On the topic of being "old enough to remember" I'll weigh in by stating that I remember when there were NO bike trails whatsoever in Madison and State Street was open to regular auto traffic and University Avenue was a two-way street (and that is where the Yellow Jersey was). I am sure that there are others of you lurking out there that are of similar "vintage." It *would *be interesting to find out if there is a *written history* of how things changed [regarding bikes in Madison] for I now live in a place [in Brazil] that approximates Madison in the 1950s [regarding the use of bicycles as a form of transportation].
Anybody have any such history of the growth of bicycle use in Madison? Regards, Matthew Berigan Campina Grande, Paraiba - Brazil On Mon, Sep 13, 2010 at 8:16 PM, <[email protected]> wrote: > Interesting history Patrick. However, the opening is a different - albeit > nearby - trail. > > The one you refer to is the Cannonball Trail. One small segment was to be > built this year; the piece that crosses Seminole will wait a year or two. > > The Badger Trail splits off of the Southwest Trail in Allied Drive and > slices down to where it crosses PD south of PD. > > I'm old enough to remember those days but did not live in Madison then. > > Al Matano > > > > Just curious, anyone besides Michael & me old enough to appreciate the > > irony of the bike path following the trail of the > > at-one-time-controversial railroad track across Seminole? > > > > For years the track crossed Seminole at a close to 45-degree angle, which > > forced bikers to either 1) go straight across them and risk catching a > > wheel in the gap, or 2) going wide to get a 90-degree angle going across > > the track and risk having cars try to kill you. (You can almost > > approximate this experience today on the N. Sherman Ave. RR tracks if you > > want.) > > > > Various solutions were tried, the "best" being paved shoulder bulges that > > let us angle out. > > > > Finally in the 90's the rail owners gave it up, sealed over the whole > > thing, and it was largely forgotten. Until now. Now, when bikers on the > > path cross Seminole, they'll be at the same oblique angle the tracks were > > at. Hope nobody tries it with a stiff neck... > > > > Ah well, it still beats road dueling with Fitchburgers. > > > > ------------ > > Patrick Lenon > > > > > > > > From: [email protected] > > Date: Mon, 13 Sep 2010 15:59:39 -0500 > > To: [email protected] > > Subject: Re: [Bikies] Bikies Digest, Vol 23, Issue 17 > > > > > > > > On Sep 13, 2010, Patrick Lenon wrote:The trail may not be Officially open > > then: > > > > > http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/article_fbad01f0-be9c-11df-9716-001cc4c002e0.html > > > > The sections I've seen are paved but the shoulders aren't done, so > there's > > a sharp drop off. > > > > Of course, that hasn't stopped a few scofflaws from sampling parts of the > > trail. Nothing I'd ever do personally, of course... *koff* *choke* > *koff* > > > > > > A *FEW* scofflaws!? Watching the Ironman bikes at Seminole and Whalen on > > Sunday, there appeared to be a steady stream of garden-variety Phreds out > > sampling the trail. > > I very much doubt it will be ready by this Saturday, since as of > > yesterday, the bridges need railings, the shoulders south of (I think) > > Lacy needed to be graded, and the section south of M needed to be paved. > > But I only know this because, I, um, flew over it in an airplane. Yes I > > did. > > I might go to the opening. I've been looking forward to it since rail > > operations stopped back in the early 90's. > > Michael > > _______________________________________________ > > 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 >
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