Regional transportation planners want bicyclists’ input
I am just going to paste the entirety of a message I got from Gabe Thum, rather than try to explain it myself. The gist is that local transportation planners want you to come to a meeting on December 9th and tell them what you want to see in thirty years. Personally, I want to see cars being used exclusively as planters and stationary playground equipment in 2038, but they are probably looking for something a little more specific.
Local bicyclists and pedestrians:
Pima Association of Governments (PAG) is updating the region’s long-range transportation plan, called the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP). Looking ahead 30 years, we will identify the most efficient improvements to our transportation system so we can build livable communities for ourselves and future generations.
Public input is an important part of the development of the RTP. In order to make a plan that represents community interests, PAG needs input on values, needs and project ideas from you, the regional stakeholders. Your input is particularly important because we want to have an efficiently-linked multi-modal transportation session. PAG has scheduled a session for regional bicyclist and pedestrian advocates at PAG (177 N. Church Avenue) on Tuesday, December 9th from 6-8 p.m. If you would like to participate but cannot attend this particular session, we can place you in a different session. If you are interested in participating, please email Ann Chanecka at achanecka@pagnet.org We will send you a confirmation and a reminder along with more details about your session.
For those of you who are not familiar with ThinkTank, it is a group decision-making software that allows participants to provide immediate and anonymous input using laptop computers. PAG staff will lead the session and each individual will enter their own answers into the program. Participants will join us for a two-hour session where they will be asked to comment on PAG’s transportation vision and goals for the region; evaluate project ideas, and transportation financing alternatives; and provide input on specific project improvements for our region and state. Please click on this link http://www.pagnet.org/documents/Transportation/2040-thinkTankWkBk.pdf to see and or download an electronic version of the workbook used in the sessions. It will give you an idea of what will be asked. If participants need assistance (including typing, reading or translation) during the session, please let us know ahead of time and we will make arrangements.
Again, the ThinkTank sessions are very important to the development of the 2040 RTP. The 2040 RTP is the blueprint for transportation solutions in our region for the next 30 years. Your anonymous input will become part of the official public comment for the RTP. Your ratings and recommendations will be analyzed by the RTP Task Force, and your comments will help form the content of the 2040 RTP.
Thank you for your time and attention to this important effort.
Ann Chanecka
Transportation Planner
–Erik Ryberg
November 13th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
Ok, not to belittle anyone else’s experience or claim that there are no problems, but am I the only one here for which bicycling-as-transportation in Tucson is no big deal? Granted, I rarely pedal outside of the area bordered by the river bike path to the north, Aviation path to the south, downtown/I-10 to the west, and Pantano to the east, but within that area I have a 15 mile daily commute, and run nearly all of my errands and other short trips by bicycle. Hang out on this blog long enough and one gets the impression that Tucson is hell-on-earth for bicycling, but you can go almost anywhere in this town on marked bike routes and other nearly deserted neighborhood streets, having only to occasionally cross – and certainly not ride on – the busy thoroughfares that all the idiot car drivers funnel onto. Yes, there is plenty of 4-wheel stupidity, but there is actually far less here than anyplace else I’ve ever lived; and to be honest, I’m more routinely put at risk by fellow bicyclists riding stupidly and dangerously than I am forced to work around a stupid driver. In either case, one can choose to be confrontational about it (and usually lose) or be *more* aware than the typical car driver and work around problems before they occur simply as a part of riding.
Of course that said I’ll probably be hit by a bus on my way home tonight.
November 13th, 2008 at 7:16 pm
I would have to agree on a couple parts of your comment, like the commute that I used to do from Pantano and Golf Links to the air port area. What bicycle paths there are from Pantano to Craycroft are poor or set up in an almost unusable fashion. For example, when you are traveling West on Golf Links, and get to Wilmot Rd. you would have to switch to the south side of the road and switch back to the north side of the road one mile later at Craycroft, which is a waste.
As far as the stupidity between cyclists and our 4-wheel friends, I would have to disagree because there have been plenty of times when cars needed to turn right and cut me off when I’m humping along and I have to slam on my breaks to avoid an accident, but one time I wasn’t so lucky and another time I twisted my tire ruining it because I was breaking so hard. I haven’t had any experiences that compare with cyclists.
I do think that most novice cyclists need to be educated more about cycling safety and the laws of the road. imo
November 17th, 2008 at 5:56 pm
There was a time when I’ve felt the same way, however it’s been many years since I’ve had a right-hook close call from a motor vehicle*, but I’ve narrowly avoided being right-hooked by other cyclists twice in the past month. The only time in my life I was almost hit head-on by a car was when it veered into my lane trying to avoid killing the idiot cyclist that darted out from nowhere into its path, but lately at least a couple times a week I find myself doing the left-right dance to keep from butting heads with some clueless two-wheeled salmon. (In fact, I was almost taken out on my way home from the swap-meet this past weekend by some guy on the Aviation path riding two-abreast and refusing to yield to oncoming riders.) I don’t remember the last time I’ve had a close call from a car running a red light or stop sign, but lately I have to avoid a cyclist doing so at least a couple times a week as well – for example last week I was part of a large group of cyclists coming up to cross Campbell eastbound on University, when some dumbass riding against traffic on Campbell blew off the light and rode crossways right into the pack, a potential huge crash avoided only by everyone locking up their brakes.
I’m well aware that unlike a car, a collision with another bicycle may do some damage, but most likely won’t kill me; but still, what the hell is up with all the two-wheeled dumbasses lately?
* I did have one recent incident where I was waiting in a left turn lane on 22nd when some guy went around me on the right to pull a U-turn across my path, but I wouldn’t call it a close-call or emergency stop, because it was obvious that he was pulling something stupid, so I was watching him and covering my brakes.
November 17th, 2008 at 6:32 pm
Scott, I have to agree, there is almost nothing more frustrating than dealing with the wrong-way cyclists. I hate playing chicken with them in a bike lane, and usually I end up hugging the curb and making them veer into traffic.
I calm myself down a little bit by telling myself that these people believe they are doing the right thing. Many people were taught as children always to ride against traffic. Some of these folks are taking the trouble to cross the street in order to ride the wrong way.
The thing I find so irritating about it is the total lack of interest by TPD to ticket (or, much preferably, warn) these riders. Am I wrong or does TPD hand out about a thousand tickets for slowly rolling through a University Ave stop sign for every ticket they give to somebody who is actually endangering themselves?
I have never heard of anyone getting a ticket for riding the wrong way down the street, but tomorrow I’ll have Lauren submit a Public Records Act request to find out the real truth.
EBR
November 17th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
I had a motorist throw a soft drink at me the other day. While many idiot cyclists like to ride on the sidewalk going the opposite direction (slowly), I have yet to have one throw something at me. Although, it did take a full year and a half biking here before getting targeted, but still I don’t get nearly as aggravated by idiot cyclists. Maybe I don’t ride through the U enough? I don’t know.
I will agree that this is a pretty good city for cycling, and that it is completely reasonable for one to do 100% of their trips by bicycle. However, I also kind of feel like it’s sort of a half-assed commitment. On one hand you have all the athletic, outdoorsy people who rock climb, hike and cycle about town, but on the other hand you have the ignorant red necks driving chevy V8 pickup trucks with rims and a 20″ lift kit. The amenities in the form of bike lanes and racks are there, but the “green” culture has yet to be accepted by the populace.
Most average people, if you suggest for them to start cyclo-commuting even small distances will tell you that “they wish they could do that,” but they think it is too dangerous and too hard for them. It’s not accepted as a reasonable method for transportation yet.
November 18th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
“Personally, I want to see cars being used exclusively as planters and stationary playground equipment in 2038,”
On a slightly different track, when I read the above quote I can’t help but think of that 70s movie “Americathon;” where, because both gas and real estate are so expensive in the future (supposedly in the 1990s), all the cars are parked in a permanent state of stationary gridlock and people are living in them – complete with curtains in the windows, flowerboxes, mailboxes, etc., and they either bike or jog everywhere. I’m going to have to rent that one again.