Adding to the conversation regarding the contrasts of Downtown, there is an exact description of what happened and what needs to happen to once again attract people to Downtown.

The history of Fresno's vibrant life, financial strength and success as the commerce hub for Downtown Fresno was found in the ease of its mobility. Photos of Downtown Fresno during the 1920's show Fresno covered in pedestrian traffic.

The proof of need for the importance in the roll of mobility, as it relates to a vibrant commerce center, is seen today with continued success as a commerce center; due to its ease of mobility, in San Francisco; with its vitality of the transit system that was never removed. By not removing the transit system and not catering to the individual automobile, San Francisco has carried a thriving financial growth as well as the only successful transit system to remain intact since it was built in the 1800's in the Western United States. LA, Oakland, all of the East Bay Cities, and Fresno have all seen long periods of economic decay to the commerce cores when the transit component of connectivity were removed.

New York City continues to thrive as the main commerce center of the entire country, with its transit component that was originally built in the 1800's. NYC continues to maintain that ease of mobility for all of its residents, and does not use the automobile as the source of mobility.

The Western Cities are prone to turning to bus systems as a means of public transit. The advent of busses replacing a transit system is synonymous with a social enigma of identifying the community's poor. Bussing is not a solution for a transit system but rather a lost revenue social program of transporting people that can't afford to drive; it is not used as an advantageous method of mobility for the masses.

The popular trend of catering to the lobbying efforts of the bussing industries as a solution for transit does not solve the issues of air-quality, land-use and sprawl, and economic development.

The recent $280,000 consultant fee paid to produce the Downtown Transportation and Infrastructure Study (DTIS) revealed a notable bullet point:
"There is a direct correlation between the explosion of fringe area development and the Central Area's growing problems. The statistics of overbuilding the suburbs and loss of markets in the Central Area and other parts of the City support it. Unless a clear edge is firmly established for what will constitute the extent of the City's geographic expansion over the next twenty years, and unless the City's adopted plans are followed with some measure of consistency, there appears to be little
basis for actually reestablishing the economic vitality, strength and property functions of the Central Area."

In other words: use it or loose it.

There lies in this town a particular sense of detachment and not becoming involved. For one to engage themselves and do something about what is taking place is the only practical method of change. The act of engaging to create change is much more satisfying and fulfilling than to watch the changes and not participating.

Visit the website: www.centraltransit.com