Bike safety, spotty internet, car break-ins: here’s what we found out about your community
We’re asking what matters to you about your community because we want to deliver news that you can use.
We recently started asking you what you want to know about your community because you likely don’t have the time to find the answer, not everything is found on the internet and we believe our communities are stronger when we’re well-informed.
Readers who ask us questions get direct answers via email from our team of journalists, but the information we’re finding is just too good not to share with you, so here’s a sample.
If you’re from the Bay Area, Salt Lake City, Santa Fe, NM or Charlottesville, VA, you should keep reading. If you’re not but want us to find you answers about your community, go to pactio.us and ask us your question.
Q: How safe is it to bike in San Francisco?
A: Cycling deaths are down across SF. The city found that 70 percent of severe and fatal traffic accidents (including cycling) occur on only 12 percent of the streets in San Francisco. Here is a map of the most dangerous streets. Best advice: avoid the most dangerous streets and know what to do if you see or are involved in a crash.
Q: Why is internet access so terrible in the Santa Fe, New Mexico area?
A: CenturyLink has dominated the internet market for Santa Fe residents, but it doesn’t reach everyone. In May, Santa Fe’s City Council began the process of permitting five new telecommunications companies to increase competition, which will hopefully lower prices and improve service. The city told us that the new service providers are on track, and we should expect to see improvements to cellular, and maybe broadband, in November or December.
Q: Why is the Leonardo museum in Salt Lake City still able to operate?
A: The Leonardo’s debt has been amassing since 2015 when it was discovered by KUTV’s Get Gephardt team. It reached approximately $3.5 million in May. Chief Impact Officer Kathryn Smith recently announced, however, that 20 percent of the loans have been forgiven and payment plans have been negotiated. The museum has also benefited from the city only charging $1 per month to rent the building, a contract that is good until 2029. The museum still owes the city money on their water bill, and it cannot forgive the bill because it’s taxpayer money.
Q: Why is recycling not provided to all neighborhoods in Charlottesville?
A: For those outside the Charlottesville’s city line, but still a part of the city — yes, that’s a thing— recycling can be determined by a resident’s homeowners’ association. Charlottesville holds that it offers recycling services to all neighborhoods, as shown by the map on their website. Residents of Albemarle county, however, don’t receive the same single-stream recycling services as city dwellers. Three years ago, County Waste Regional Manager Robert Griffin suggested that these services may come to outer county members, but no update has been published since. We’ve put in a call about this, but haven’t heard back. We will let you know.
Q: What is the city of Oakland doing to slow the number of car break-ins?
A: You’re right that car break-ins are on the rise: in 2017, Oakland reported 10,007 cases of burglaries, a 32 percent increase from the previous year. The majority of these cases take place in commercial districts, and over 60 percent occurred in West Oakland. San Francisco and San Jose also are dealing with this issue. Some point to California Proposition 47 for the increase in car break-ins. A yearlong study of the proposition found that it may have “contributed to a rise in larceny thefts, especially thefts from motor vehicles.” Currently, a measure to amend Prop 47 is on the November 2020 ballot.
Have questions about these questions or a completely different topic, go to pactio.us and ask us.
