[BikeLongmont] Multi-Modal Transportation Plan: I WANT YOUR INPUT

[Brad MacMonagle]

Richard,

I'd echo Dave remarks regarding interconnecting bike paths. While I'll 
ride the streets, my wife in uncomfortable on busy roads and I would be 
very selective of the streets children would ride on. Interconnecting 
bike trails would promote long bikes rides and the notion of commuting 
around town on a bike. Future work commuters!

As for the streets, we need to make sure that bikes can have safe roads 
to ride on. We need bike lanes on our remote but busier roads. Airport 
Rd is a great example. There are few good choices in the more remote 
but busy areas like this.

Brad


On Sep 17, 2004, at 6:31 PM, Dave Swenson wrote:

> Richard --
>  
> Although I personally do most of my cycling on the street, I'm 
> encountering more and more customers (especially baby boomers) who are 
> getting back into cycling and dread riding on the steets.  For them as 
> well as families and many other casual recreational riders, I feel 
> that having a system of interconnecting bike paths is extremely 
> important!  On the other hand, we should continue to address the issue 
> of bike lanes on major thoroughfares.  If funding is the issue, safe 
> riding on the streets is more important than interconnecting bike 
> paths.  Why not both?  It may take some time, but it's worth planning 
> for.
>  
> Thanks again for what you're doing to promote cycling in Longmont!
>  
> Dave Swenson
> Bike-n-Hike
>  
> ----- Original Message -----
>  From: Richard Masoner
> To: 'bike at bicyclelongmont.org'
> Sent: Friday, September 17, 2004 4:18 PM
> Subject: [BikeLongmont] Multi-Modal Transportation Plan: I WANT YOUR 
> INPUT
>
> The first meeting of the Longmont Multi-Modal Transportation Plan 
> steering committee is this coming Monday. Craig Smith was selected to 
> represent Bicycle Longmont in the steering committee. Craig is, 
> unfortunately, out of town, so he asked me to fill in for him at the 
> first meeting.
>
> The purpose of the MMTP is identify specific transportation facility 
> and service investments over the next 20 years.
>
> I would like input from the group regarding what YOU want as far as 
> bicycle transportation facilities go. Craig and I share the philosophy 
> that bikes do just fine on the road, but I realize not everybody is 
> comfortable riding on the road.
>
> One thing I hear a *lot* is a desire for a system of interconnected 
> paths. The path system in the Longmont Area Comprehensive Plan (LACP) 
> shows what are essentially several isolated linear parks. There are 
> several dashed green lines, but the lines don't connect with each 
> other. These paths are not interconnected -- the only real way to get 
> from the St. Vrain path to the McIntosh Lake path, for example, is by 
> going on Hover Street, and the LACP does not show any future 
> interconnection between the two except via an on-street bike lane on 
> Airport Road.
>
> My question: If the city actually spent $$$ on interconnecting the 
> path system (taking the money away from other important projects), 
> would the people who say they want interconnections actually use them? 
> And would they use the interconnected paths transportationally? In 
> other words, is another Boulder-style duplicate transportation grid 
> something that Longmont residents are really willing to spend money 
> on?
>
> I frequently chat with people on the paths in town who are riding 
> mal-adjusted Pacific Cycle bikes. Almost all of them drive to the 
> trailhead and unload their bikes, in spite of the excellent on-street 
> facilities (bike lanes) in this town. 44-foot roadways and 30 mph 
> speed limits aren't good enough -- many people absolutely must have a 
> completely segregated facility. I realize there are people on this 
> list like this.  PLEASE let me know your thoughts, whether you're an 
> occasional path rider on your Wal-Mart Mongoose, you're a wrong-way 
> sidewalk cyclist, you're the experienced cross-country tourer, or 
> you're a dedicated bike commuter.
>
> Because there is no pedestrian voice on the steering committee, I'm 
> also interested in any comments from that viewpoint.
>
> I prefer email comments, but if you prefer you can call me at home at 
> 3O3 - 682 - 3206. I'll be home tonight after the Artwalk, and I should 
> be home most of the day Saturday.
>
> Richard Masoner
>
>
>
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