On Monday, August 25, William Schaefer replies: > The actual 2000 Census numbers for means of transportation to work are as follows. The Census is taken in late March. ........ ........ Dane County Drove alone - 74.1% Carpooled - 9.5% Public transportation (bus, taxi) - 4.1% Bicycled - 1.7% Walked - 6.2% Other - 0.3% Worked at home -3.8% >
These figures look more like it, although the percentage of Dane Countians who walk to work appears too high in my opinion. The numbers for "carpooled" are overestimated by my definition of what "carpooling" should include -- not a man and wife couple from the same household! The other group this "Dane County" census does not consider, who certainly add to auto congestion and unhealthy air in Madison (and global warming, of course) is the auto commuter traffic to Madison originating in Sauk City/Prairee, New Glarus, Columbus, Poynette, Baraboo, Barneveld, Portage, Dodgeville, W. Cambridge, Waterloo, Lodi, and all the other areas outside of incorporated areas between many of these cities. With these auto commuters to Madison included as part of "Madison's" commuter traffic problem, I'd bet my bike that the total number of bicyclists who exclusively commute to work in Madison noways is less than 1% of all those who drive to Madison to work or study, and who are located within a 50 mile radius of Madison. Face it, Madison is quickly following the same as path Milwaukee took awhile back, when Waukesha Country and the other surrounding counties continued to grow and prosper with rapid development, as the Wisconsin DOT provided more and more fast, 4-lane highways in, around and out of Milwaukee Country, making commuting so easy and fast that travel times to work could be measured in minutes, assuming speeds of 55-65 miles per hour. (But not anymore, of course.) Let's stop making excuses and get to work! Nitrogen oxide and ozone, together with warmer temperatures -- all a product of excessive combustion of fossil fuels, is not good for bicyclists and other living things. ________________________________________________________________ The best thing to hit the internet in years - Juno SpeedBand! Surf the web up to FIVE TIMES FASTER! Only $14.95/ month - visit www.juno.com to sign up today! _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies
