Letters to the editor (Nov. 17, 2019)

Healthy well-being

According to a recent Chung Report, many college students don’t know much about Wichita, but at least one of those interviewed is looking for a place with “healthy well-being.”

The more Wichita accommodates bicyclists, pedestrians and scooterists, the better our reputation will grow for millennials and Generations X, Y and Z. Parking places are so Baby Boomer. Let’s talk bike racks instead.

Wichita’s fresh air does not intimidate the happy young adults on those e-scooters and rental bikes. Wichita’s outdoor seating appeals at restaurants and craft breweries of all price points. Wichita’s winter farmer’s markets excel with local, seasonal food and fun. There’s lots of vigor in Wichita for good people of all ages.

Let’s us Wichitans investigate for ourselves our resources for “healthy well-being” and share our good news with out-of-town students, friends and families.

Douglas Avenue

Why stop with reducing Douglas to just one lane each way in the downtown area? Close all of Douglas downtown, and maybe the bicyclist/scooter people will be happy. Of course, the scooter people will still ride on the sidewalks. Cops don’t give them tickets like they should.

Nothing like making it harder to get around this town.

Transportation options

There are many reasons to try narrowing Douglas from five to three lanes. Current car traffic is low enough that three car lanes should be enough with capacity to spare, meaning we have at least 20 feet of wasted real estate that should be put to use.

The number of storefront parking stalls would see minimal change. The major change is moving parking 10 feet out. In doing so, parking that currently physically protects pedestrians would also protect those on bikes and scooters, encouraging cyclists and scooters off the sidewalk.

According to the University of Michigan, 87 percent of American 19-year-olds had a driver’s license in 1983, compared to 69 percent in 2016. Driver’s license ownership for those 20 to 49 also declined. Those 70 and over represented the only demographic with a slight increase since 2008.

When national driver’s license ownership declines, demand for transportation options rise. When we design our streets to promote cars as the only realistic transportation option, we force job candidates to combine the cost of car ownership into their housing costs. We become a hard sell recruiting any candidate that demands options – and a hard no if the candidate cannot drive.

Wind Surge

What a complete miss by the naming committee on our new baseball team’s name. I find no correlation between the name and the city of Wichita. There is nothing that shows Wichita pride.

I believe there were two names that could have been selected that would have been a great representation of our city – the Plainsmen or the Keepers. Both have a tie-in with the most iconic symbols of Wichita – the Keeper of the Plains and the Wichita flag.

The logo could have been an image of the Keeper of the Plains with his uplifted hands toward the sky, with a baseball glove on as if reaching for a fly ball. He would have been wearing a uniform consisting of the flag of Wichita, anther iconic symbol that is growing in popularity among us locals.

To the owners: It’s not too late to change the name. Cut your losses now, ditch the Wind Surge and rename it something that we actually can relate to. We tore down our old stadium, spending millions to build your new home, and you give us a team that is a slang term for “flatulence” in return.

This story was originally published November 18, 2019 at 10:32 AM with the headline "Letters to the editor (Nov. 17, 2019)."