A Proposal for Oak Park and other towns.

Something friendly, something green, something new, something healthy, and
something that will bring people to towns doing it just to take a bike ride or jog.

We would see an increase in bike sales, bike usage, help with problem parking, and lots
of fun in great weather. This could be done on various alternating streets in the Village
both North and South, and East and West. If only four streets were done as a test, two
going north and south and two going east and west, this would form a four sided polygon
that could serve as a running track, a skating track, a bicycle track. This track would be
pollution free, friendly to the neighborhood, a welcome invitation to visitors, a stimulus
for new business and tourism, and a lot of fun.
 

It might also be very nice if Oak Park were to consider purchasing some of the
new hybrid autos that are currently available from Honda and Toyota that can get
up to 70 miles per gallon on a tank of gas. Some of these new hybrids do not have any
transmissions and are made of aluminum, that spells a lot of savings on items not requiring
any maintenance. If Oak Park were to obtain a number of these vehicles and use them for
traffic patrols, housing inspectors, and for other official uses it would help to stimulate the
market for the creation of more such cars. The cost for these hybrids is only in the neighborhood
of $20,000 and not much beyond a regular auto. Oak Park is currently in the market for
some additional cars and this would be a great time.
 

Oak Park is already using some natural gas vehicles in public works, but hybrid autos would be
innovative and not merely keeping pace with State of Illinois guidelines.
 

Usage of Solar and wind energy in the Village

Current estimates are that if Texas, Kansas, and South Dakota were to implement wind energy
to create electrity, these three States could power the entire United States of America. There
are aspects of that prediction that still remain science fiction, but the reality again is that if
communities make steps in right direction others will follow.  A well placed wind turbine placed
here and there would seed young people's imagination, assist teachers in actual demonstrations of
future energy sources, and support a growing industry that should grow. The cost to do this is
again very minimal. Public works could get two such wind generators for less than $2000.00 that
would generate 12 or 24 volts to recharge batteries used in the Village. Even the larger generators
that would produce thousands of watts of energy are only in the range of $5000.00. Would
these items pay for themselves....only in years of use, but they would send strong messages to young
students, inventors, the growing industry, and people with green values in their hearts.
 

Even solar panels are coming down in price and increasing in efficiency. An investment of only
$500.00 will get you a solar panel that will power a 75 watt bulb and if that is connected to one
of the new round flourescent bulbs it would supply plenty of light in a library. An array like this
should be labeled and used as a demonstration for the future.