Agree re. priorities when spending taypayer dollars. Since when did streets designed for automobiles and truck morph into playgrounds for bikes, ATV’s, golf carts and the like? It’s expensive to retro-fit existing streets and, quite frankly, unecessary. The point made about there being “no contest between legitimate motor vehicle and a bike” says it all. The fact of the matter is just because some people WANT to use streets for their leisure doen’t mean everybody has to give in.
Driving a car or truck has enough distractions and requirements without adding another unecessary variable into the mix…..watching out for recreational vehicles that don’t belong there. These people may have to buy a bike rack and travel to a park to enjoy their pastime. (and stay alive).
I am truly frightened of your attitude. If driving safely when bikes are around is too much of a challenge for you, you have no place near schools, churchs or any housing where pedestrians might come into the mix.
I’m not looking for the taxpayer to spend so much as a penny for bicycles to be on the road. I’m simply looking for people like you to learn to pay attention when you’re driving. This is true regardless of whether I’m driving my car, walking or riding my bike.
Tom, been to Minneapolis? There are bikers out year-round. I don’t do snow myself so I give it up in the middle of November and pick it up again in March.
The retrofitting on the streets basically consisted of painting a couple of lines on the streets and calling it a bike lane. I’ll grant you we have a lot of trails that weren’t cheap to create but they are used by walkers and rollerbladers as well.
If you are in your car, you belong on the street, following the rules. If you are a pedestrian, you belong on the sidewalk, following the rules (including the crosswalks – doen’t mean you should not pay attention). If you are riding your bike, you belong in the bike lane, following the rules.
Plymn, I do live in the Minneaspolis suburbs. I don’t begrudge the 1/1000 of a percent of bike riders who ride in the snow. My point all along is that we can no longer indulge everyone’s wish or fancy. There is not enough money to solve every person’s governmnetal desire and bike trails, even if used by ped and rbladers should fall very far down the list. And, please don’t use the panoply that “lives will be saved” or its for the “children”. These are political words and phrase designed to deflect debate from the real issue, i.e., affordability. All human activity carries risk which need to be appreciated by those taking the risks so retreating to these political bromides is akin to Samuel Johnson’s quote about patriotism being “… the last refuge of a scoundrel.”
Tom, we are in agreement with just about everything you have said. Even though I am a rider, far too much has been spent on the trails. I also am sick of the “What about the children comment?” that every special interest group and political hack throws out to try to justify boondogle spending. I’m sure you’ve heard the cut on a local radio show (GL)which states “life is dangerous. Couldn’t agree more that you can’t expect government to take care of most of a person’s problems.
I just took exception on the 4 months of biking comment. A small point I know.
Downtown Madison, WI actually has a bike/moped lane in the street right next to the car lanes! It is wonderful to drive in Madison and see all of the cyclists on there way to work, the unversity, or even the grocery store. Madison, WI is a wonderful model for other citieis.
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Agree re. priorities when spending taypayer dollars. Since when did streets designed for automobiles and truck morph into playgrounds for bikes, ATV’s, golf carts and the like? It’s expensive to retro-fit existing streets and, quite frankly, unecessary. The point made about there being “no contest between legitimate motor vehicle and a bike” says it all. The fact of the matter is just because some people WANT to use streets for their leisure doen’t mean everybody has to give in.
Driving a car or truck has enough distractions and requirements without adding another unecessary variable into the mix…..watching out for recreational vehicles that don’t belong there. These people may have to buy a bike rack and travel to a park to enjoy their pastime. (and stay alive).
I am truly frightened of your attitude. If driving safely when bikes are around is too much of a challenge for you, you have no place near schools, churchs or any housing where pedestrians might come into the mix.
I’m not looking for the taxpayer to spend so much as a penny for bicycles to be on the road. I’m simply looking for people like you to learn to pay attention when you’re driving. This is true regardless of whether I’m driving my car, walking or riding my bike.
Tom, been to Minneapolis? There are bikers out year-round. I don’t do snow myself so I give it up in the middle of November and pick it up again in March.
The retrofitting on the streets basically consisted of painting a couple of lines on the streets and calling it a bike lane. I’ll grant you we have a lot of trails that weren’t cheap to create but they are used by walkers and rollerbladers as well.
If you are in your car, you belong on the street, following the rules. If you are a pedestrian, you belong on the sidewalk, following the rules (including the crosswalks – doen’t mean you should not pay attention). If you are riding your bike, you belong in the bike lane, following the rules.
Plymn, I do live in the Minneaspolis suburbs. I don’t begrudge the 1/1000 of a percent of bike riders who ride in the snow. My point all along is that we can no longer indulge everyone’s wish or fancy. There is not enough money to solve every person’s governmnetal desire and bike trails, even if used by ped and rbladers should fall very far down the list. And, please don’t use the panoply that “lives will be saved” or its for the “children”. These are political words and phrase designed to deflect debate from the real issue, i.e., affordability. All human activity carries risk which need to be appreciated by those taking the risks so retreating to these political bromides is akin to Samuel Johnson’s quote about patriotism being “… the last refuge of a scoundrel.”
Tom, we are in agreement with just about everything you have said. Even though I am a rider, far too much has been spent on the trails. I also am sick of the “What about the children comment?” that every special interest group and political hack throws out to try to justify boondogle spending. I’m sure you’ve heard the cut on a local radio show (GL)which states “life is dangerous. Couldn’t agree more that you can’t expect government to take care of most of a person’s problems.
I just took exception on the 4 months of biking comment. A small point I know.
Downtown Madison, WI actually has a bike/moped lane in the street right next to the car lanes! It is wonderful to drive in Madison and see all of the cyclists on there way to work, the unversity, or even the grocery store. Madison, WI is a wonderful model for other citieis.