Bikies, Bombay, and any others -
If anyone cares about this route for commuting or recreational riding, I urge you to make yourself heard. If you cannot attend the meeting, I would suggest that you email to Middleton City Council and ask that your comments be forwarded to the members to be read at the meeting. Or you can email members of the City Council by using the addresses here:
http://www.ci.middleton.wi.us/elected/elected.asp
Pheasant Branch Road needs bike lanes. Whether they want to keep it's "rustic" quality or not, it is likely to become a major commuter route for all modes. As traffic increases, it will be essential to have that extra width to avoid the types of conflicts we see on Seminole south of Lacy Rd (where the bike lanes end.)
Please try to attend and/or email or call the Council.
-- Robbie
At 04:45 PM 7/16/2004, Mark Opitz wrote:
On July 20, the Middleton City Council plans to discuss whether to include bike lanes as part of a reconstructed Pheasant Branch Road.
The current plan as proposed by city engineering staff and recently approved by the city's public works committee calls for one 11' driving lane and one 4' (plus the curb & gutter section) in each direction, from near Century Avenue north to the city limits. An alternative design without bike lanes has been proposed due to concerns over the potential for a wider road leading to increased auto traffic, higher speeds, greater tree loss, and increased project costs / assessments. Advocates of removing the bike lanes cite preservation of the road's "rustic" character and traffic calming benefits as the primary reasons for their position.
If no bike lanes are provided on Pheasant Branch Road, some bicyclists may decide to use the existing off-road gravel trail that runs parallel along the edge of the Pheasant Branch Conservancy. Obviously, many bicyclists will want to continue to use the road, and of course they are entitled to do so.
So the issue is, bike lanes or no bike lanes on Pheasant Branch Road? While the plan doesn't call for converting the road to four lanes as happened with Old Sauk Road, I've been surprised by how little discussion this matter has received on this list. Over the past few months, I've only heard from a couple bicyclists. This is the final chance to provide your input in a proactive manner. The Council meeting is at 7:30 on Tuesday at Middleton City Hall, 7426 Hubbard Avenue.
See http://www.ci.middleton.wi.us/Projects/PhBrRd/main.htm for more info.
FYI: Due to a condition of approval of the Middleton Hills subdivision in 1995, there may be a need to have a 3/4 vote of the Council--6 out of 8 members--in order to widen the road, even to add bike lanes.
Mark Opitz Assistant City Planner & Zoning Administrator City of Middleton
voice (608) 827-1094 fax (608) 827-1080 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] web www.ci.middleton.wi.us
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