I'm reading some anti-business tone in these postings. (I'm not a business owner, and I've never owned a car.) Let's be accurate: the driveway(s!) are for park access, too!
I walked by that intersection today, and unless I'm mistaken, there are two driveways there, about what, 30 feet apart?, one hugging the Machinery Row buildings, the other before the crosswalk across John Nolen, which join in a common road. They both serve not only Machinery Row, but the parking lot for Law Park (is it still called that?) and its boat launch. They are heavily used by waterskiers, boaters, hikers, and yes, even people who drive in with their bikes. I agree that the congestion and design there are extremely unfriendly to bikes and peds--I feel like I'm getting whiplash when I ride across that stretch, looking around for other vehicles that are not watching. The design change sounds reasonable, although it may reduce park parking and increase traffic through the "park". I don't know why we need a U-turn/signal for westbound traffic on John Nolen---I don't think westbound traffic can turn into Machinery Row at present, can they?--so that would only be Here's the Google Maps satellite view, to show the two driveways, the park and its parking lot and boat launch, and what appears to be a median along all of John Nolen up to Williamson St. (Make sure it's all on one line.) http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=john+nolen+dr+and+williamson+st,+madison,+wi&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=36.863178,53.261719&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=John+Nolen+Dr+%26+Williamson+St,+Madison,+Dane,+Wisconsin+53703&ll=43.07542,-89.375668&spn=0.002077,0.003251&t=k&z=18 --Dan On Fri, May 21, 2010 at 3:31 PM, <[email protected]> wrote: > Date: Thu, 20 May 2010 17:37:55 -0500 > From: Matt Logan <[email protected]> > To: India Rose Viola <[email protected]> > Cc: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [Bikies] Another Cyclist Injured 5/19/10 at Machinery Row > Entry/Exit > > India > > ?I second your recommendation! I sent exactly the same recommendation > (move the entrance for machinery row to further down JN) to Traffic > Engineering the last time they were evaluating how to improve that > intersection. I am sure the businesses at machinery row will object to > the move, but someone needs to ask them how many bicyclists need to be > injured so their customers can have platinum-level automobile access. > > On Thu, 2010-05-20 at 14:50 -0500, India Rose Viola wrote: >> Yesterday (Wed. May 19, 2010), a bit after 12pm I was biking westbound on >> the Cap City Trail and saw the very fresh aftermath of YET ANOTHER auto/bike >> collision at the entryway/exit to Machinery Row. >> >> A cyclist was hit by a red pick-up truck that was entering into the parking >> lot. Because I did not see the crash happen, I don't know which direction >> either the bike or truck were traveling from, or what specifically >> precipitated the crash, but what I DO know is that there will continue to be >> cyclists injured at that driveway entry/exit. >> >> When I passed by, the EMT's hadn't shown up yet, but there was a small crowd >> of folks who had gathered and were using a cell phone to call for help. The >> truck and bike were still positioned in the middle of the path/driveway >> intersection where they had collided. The cyclist was sitting down, holding >> his head, which was bleeding quite profusely. >> >> How many "accidents" need to happen in one location before a major design >> change is initiated?? >> >> The Willy/Blair/Wilson/Cap City Trail intersection is already amazingly >> congested and complex. There should NOT be an auto entry/exit to businesses >> at Machinery Row on that corner. We need to block off that driveway and >> make the entry/exit further down on John Nolen. The issue of creating a >> U-turn and/or signal for westbound auto traffic to turn left off of John >> Nolen into the lot will need to be worked out. >> >> C'mon Madison, let's not wait until there is a death. The blood is already >> on our hands. >> >> -India Viola >> Cyclist, Pedestrian, Auto Driver, Citizen >> >> cc: Mayor Dave Cieslewicz via >> <http://www.cityofmadison.com/mayor/contactMayor.cfm> >> >> "How can we learn from our mistakes if we don't first acknowledge them?" >> -Anonymous _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [email protected] http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org
