Redmond to Consider Providing Citywide Wi-Fi
Tonight, the Redmond Planning Commission discussed proposed updates to the Utilities Element, or chapter, of our 20-year Comprehensive Plan. Theoretically, we get around to reviewing each chapter once every five years. The Comp Plan is a state-mandated vision statement--a high-level spec of sorts--that guides the development and implementation of city development guidelines, rules, ordinances, city-administered programs, and "functional plans". Every action the city takes and every privately-initiated development within city boundaries must be evaluated for and found to be in compliance with the Comprehensive Plan.
I've been a volunteer Planning Commissioner for just over a year and have had a few minor, minor wins...a possible pedestrian bridge over the state highway that separates our lovely little downtown from the amazing Marymoor Park to the south...a proposed Pea Patch program that would allow residents in quickly-urbanizing areas like Overlake, where Microsoft is located, to grow their own fruits, vegetables, and flowers...a proposed open-air performance venue in downtown... Minor wins all.
But tonight, I was honored to introduce the following policy proposal for the consideration of my fellow commissioners. With minor changes incorporated, this policy was unanimously approved by the Commission and will soon be sent to the City Council for their consideration and, we hope, approval.
Policy UT-70.5: Utilities Element of the Comprehensive Plan for the City of Redmond
Recognizing the importance to businesses and residents of access to the Internet, consider providing wireless Internet access citywide. Consider implementing a pilot program to evaluate feasibility.
If this policy is adopted by the City Council in its current form (or strenghthened), I would consider it a MAJOR win for me and my fellow residents of and visitors to Redmond (like George W. and the Apaches that spent the night hovering over my house three weeks ago) as it lays the foundation for the cost-effective provision of free or virtually free, high speed, wireless Internet access to city residents throughout the City. Its implementation would elevate Redmond into an elite league of really progressive North American cities that provide, or plan to provide free WiFi citywide. These include: Philadelphia, Long Beach, Cleveland, Colorado Springs, Salem, MA, Los Gatos,...and honorable mention to the National Mall, in Washington, DC. If I missed your fair city or town (Amsterdam, New York...), please let us know by adding a comment to this post.
As I've noted in previous posts*, public WiFi makes sense, particularly for Redmond. We already have great physical infrastructure in place; in downtown Redmond alone, 22 miles of unused, garden hose-sized fiberoptic cable sits dormant. Consequently, initial expenditures for wireless access points will be very low. Hermosa Beach, CA expects the total cost of citywide Wi-Fi to be $75,000 to $80,000 with annunal maintanence expenses of $18,000 in 2003 U$'s. I don't expect the cost will be much greater in Redmond. Let's see, that's just $2 dollars down payment and $0.50/year for every Redmond resident (halve that if you're counting our 90,000+ daytime population) to have high speed access to the Internet in their homes, businesses, cars, and recreational venues. No matter how you look at it, that is economical! Additionally, we might be able to tap into the high speed Internet connection provided by the forward-thinking King County Library system. Free Wi-Fi is already available in over half of our county libraries, including the branch in downtown Redmond, right next door to City Hall. Oh, and that free Wi-Fi access that all my geek friends, particularly Scoble love to blog about over at Crossroads Mall in Bellevue? You guessed it. Internet service at Crossroads Mall is provided as a courtesy of the King County Library System.
Let there be libraries! Libraries everywhere! I believe that the proliferation of freely-available, ubiquitous, wireless Internet networks in cities and towns across America will prove to be as powerful, liberating, and enriching a force as was unleashed by the construction of public libraries in every medium-sized town and large city across the United States in the 19th and early 20th century. Education, and the ready access to information it requires, is the lifeblood of democracy.
I hope that you will join me in urging the Redmond City Council to adopt our proposed WiFi policy and establish funding for the immediate implementation of a Pilot WiFi program. Click Here to email the City Council and support citywide WiFi. Let them know where you hang out in Redmond and more importantly, where you would like to be able to access the Internet wirelessly, now and in the future.
*some related posts:
[fixed broken hyperlink on 9 September 2004]
