Agreed David! The E Wilson Bike Blvd is, in my opinion nothing but an exercise in self-congratulatory, feel-good slacktivism. To think that a sign proclaiming "Bike Boulevard" can alleviate the hazards of the multiple blind and uncontrolled crossings is delusional.
We seem to have no problems making sure auto traffic has the opportunity to travel across the city unfettered at high speed with an ever-expanding Beltline and freeways, yet not a single route exists where bicycles get the right-of-way for an extended distance before having to yield once again to "the anointed ones" in their SOVs. The E Wilson Bike Blvd is a major league FAIL. Sorry for the rant. -MCB ________________________________ From: David Waugh <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Mon, May 17, 2010 12:40:33 PM Subject: [Bikies] bike paths/blvd.s are critical After watching the Netherlands bike path videos, it is clear to me more than ever that the communities that have realized that bikes and cars don't play well together, and have built separate infrastructure for the two, have strong bicycling communities. It seems to me that the bike activists in Madison fight a bit too hard insisting that bikes and cars DO mix well together. I believe that bikes and pedestrians are actually a better fit. One of the Netherlands videos in particular shows a clear mingling of pedestrians and bikes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlQYP4WN-5w&feature=related (If you watch long enough, there is a section that is in real time, and not sped up.) When I fought to have the East Mifflin Bike Blvd. be a true blvd, with through traffic blocked, I was told this is too much to ask. The Bicycle Federation was at a neighborhood bike blvd meeting, and while they were enthusiastic for a true bike blvd, they felt a sign was enough too. A sign does not make a bike blvd. As one who is a very polite, yet defensive cyclist, and who was put in the hospital by a car that ran a stop sign, it is NOT safe on our streets for bikes. A portion of my route home in the Tenney Lapham neighborhood is down East Johnson street, where I have 2 feet of operating space. Cars sometimes buzz by within 2 feet of me. All I need is for one inattentive driver on a cell phone to take me out. This is a plea for separate paths for bikes, like it would seem to me exists in the videos from the Netherlands. For a true bike blvd on East Mifflin so that my Tenney Lapham neighborhood has a safe route to send our kids. Regards, David Waugh 1213 East Mifflin _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [email protected] http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org
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