Anyone interested should definitely attend the meeting, especially since
there will be some discussion of the proposed routes.
But, at least in my opinion, this should not be a call to arms for the
bicycling community. Certainly, there are concerns that have to be
addressed with good design in order for any streetcar system to be
compatible with bicycling.
Streetcars are NOT necessarily incompatible with bicycles, even within the
same Right-of-Way.
Other cities, including other cities with strong bicycling cultures, have
addressed the concerns adequately with planning and good design.
And, I would like to point out one advantage streetcars would have over
rubber-tired buses:
Streetcars, since they run on rails, cannot swerve around parked vehicles
(e.g. delivery trucks) and into the oncoming lane.
So, for example, Streetcars on State St would have to wait for delivery
vehicles to be moved instead of endangering oncoming bicyclists by swerving
across the centerline. Of course, this would also mean having a frank
discussion about the necessity of delivery trucks serving businesses on
State Street by parking on State St. I feel sure that most, if not all, of
the businesses on State St COULD be served by trucks delivering from a side
street, albeit less conveniently, than the current situation.
The Square is another place where transit vehicles running on rails would
be more predictable, and therefore arguably safer ,coexisting with
bicycles, than rubber-tired vehicles - especially when the bicycles are
ridden where they ought to be ridden, i.e. to the left of the buses,
whether the buses are moving or stopped.
And, perhaps more importantly, studies have shown that more drivers are
willing to ride rail systems than buses. So even if the motivation for
those folks is less than noble, if a streetcar system results in an
increase in transit ridership, that's beneficial to everyone, whether they
walk, bicycle, take the bus now, or choose to drive.
Chuck Strawser
Madison Project Coordinator
Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin
106 E. Doty Street, Suite 400
Madison, WI 53703
voice: 608-251-4456
fax: 608-251-4594
www.bfw.org
At 10:04 AM 12/13/2006, Robbie Webber wrote:
For anyone interested, concerned or curious about street cars, please drop
by the street car workshop at Monona Terrace tomorrow, Dec 14, 6:00-8:00 PM.
I know that some bicyclists are concerned about the interaction of tracks
and bicycle tires. If you are personally worried about this (and I have
brought it up at many city meetings), you may want to come to the workshop
to ask questions or voice those concerns. The workshops will give
participants to comment on possible routes and mark up maps with positive
and negative comments about each area. Certainly interaction with bicycles
is something that needs to be considered.
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