I'm not going to argue with this guy, since he obviously has some issues beyond not thinking bike lanes are a good idea. But, he is very wrong on so many points.
1. The city - specifically Traffic Engineering (not the most radical bunch) did investigate other solutions to documented safety issues on Sherman Ave. They tried other solutions for 20 years. 2. There are documented safety problems - for motorists, pedestrians, transit users, and bicyclists. 3. The City Council was following the recommendations of Traffic Engineering. Again, and I say this with affection, "Not the most radical bunch, or known car-haters, IMHO." 4. Every study of this type of roadway redesign has been shown to either have no effect or a positive affect on economic activity along the corridor. 5. This project is not closing off any routes. Traffic Engineering estimates that the same volume of traffic will be able to use Sherman Ave after the re-striping. When you have a four-lane road with no left-turn pockets, the center two lanes become de-facto left-turn lanes, so only the outer lanes can be used for through traffic. Local users - drivers - have said that they worried about being hit from behind when stopped in the lefty lane to make a turn. this means some people might not even make that left turn into a business. The center turn lane removes this problem and reduces conflict points for left-turning vehicles from seven to two. 6. Yes, this redesign was put forward twenty years ago by Traffic Engineering to make the road safer for DRIVERS. 7. Civic involvement is how this project got approved. Just because you disagree with the vote doesn't mean that no one listened to you. It just happens that there are others - perhaps even a large majority that disagree with you. Whenever I hear doomsday predictions from people that haven't even researched the subject, I always want to ask for a retraction after the horrible results fail to materialize: Smoking ban will kill all the bars in Madison! (And before that, "All the restaurants will close if smoking is banned!") Big building will lead to massive traffic jams every morning and night! Everyone will sell their house or property values will drop if this building gets built! Roundabouts will lead to terrible crashes because people don't understand them! No one will move into those apartments, and they will all become run down when the project fails economically! etc. Every one of the above I have heard in the last ten years, and not one of the dreaded outcomes has happened. Robbie Webber Transportation Policy Analyst State Smart Transportation Initiative www.ssti.us 608-263-9984 (o) 608-225-0002 (c) [email protected] On Thu, Mar 21, 2013 at 3:50 PM, Bill Caplan <[email protected]>wrote: > And here's what I got back from New Orleans Takeout. Take it as you will. > > ----- Forwarded message from john roussos <[email protected]> ----- > > Date: Thu, 21 Mar 2013 15:42:48 -0500 > From: john roussos <[email protected]> > Reply-To: john roussos <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: I will no longer patronize New Orleans Takeout > To: Bill Caplan <[email protected]> > > You are wrong, Bill. But, the city council running rough-shod over > the city has to stop. There was no investigation into how this would > affect the city. > Public safety wasn't an issue. No other solutions were investigated > or discussed. Their rational was fabricated and there was no > economic impact statement done. It will affect property values. It > would nice to know how and how much. I used this incident to wake up > the city to what's going on. It's time for civic involvement to curb > city council excesses. I knew that I would take a lot of heat but > someone has to, "Stop, enough." The council can't close off one of > only two ways to get to the north side and not think that it isn't > going to affect life on the north side. > > I only want accountability and transparency. > > John > > On 21, Mar 2013, at 3:27 PM, Bill Caplan wrote: > > > > > > > I am writing in regard to your banning Marsha Rummel from New > > Orleans takeout. I am a long time customer, and I consider your > > Oyster Po’ Boy with garlic sauce one of the best sandwiches in > > Madison. I am also an avid biker, and have even biked to your east > > side restaurant on occasion, despite the extremely unfriendly > > conditions for bikers along N. Sherman and Fordem Avenues. By > > banning Alder Rummel, you seem to be saying that you do not care > > for the business of people who are interested in ensuring the > > safety of all road users, including both those in cars and those in > > bikes. It is an ignorant, knee-jerk reaction to a project which > > will improve safety, not only for bikes and pedestrians, but also > > for cars. What will put you out of business is not the change to N > > Sherman, but your antipathy toward a chunk of your customer base. > > I will not spend my dollars where I am not wanted. Should you > > choose to reconsider and welcome Alder Rummel back, I will > > reconsider eating at your restaurant. > > > > Bill Caplan > > > > > > ----- End forwarded message ----- > > _______________________________________________ > Bikies mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org >
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