Scott A tunnel sounds like a good idea except that it'll be very expensive to build to affect the amount of traffic it has. Not only "escape routes" have to be considered, but storm water drainage, snow removal, ice removal, lighting, and attendent safety and liability coverage.
That intersection is also used for field house events like state tournaments and smaller UW sport events so there are more times of heavy usage, especially by out-of-towners. Also, I would fiigure that the "locals" would know when it is game day and make accomodations in time and alternate routes when the crowds clog the intersections. All in all, when dealing with traffic at busy intersections, it's just as easy for me to time my crossings like a pedestrian. The time it takes to walk a bike isn't significant enough for me to work up a road rage over the inconvenience. I know some people are pedaling hard to get to work or school on time, but patience is a virtue when it comes to intersection safety. My humble two cents for not paying attention to traffic myself a few times. DJ --- Scott Webb <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Actually, game day foot traffic goes in all > directions, with > literally thousands walking down the SWP and > crossing the > intersection SW to NE, but ideally, there would be > tunnel outlets > that allow NS ped/bike traffic as well as NE/SW. > The game day tie-in is meant to attract the > Council's attention, > mainly. For us bikers and walkers, it means almost > nothing, as the > "game day" use is only portions of 6 days a year. > It's the other 359 > days I'm really interested in, as that intersection > is just a drag > the way it is. > I'm not a trained civil engineer, but it seems that > the topography of > the intersection favors a tunnel, but you have to be > on site to get a > good idea of that. > > On Oct 25, 2007, at 3:40 PM, Paul T. O'Leary wrote: > > > ---- Scott Webb <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> Never have I seen a more practical location for a > bike/pedestrian > >> tunnel. Not just for the SWP bike traffic, but > for game day foot > >> traffic. The neighborhood association is so well > put together they > >> would keep it tidy and attractive. > > > > This sounds nightmarish at best. SWP traffic and > game day foot > > traffic go in totally different directions. If the > direction of the > > tunnel favors game day traffic, it would > constitute a "permanent > > detour" for the SWP. As a tunnel, there would be > no "outs" as there > > are with open ground on the sides of a path. Game > day foot traffic > > would effectively close the tunnel to bike > traffic. > > > > A pedestrian tunnel under the whole intersection, > going north-to- > > south, for the Field House / stadium sounds like a > good idea, but > > just as a pedestrian tunnel, not as a replacement > for the SWP as a > > thoroughfare. > > > > And yes, Mitch, this discussion reminded me of the > Portland > > "scramble signal" as well. But that's just more > "separate but [not > > quite] equal". Would they design the intersection > so that, say, car > > traffic on Monroe Street would ALWAYS have to > stop, until someone > > reached out of her car and pressed a button? Why > should traffic on > > the SWP have to? > > > > A couple of weeks ago, we discussed another > negative consequence, > > affecting the GENERAL public safety, of paths like > the SWP having > > "second class" status, when a 911 dispatcher > didn't have it on her/ > > his "map". Now comes another negative consequence. > These issues > > would mostly disappear if thoroughfares like this > were put on an > > equal footing (eek, bad pun!) with those for cars. > > --------------- > > Paul T. O'Leary > > Chronic Nuisance > > Madison, WI USA > > > > Scott Webb > Senior Editor > > AQUA | the business magazine for spa & pool > professionals > > 4130 Lien Rd | Madison, WI 53704 | aquamagazine.com > TEL 800.722.8764 x124 | FAX 608.249.1153 > > > > _______________________________________________ > Bikies mailing list > [email protected] > http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies > _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [email protected] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies
