Thanks for posting this information, Robbie. Unfortunately, this project is a good example of why things are so messed up already in this city as regards transportation and too much motor vehicle driving in particular.
The problem is that we have political leaders who are unwilling to do anything beyond the ordinary to reduce the amount of motor vehicle driving in the city - despite the fact that Madison and Dane County are already polluted numerous days out of the year by excessive motor vehicle and other fossil fuel burning emissions Instead of having leaders who take a positions in favor of reducing automobile travel, we get politicians who talk out of both sides of their month. Our leaders claim to be fighters of costly suburban and rural sprawl all around Madison but they are silent about what measures to take to discourage what most sprawl-type development depends on: excessive motor vehicle driving. When so-called progressive alders were asked to support a recommendation that car-driving be reduced in the city by 20% in the next 10 years as part of the City of Madison's Comprehensive Plan, even they refused to go out on a limb to support such a proposal - despite the huge public health benefits and momentum such a goal would give to the community and Madison Metro in particular (including greater weekend use of Madison Metro's service). It shouldn't be up to residents of Madison to attend every DOT and city meeting we possibly can just to tell DOT and the county and city to stop catering to road building interests and auto commuters, and consider instead the long term environmental and economic implications of continuing to accommodate unsustainable levels of motor vehicle driving in our community (other similar capacity expansion projects include: the Verona Road expansion, North "Parkway" highway expansion, U.S. Highway 14 reconstruction, U.S. Highway 12, 151, 51 and the Oregon Expressway). The Stoughton Road project needs to be looked at for it's contribution to the city's already serious problem of too many motor vehicles being driven into, around and out of Madison everyday, causing problems for pedestrian and bicyclists safety, air pollution, increases noise volumes and the heat-island effect, as well as its encouragement of suburban and ex-urban sprawl around Madison. You say that now it's our turn to comment on the three proposals the DOT is putting forward on the Stoughton Road project. Unfortunately, all three of the project alternatives that are being proposed would add to the capacity of the existing roadway. What kind of a choice is that? Mike Neuman ----------- Original Message ------------- From: Robbie Webber <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [email protected] Date: Fri, 17 Mar 2006 09:04:01 -0600 Subject: [Bikies] comment on future of Stoughton Rd http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/local/index.php?ntid=76583&ntpid=3 We all know that crossing a large road is tough on a bike. Interchanges make it much worse. Travel along a large road is unpleasant and hazardous. Let's look at Stoughton Road, now and in the future. Stoughton Road (Hwy 51) will be rebuilt at some point in the future. There has been significant input from drivers, residents of the area, commuters of all types, and yes, pedestrian and bicyclists. Peter Flucke from WeBike in Green Bay was hired to advise on bicycle accommodations both along and across Stoughton Road. Now it's your turn to comment on the three proposals the DOT is putting forward. If you care about what Stoughton Road will look like, or if you care how roads in our city are built in general, attend the informational meetings at the end of this month. The informational meetings will be held March 29 from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Madison Area Technical College Truax Campus, 3550 Anderson St.; and March 30 from 5 to 8 p.m. at La Follette High School, 702 Pflaum Road. "The world that we have made as a result of the level of thinking we have done thus far creates problems which cannot be solved by the same level of thinking in which they were created." -- Albert Einstein _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [email protected] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies
