Lobbying for that bike lane on the left of the bus lane on University was one of the main things the Bicycle Brigade accomplished in its days of glory from about 1980-83; the massive "flat tire"-in (critical mass ride from Library Mall to the intersection of John No Lane and Blair, where we all stopped to complain about the dangerous intersection) was another. If you think it's still dangerous now (which it is), you should have seen it before the early '80s reconstruct--the Law Park bike path had been built, but then it ended into the sidewalk along Machinery Row. There was a huge telephone pole at the narrowest point--completely blind corner. At the time John Nolen went straight into Williamson, and going to Blair was about a 75-degree left.
On Mon, Sep 13, 2010 at 8:35 PM, Robbie Webber <[email protected]>wrote: > Yup, I remember both the tracks across Seminole Hwy - which got the > bulb outs about the time I started biking down that way - and the > "shared" bike lanes on University, plus the stick-person figure > t-shirt. > > I'm glad someone else remembers that t-shirt, because I've described > it to people a number of times, and thought maybe I imagined it. > > Unfortunately, I'll be out of town for the trail opening. > > Robbie Webber > Bike Walk Madison Steering Committee > www.bikewalkmadison.org > Join our group on Facebook! > > > > > > On Mon, Sep 13, 2010 at 7:11 PM, Patrick Lenon <[email protected]> > wrote: > > GEEZER FIGHT! > > > > I drove my car on State St. one of the last nights it was open to > traffic, > > which happened to be the night the Hockey Badgers won an NCAA > championship. > > > > I also used to ride the Univ Ave bike lane when we "shared" it with > > east-bound city buses, whose drivers HATED bikes. They'd coast up to six > > inches behind a bike and touch the hydraulic brakes (puhKISH!) and give > the > > biker a heart attack. > > > > There was a popular t-shirt labeled "University Avenue Bike Lane > Survivor" > > with a cartoon of a bus tailgating a furiously pedaling biker. Anybody > got > > one tucked away? > > > > You kids these days don't know how good ya got it with yer fancy schmancy > > bike lanes. ;) > > > > ------------ Patrick Lenon > > > > > > > > ________________________________ > > Date: Mon, 13 Sep 2010 21:12:18 -0200 > > From: [email protected] > > To: [email protected] > > Subject: Re: [Bikies] Bikies Digest, Vol 23, Issue 17 > > > > 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 > > > > > > _______________________________________________ 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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