Railroad Station Community Clean-up
Our project aims to clean up (re-paint, add vegetation, benches, pavement) a dilapidated rail station within our community that has been plagued with criminal behavior and safety concerns for a number of years. This has been thoroughly documented by our police department. The station exists in the heart of our downtown, which is in need of aesthetic improvements. This will be a community effort.
About You
Section 1: You
First Name
Sawyer
Last Name
Joecks
Website URL
Organization
Essex Junction Municipal Offices
Country
United States, VT
Section 2: Your Organization
Organization Name
Village of Essex Junction
Organization Website
Organization Phone
802-878-6944
Organization Address
2 Lincoln Street, Essex Junction VT 05452
Is your organization a
Government
Organization Country
United States, VT
Your idea
Name Your Project
Railroad Station Community Clean-up
Country and state your work focuses on
Describe Your Idea
Our project aims to clean up (re-paint, add vegetation, benches, pavement) a dilapidated rail station within our community that has been plagued with criminal behavior and safety concerns for a number of years. This has been thoroughly documented by our police department. The station exists in the heart of our downtown, which is in need of aesthetic improvements. This will be a community effort.
Website URL
Innovation
What makes your idea unique?
Our project has a great cost-benefit ratio, utilizing the labor of numerous community volunteers who want to see this station become more of a community asset than community eyesore. All funds will go towards materials: paint, power-washing, lumber for benches or picnic table, bulletin board materials, welcome to essex junction sign, and resurfacing the rail platform. This is a win-win scenario for multiple stakeholders: Amtrak and the railroad benefit by having their property upgraded, citizens benefit from having a more vibrant people friendly building in their downtown, and the Village benefits by deterring crime and having this station be much more welcoming for people arriving in our community by rail.
Do you have a patent for this idea?
Impact
This Entry is about (Issues)
What impact have you had?
We have not been able to conduct any phases of the project other than planning and volunteer coordination, so current impacts cannot be measured.
Problem
The three main problems are crime, citizen dissatisfaction, and economic downturn. This project will deter crime by driving the "wrong" people away from the station. By making the station more of a people-friendly community area, this has a demonstrated effect on driving away unlawful behavior. The station's current condition has caused numerous citizens complain to the point where they are willing to volunteer their labor for the project. The project will give our downtown a much needed aesthetic boost, as our downtown area has been hit hard by vacant storefronts and low pedestrian activity.
Actions
In the past two years, community forums have addressed this problem and our municipal offices have made it a priority to have this station improved. We have over thirty volunteers that are ready to begin work, but have struggled to come up with the funding, especially given the fact that this is not our property. We have been given permission by the owner of the building (railroad) to conduct this work, but have been unsuccessful at securing funding from them.
Results
These efforts have resulted in a difficult situation where the project is shovel-ready, yet the funding is not there. In Vermont, work of this nature must be completed during the warmer months in the summer and early fall, and time is of the essence to allow the momentum we have build to be translated into community action.
What will it take for your project to be successful over the next three years? Please address each year separately, if possible.
In the first year, we will need to have funding for the project (estimates for materials hover around $5,000), and all construction and volunteer efforts completed by late fall of 2010. In the next two years we foresee the project being complete, needing minimal maintenance for the upgrades that volunteers have constructed/painted.
What would prevent your project from being a success?
Lack of funding. Our own municipal budget is stretched very thin, and many taxpayers would oppose funding improvements to private property, which is why we seek external funding.
How many people will your project serve annually?
1001‐10,000
What is the average monthly household income in your target community, in US Dollars?
$1000 - 4000
Does your project seek to have an impact on public policy?
Sustainability
What stage is your project in?
Operating for 1‐5 years
In what country?
United States
Is your initiative connected to an established organization?
Yes
If yes, provide organization name.
Village of Essex Junction
How long has this organization been operating?
More than 5 years
Does your organization have a Board of Directors or an Advisory Board?
Yes
Does your organization have any non-monetary partnerships with NGOs?
No
Does your organization have any non-monetary partnerships with businesses?
Yes
Does your organization have any non-monetary partnerships with government?
Yes
Please tell us more about how these partnerships are critical to the success of your innovation.
Partnering with Village Trustees, Amtrak + New England Central Railroad, and CCTA (regional bus service which operates at the station) all increase the level of cooperation and multilateral efforts of the project. All organizations have expressed their support, and all organizations will see a benefit from the cleanup efforts.
What are the three most important actions needed to grow your initiative or organization?
1. Secure funding for the project. 2. Coordinate volunteers and a construction/painting schedule 3. Solidify a maintenance agreement for upgrades.
The Story
What was the defining moment that led you to this innovation?
The defining moment came during a community forum that our offices held in February where citizens voiced their displeasure with the condition of the station and drug-related behavior that occurs there. We knew that something had to be done about the situation.r
Tell us about the social innovator behind this idea.
Community involvement in local government affairs has always been encouraged, but has seen decline in the past thirty years as citizens lose interest and become more isolated in their own affairs. This is a great opportunity for citizen involvement at its finest.
How did you first hear about Changemakers?
Web Search (e.g., Google or Yahoo)
If through another, please provide the name of the organization or company
50 words or fewer
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| railstation.JPG | 255.98 KB |
 | 167 weeks ago Sawyer Joecks updated this Competition Entry. |
| 167 weeks ago Sawyer Joecks updated this Competition Entry. |
| 167 weeks ago Sawyer Joecks submitted this idea. |
