Mind Our Own Businesses group rooted in bicycle, pedestrian culture

May 1, 2012 • Posted by: Michael McKisson

MOOB members chat outside Chocolate Iguana on Fourth Avenue. About 15 people showed up to patronize the coffee shop.

From the same minds that spawned the Pima County Book Bike and Bicycle Belles comes Mind Our Own Businesses, a new group devoted to patronizing businesses along the streetcar route.

Karen Greene who came up with the idea for the book bike said the MOOB idea hit her after trying to get from the west side of Fourth Avenue to the east side. She was surprised that she couldn’t cross the street anywhere but at the end of the construction.

Greene said she has heard rumors that people have already been laid off because of the drop in business due to the streetcar construction and wanted to do something to help.

Janet Miller is one of the group’s founding members and helps organize events like Sunday’s first MOOB event at Chocolate Iguana.

She said getting to the businesses by bike and on foot is easy and now with the closures, bikers and pedestrians can explore new routes to get to their favorite businesses.

Greene said they hope to organize one or two events every week as well as offer ideas and tips for patronizing the businesses along Fourth Avenue and Congress Street.

All of the MOOB events are organized through Facebook. Check it out.

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7 comments

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More official signage is needed directing a detour route around the closed section of University Blvd. I would like to see provisional sidewalk use granted to bikes on the west side of Euclid to 2nd St. and to 4th and 5th St. for the duration of the construction. This would allow use of the signal to cross Euclid and remove the temptation for bikes to use the sidewalks along University. Maybe the city is thinking school's almost over and 'meh', but this should have been done at the onset of the closure.

I was looking for the improvements to the crossings of Euclid at 5th St. and at 2nd St. that are indicated on the city's information(?) site: http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=sbvhokgab&v=001BVV8sZmFHDS_ORuMYoK-psOuLGnChvIQK_TC3FDE3yDAPmUqOBnLLuh1MBXxgbvuvVYP92R5-O73w8XHR0zOSeUkUDL7HbBmfyItwbyboLXneNz6hVbqXOtZRDhd9pkmN2YbuAlA4zxmdtMz7jkOEQ%3D%3D At 5th St., the dorms are being improved....there was a sign that said, "Road Work Ends". That was a nice thought. No fresh paint marking the crosswalk....the weeds looked undisturbed. Maybe that concrete median and divider?... that clipped my pedal. 2nd St. did have a road sign with the pedestrian figure and a bike outline indicating a shared-use crossing. Still safer to cross with the signal at University, then choose a detour route...I think.

"It's hurting us bad." was the counterperson's response this morning to the nuisance comment on University Blvd. being closed along with 4th Ave. I don't see how the regular customer base can make up for the city-induced loss.

The closure of University and 4th Ave. north of 6th St. is problematic. I thought the city was not going to do that. East-West travel is more difficult than North-South and requires maybe ½ mile more travel...but, hey we like to ride. Ask me in a month or so. Sorry MOOBsters, I just won't be coming by as often. zz walks for no one. Dust control is lacking, also. Wetting things down should be the last thing done at the end of the work for the day. So, it's going to be like this for the rest of the year. Have the merchants received any breaks for their loss of business? The city encourages new stuff downtown but how about help keeping businesses from going under due to these conditions? Maybe a break on utilities or taxes...just parity for what they do for others.

Martha Retallick

People, 4th Avenue is a piece of cake to get to by bike. All you have to do is ride one of the north-south streets nearby, then turn onto an east-west street and you're there. Easy-peasy. Now, go support our locally owned, independently operated businesses on 4th Avenue. They will thank you for it.

Orvis

Maybe but if you're on the wrong side of where you'd like to be it's a major PITA. Currently you cannot cross for 3 blocks. There was an opening this weekend at 5th St so you could communicate freely with both the east and west sides but it's not open during the week. It's also tough to get south of 6th St on a bike because your alternative is 3rd Ave and it's close to the light at 4th and the cars are also trying to get across at 3rd. Plus which also, it all just got a lot worse. University is now closed from Euclid to Bean. If the city hadn't sold 5th Avenue to developers this would be a whole lot easier because you'd have a second place to get across 6th. Hoff and Herbert being one way also makes it tough. So yeah sure it's easier on foot or on a bike than it is in a car but it's majorly difficult to move around down here.

Orvis

I checked, there is a crossing open at 5th St and 4th Ave. At least last night there was.