Hi India, Thanks for writing. It seems almost instinctual to assume that since the Coop lies between two streets that if access to cars is lessened on one street that they should automatically be allowed to use the second street, even if that is the route used by bicyclists, pedestrians, and bus riders.
I don't agree. Just because some people "need" to use cars, gigantic boxes (compared to the room taken up by the driver--I'll attach the graphic for the few people in Madison who haven't yet seen it: http://www.unep.org/geo/geo4/media/graphics/Zoom/2.06.jpg) that take up a bunch of room--and I say "need" because for every one who has a legitimate reason to drive to the coop, there is at least one who does it out of habit or "convenience," doesn't mean that we automatically maximize their opportunity to continue driving during the reconstruction chaos, and turn Jenifer St. into a busy commercial street. In addition to the reasons why we shouldn't turn a popular bicycle street into a car-clogged street are what I see as the logistical nightmare of what happens if the coop actually does build this two-way driveway. I'm pasting this in from another e-mail I sent earlier, in case the flow seems somewhat inconsistent: 1) there is no strong evidence that access to the Wmson St. parking lot will be any worse for cars during the reconstruction than now; in fact, it might be easier in that traffic will only be coming from one direction, so pulling in and out WILL be easier. (I picketed in front of the Coop for an hour and a half during rush hour, and I have to say that even though traffic might have been lighter on this particular Friday, cars had NO problems getting in or out of the parking lot. There are lulls due to the stop lights; stopping the left turns out took away most of the delays and congestion.) 2) If the Coop is allowed to build its driveway, especially now, nine months before the reconstruction even begins in 2011, if it even starts then, it will be a disaster for the Marquette neighborhood in general and Jenifer St. specifically. For instance, once the driveway is built, do you think ANYONE in a car will even try to enter from Williamson? No, they'll be on Jenifer because (they think) it's easier. The bike/ped entrance from Jenifer will functionally cease to exist, between the congestion, the fumes, and all the other negatives cars bring to a narrow space. The Coop will probably have to abandon all those parking spots on the west side of the store, as you can't have two-way traffic and cars pulling in and out constantly. It is a nightmare waiting to happen. At a minimum, the Coop should be talked out of any driveway construction until the spring of 2011. I am working with other people to minimize the disruption to the neighborhood and businesses, in part by channeling through traffic over to East Washington where they probably belong (and which will definitely be faster, especially during reconstruction). If car traffic on Williamson is less, there will be less incentive to use back streets as an alternate route. tim On Sun, Sep 5, 2010 at 10:42 AM, India Rose Viola <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Tim & all, > > Just wanted to chime in to say that there are multiple view points on this > issue, even among bikies. > > Some years back, the neighborhood was against the Co-op putting a bicycle > egress onto Jenifer Street as well. > > Because of the impending construction that will tear up Williamson Street > next year, the Co-op will need to have an alternate entry/exit for cars into > their lot. It is debatable, but I am under the impression that the driveway > in and out of the Co-op lot onto Jenifer Street could be a practival > temporary solution. In order to comply with city code, it cannot be a > temporary-seeming driveway (i.e. gravel, dirt, etc). It has to be paved and > finished in order to be used by cars. > > I bike to the Co-op to do my shopping, but I don't think that everyone can > or should bike. I would love to see more people walking, biking, and taking > the bus more of the time. I also understand that different people have > different transportation needs. The Co-op does not have a very large parking > lot considering it's customer base. > > I don't know what the alternatives are for the Co-op as far as access to > their lot during construction. I haven't heard of any creative ideas that > make it so that an egress onto Jenifer Street can be avoided. > > I understand the plight of neighbors on the 1200 block of Jenifer Street, > and as a commuter that bikes down Jenny St. every weekday in both > directions, I am not excited about the increase in traffic that a driveway > to the Co-op will incur, but I also understand why this temporary driveway > is necessary. > > The co-op is a major reason why Willy St. is as vibrant and successful as > it is. Yes, people drive to the Co-op. But if the Co-op weren't within > walking distance to the entire Willy St. neighborhood, a lot of folks who > are disgruntled about folks driving to the Co-op would find themselves > driving to a grocery store in a different neighborhood. > > Food for thought. > > -India Viola > > On 09/04/10, tim wong <[email protected] <twong48%40gmail.com>> wrote: > > > As some of you bicyclists, especially those on the east side, might have > heard, the Coop, against the strong opposition of neighbors and those > attending a meeting on August 16th, are forging ahead with their plans to > build a 20-foot road from the west side of the coop parking lot onto Jenifer > St. This, of course, will dramatically increase traffic on the already busy > Jenifer St. and endanger all of us. See below the various actions you can > take. In addition, I have attached a copy of the petition that is being > circulated, starting today at 4:30, where we will be distributing brochures > against the driveway, having petitions. Yard signs and eventually T-shirts > will be available. Hope to see you there. > > > > > > Contact me off list or write to > > [email protected]<opposethedriveway%40yahoo.com>(javascript:main.compose(). > See you there. > > > > tim > > > > > > >
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