Mark et.al., Several people have asked me to forward their comments on this subject to Middleton City Council members. In hindsight, I should have included their contact information in my original post so that I'm not perceived as lobbying for the viewpoints of the people whose messages I'm forwarding in response to a post I made on this listserv. (Frankly, I've heard compelling arguments for and against the inclusion of bike lanes as part of the road design, and I don't actually have a personal view as to whether they should be included.) The intent of my original post was to provide notice about the upcoming meeting(s) at which this matter will be discussed.
So, please send any comments you wish to provide on this subject to Middleton alders. My understanding is that they will discuss the future road cross-section tonight, but will not make a final decision until at least the next meeting. Thank you. Council contact information: http://www.ci.middleton.wi.us/elected/elected.asp#cit Pheasant Branch Road project information: http://www.ci.middleton.wi.us/Projects/PhBrRd/main.htm 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 -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Mark N. Shahan Sent: Tuesday, July 20, 2004 9:33 AM To: Mark Opitz Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [Bikies] Last chance: Pheasant Branch Rd design Mark, I support the 11' driving lane-4' bike lane option. Pheasant Branch Road is a major escape route out of the metro area. It also will become an important commuter route not just for bicyclists but for automobiles as well as development in this area continues. Therefore, some sort of widening will be inevitable in the near future. Better that it be 4' bike lanes than 12' driving lanes and better that those bike lanes go in now to encourage bicycle usage at an early stage rather than as an afterthought in years to come when people are already set in their habits. The off-street path is really no substitute for an on-street facility. It is not as direct and is not a good choice in inclement weather. Even if it isn't currently raining, a muddy gravel path from a recent rain is not very enticing for many cyclists, especially if one is trying to get to work. Regarding the rural feel of the road, I think this is a specious argument with all of the housing that has gone up along Pheasant Branch Road in recent years. It is hardly the road I first biked on 20 years ago. Furthermore, the width of the 11-4 solution isn't much wider than a rural road with shoulders, paved or gravel. And if people are concerned about speeding caused by a wider road, bike lanes are part of the solution. Bike lane markings give the impression of a narrower road and help to keep speeds down. Good examples of this are Buckeye Road and the recently restriped Odana Road. To further calm traffic, traffic islands might be considered, especially at locations where people want to access the Pheasant Branch Conservancy. Regarding the issue of left turns from the former Pheasant Branch Road onto Century Avenue, you can try to limit these movements for bicyclists but I don't think you will have much success. Bombay rides will probably continue to make left turns from this street during weekend rides as will others when traffic is lighter on Century Avenue. One solution might be to limit left turns during rush hour. I would appreciate having these comments forwarded to the Middleton City Council as I will be unable to attend tonight's meeting. Mark Shahan At 3:45 PM -0600 7/16/04, 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 Mark N. Shahan ------ __o 607 Piper Drive ------- _`\<,_ Madison, WI 53711-1338 ---- (*)/ (*) (608) 274-9367 [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies
