Riding through that intersection last night, I realized there are eight (8) spokes that come together to form the intersection. Spokes and a wheel seem appropriate...
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&q=Madison,+WI&ie=UTF8&ll=43.067794,-89.413862&spn=0.002959,0.005665&z=18&om=1 I wonder if the biking community has strong feelings about traffic circles? I know roundabouts seem to generate extreme polarization in the automobile world, but they are (in my biking world) a bit of an unknown. I like them when I've visited Europe and Washington DC. They seem to be very effective traffic calmers and traffic movers. I just don't know how well a bicyclist fares in them. Traffic (ped, bike, motor) aside, I think a traffic circle (roundabout) would be a wonderful asset to the Regent-Monroe-Breese-SWBikePath-Little-Oakland-CrazyLegs! intersection if done with enough emphasis on art/architecture/landscape. The great cities of the world feature big traffic circles that become landmarks. This particular intersection is one of the gateways to the UW and downtown Madison. The UW might need to give up a bit of its parking lot and Monroe and Regent Streets would need to bend a bit to make a circle fit. But imagine the possibilities... I envision removal of the ridiculous phallic sculpture now gracing the stadium with something of a more classical design - a tall fountain with fish, cherubs and Greek gods and goddesses, perhaps. If the fountain (including seating, flower boxes, etc.) could be placed at the center of a wonderful traffic circle, this could be a lasting monument for generations to come. _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [email protected] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies
