BFW said: > We have all of the bicyclists who spoke up to the City to thank for this. Your voices were heard...all of them...and the City is doing their best to address the issue. >
Have to thank for what??? Continuation of the renewed car parking on the Capitol Square? The concerns I voiced to the City at their committee meeting earlier this year have not been addressed at all. I stated that I was opposed to the project! The BFW ought to have done the same. By its adding more parking back on the Capitol Square, the city has returned Madison to its pre-1960s era of environmentally unconscious decision-making. The City's original decision to restrict parking on the square - made some 25 years ago - was made to encourage greater use of the city's mass transit system, a more efficient use of fuel in transporting passengers then individual auto driving. It was known even back then that mass transit causes less pollution, per passenger, than personal use of automobiles. The decision to bring back parking on the square needs to be rescinded in its entirety - regardless of whether a workable solution can be found to more safely accommodate more motor vehicle parking spaces on the Square. In speaking up at the City's committee meeting on this proposal earlier this year, I expressed dismay with this whole concept of adding more parking spaces to the Square, because in doing so the City is encouraging more car driving in Madison, rather than less car driving which is more environmentally sustainable. We should all know by now that too much motor vehicle driving is fouling our once healthy air in Madison, and that too much gasoline burning in driving cars and from various other sources is contributing to increased concentration levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, well accepted now to be causing global warming. There is no reason to show gratitude to the city for anything about this project. It's bad for the environment, and the environment just happens to be the place we all bike in, too, with no other options available if it goes out of whack. This project should have have been rejected by the city in the first place, despite its being Mayor C's pet project. It was a bad idea and the right decision to make now would be to rescind the project rather than wasting any more of people's time studying it or trying new configurations. Mike Neuman I spoke with Jeanne Hoffman in the Mayor's office last week and she said that the "test" will continue until July 4th. A full report will be done on both the first portion of the test (with lanes) and the second portion of the test (without lanes). Then the report will go through all the city channels including PBMVC, Transit and Parking, the Board of Estimates, and a recommendation will be made to the full city council. So there will be plenty more time for public comment. -Marjorie BFW At 10:39 AM 06/14/05, Mitchell Nussbaum wrote: >Do we have Mike Rewey to thank for this? > >If so, thanks Mike. > >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Martin Lund" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: "bikies" <[email protected]> >Sent: Tuesday, June 14, 2005 9:26 AM >Subject: [Bikies] Regarding Capitol Square Configuration > > > > Just received this: > > > > ***************************************************** > > > > DATE: June 14, 2005 > > RELEASE: Immediately > > CONTACT: David C. Dryer, City Traffic Engineer > > 267-8750 > > > > CAPITOL SQUARE TRAFFIC MARKINGS TO BE MODIFIED > > > > On Wednesday, June 15th, City crews will be modifying > > the traffic lane markings on the streets that comprise > > the Capitol Square. > > > > The new parking spaces on the Square and related > > traffic lane markings were implemented on a trial > > basis to provide an opportunity for public feedback > > and to make sure that all of the project elements work > > as best as possible before final, permanent changes > > are made. Based on public comment and observation of > > lane utilization by both motor vehicle and bicycle > > traffic, staff have recommended that the current > > street width be reallocated under a new marking plan. > > > > > > Reallocation of the existing space will provide > > greater width for the multi-use lane. This lane will > > now be shared by bicyclists, buses and right-turning > > traffic. The current existing bike lane will be > > removed. Encouraging cyclists to use the multi-use > > lane will place them on a more even footing with > > motorized traffic on the Square. This revised > > cross-section actually was the initial option proposed > > by engineering staff, but through the initial public > > review process it was modified to include an exclusive > > marked bike lane. > > > > The new parking spaces on the Square will remain > > unchanged at this time. A public hearing is planned in > > late summer/fall to review the new parking spaces. > > > > ######### > > > > Traffic Engineering and Parking Divisions > > David C. Dryer, P.E. > > City Traffic Engineer > > Madison Municipal Building, Suite 100 > > 215 Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard > > P.O. Box 2986 > > Madison, Wisconsin 53701-2986 > > > > PH 608/266-4761 > > TTY 608/267-9623 > > FAX 608/267-1158 > > > > __________________________________________________ > > Do You Yahoo!? > > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around > > http://mail.yahoo.com > > _______________________________________________ > > Bikies mailing list > > [email protected] > > http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies > > >_______________________________________________ >Bikies mailing list >[email protected] >http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies Marjorie "Dar" Ward Executive Director Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin 106 E. Doty Street, Suite 400 P.O. Box 1224 Madison, WI 53701-1224 Phone: 608-251-4456 Fax: 608-251-4594 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: www.bfw.org _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [email protected] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies
