That block of Williamson will apparently be narrowed four feet, in order to provide more terrace space, something neighborhood businesses have asked for. A group of people are working on plans to "green" the street. There will be a meeting on the 23rd of September at Research Products (Ingersoll and Main) from 5 to 7, with a presentation beginning at 5:30. Narrowing the street will not change the fact that it will still be four lanes wide, two in each direction.
On Mon, Sep 6, 2010 at 2:00 PM, <[email protected]> wrote: > I am wondering if Willy street will be widened or narrowed or is this just > simply a resurfacing of the street. I tried looking for plans online but > none were found on the city of madison page. > > Shae > Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T > > -----Original Message----- > From: Mitchell Nussbaum <[email protected]> > Sender: [email protected] > Date: Mon, 6 Sep 2010 11:15:41 > To: <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: [Bikies] Why the Coop Driveway Is a Bad Idea > > I'm not unalterably opposed to a temporary Jenifer St. driveway, but I > think it should be a last resort. Access from Willy Street might be OK, > even when the street is torn up, and it might make sense to encourage people > from outside the neighborhood to drive to the new West Side store instead > (though it should be noted that a stretch of University Avenue will be torn > up too, next year). > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "India Rose Viola" <[email protected]> > To: "tim wong" <[email protected]> > Cc: [email protected] > Sent: Monday, September 6, 2010 10:02:59 AM > Subject: Re: [Bikies] Why the Coop Driveway Is a Bad Idea > > Tim, > > Thanks for writing back. Those are good points. > On the SASYNA listserve (to which I was also responding), this issue has > gone from being a debate, to being a 1-sided crusade (imho), and I just > wanted to make sure that bikies got a fair shake at all of the facets of the > argument. > > I would be happy to be part of a group that asks the Co-op to hold off on a > Jenifer St. egress until just before the construction begins and then only > uses the egress temporarily, on an as-needed basis. > > BTW, I would like to begin a new thread some time to brainstorm on > convenience-driving, and how we as bikies can help others see that biking > can be convenient too (no traffic jams, less road rage, better route > options, etc.). There is a lot wrapped up in that word "convenience" that > keeps folks who usually drive to the store from biking there (many unfounded > and a few founded fears, the right bike and gear, physical endurance, > patience, planning, etc.). > > In cycling solidarity, > > India > > On 09/05/10, tim wong <[email protected]> wrote: > > > 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](javascript:main.compose()> > 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](javascript:main.compose()> > 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](javascript:main.compose()(java_script:main.compose(). > See you there. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > tim > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Bikies mailing list > > [email protected] > > http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org > -- > India Viola > Stretton Lab > 115 Zoology Research > 1117 W. Johnson St. > Madison, WI 53706 > 608.262.3336 > > "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 > _______________________________________________ > Bikies mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org > _______________________________________________ > Bikies mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org > -- "Our first task is to create a shadow economic, social, and even technological structure that will be ready to take over as the existing system fails."--David Ehrenfeld "We have at most ten years--not ten years to decide upon action, but ten years to alter fundamentally the trajectory of global greenhouse emissions."--James Hansen
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