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Connections

Coming up on Connections: Wednesday, February 14

First hour: Community groups unite against racism 

Second hour: Understanding road diets

A number of local groups are joining together to develop what they call a “united community response to Donald Trump’s hatred and racism.” The event will be led by Minister Franklin Florence Sr. We’ll be joined by the event’s organizers to discuss their goals, and we’ll also welcome comments from supporters of Donald Trump. Our guests:

  • Minister Clifford Florence, president of the Faith Community Alliance
  • Larry Knox, political and community engagement coordinator for 1199 SEIU
  • Howard Eagle, representative of the Take It Down Planning Committee and the Movement for Anti-Racist Ministry and Action
  • Tim Schiefen, small business owner

Then in our second hour, we’re talking about road diets. If you aren’t familiar with the term, it refers to reducing lanes or roads in order to minimize traffic accidents, reduce the amount of traffic, and create more space for all modes of transportation. Transit experts say road diets "can be seen as one of the transportation safety field's greatest success stories,” but, despite the research, critics say the best way to reduce traffic is to create more lanes. The state DOT says it is moving in a direction of road diets in places like Pittsford and Brighton, but bicycling enthusiasts are concerned about what’s going on along East Avenue, where there’s a debate about how wide the turning lane should be. Our guests weigh in with their perspectives. In studio:

  • Heather O'Donnell, Leadership Team for Transportation, Rochester People's Climate Coalition
  • Robin Wilt, member of the Brighton Town Board
  • Dr. Scott MacRae, president of the Rochester Cycling Alliance
Connections
Evan Dawson is the host of "Connections with Evan Dawson." He joined WXXI in January 2014 after working at 13WHAM-TV, where he served as morning news anchor. He was hired as a reporter for 13WHAM-TV in 2003 before being promoted to anchor in 2007.
Megan Mack is the executive producer of "Connections with Evan Dawson" and live/televised engagement programming.