Mr Barker was kind enough to share some of the results with me; here are the results from one of the surveys: http://www.silurian.org/dot/survey_july2010.pdf
There was another survey in September 2010, which has a similar summary. >From the 'key findings': "Most support bikes being allowed on the main path but oppose fast moving bikes." The only argument for closing the path to bikes entirely seems to be that some bikes go too fast. Also, 'too fast' is rather subjective. My questions for bikies are: * would you care if that trail was closed to bikes? * do you think there would be an effective way to get bikes to slow down? For me, personally, the answers are * no * not really On Wed, 2011-03-16 at 09:00 -0700, Aaron Crandall wrote: > FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE > 3/16/11 > > CONTACT: Bill Barker, 608-263-0540, [email protected] > > LISTENING SESSION: BICYCLES ON PICNIC POINT > > MADISON - Bicycle use and abuse on Picnic Point will be the subject of > a listening session at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Memorial > Union from 7-8:30 p.m. on Monday, March 21. > > "Bikes and pedestrians sometimes come into conflict on the narrow path > running down the spine of Picnic Point," says Bill Barker, chair of > the Lakeshore Nature Preserve Committee. "Six years ago, we tried to > encourage better cooperation on the part of bikers, but we feel the > need to revisit the issue." > > To deal with the issue, Barker says, the Lakeshore Nature Preserve > Committee will reconsider the appropriateness of bicycle access to > Picnic Point at the session. Check Today in the Union for the room > location, or add your thoughts via e-mail to Barker at > [email protected]. > > Picnic Point is part of the Lakeshore Nature Preserve, located where > the campus meets Lake Mendota. > > "Several large tracts of woods and savanna sparkle like jewels strung > along a necklace, along with an active alternative transportation > corridor, the Howard Temin Lakeshore Path," says Barker. "Thousands of > people use the preserve daily, in education and research, searching > for spring wildflowers in Muir Woods, birding on Picnic Point, running > and walking the wooded paths, sitting quietly by the lake or commuting > to and from campus." > > With more than 300 acres, the preserve also serves as essential > natural habitat, Barker adds, and is a legacy of the intellectual and > political contributions of former Badgers John Muir, Aldo Leopold and > Gaylord Nelson, who helped form the foundations of modern > environmentalism. > > The 2005 policy on bikes at Picnic Point > (http://www.lakeshorepreserve.wisc.edu/plans/bicycle_policy.htm) was > driven by concerns that a few inconsiderate bikers were riding too > aggressively, and causing erosion and spreading invasive species by > riding off trails. At the time, the Lakeshore Nature Preserve > Committee opted for infrastructure changes and a trial period of > education to encourage bikers to ride responsibly or consider enjoying > Picnic Point on foot. > > "Since then, in part due to changing trends in biking, as well as > greatly expanded bicycling infrastructure in the Madison area, walkers > and runners are now the majority of Picnic Point path users," says > Barker. "Nonetheless, recent user surveys indicate that a few bikers > continue to ride without concern for safety and the ecological health > of Picnic Point." > > He adds: "The question is, how do we ensure that the Lakeshore Nature > Preserve best serves the research, teaching and outreach mission of > the university while simultaneously protecting it from overuse and > abuse? An open and transparent decision-making process best serves > all these goals, and the public is definitely invited," says Barker. > ### > - David Tenenbaum, 608-265-8549, [email protected] > > > > _______________________________________________ > 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
