3- This is an opportunity to be more aware and find new technology so we do not have this problem going forward.
4- They can offer a membership or try to get a loan to fix this that way it is not a huge liability.
5- Bring people near there so that it will bring in tax money and widen the roads so that problem will not happen.
Kyle,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading about what local opportunities you found and I found them to be pretty interesting. I found the story about the particularly interesting, mainly due to the fact that most people would think that an experienced truck driver would know better than to take a risk like he did in crossing the tracks at the wrong time. I was under the impression that most truck drivers knew better, but maybe you're right in that they may need to change the way railroad barriers are designed to avoid this kind of thing.